Location
The shipyard is ideally – but not necessarily – located near the Public Building Show. For most of the work, we need one or more weatherproof building(s) with controllable, largely stable temperature and humidity. This has a direct influence on manufacturing tolerances! Simple weather protection (possibly a tent) is sufficient for goods receipt, the outdoor timber storage area, the log band saw and the temporary storage of ready-to-install (sealed) components.
An overview can be found at Facilities in detail.
Range of boats and ships
At our shipyard, we will build a wide range of boats and ships that we need to carry out our missions on the way to achieving our vision. Initially, we will focus on the large LRVs (Large multi-purpose Research Vessel) over 50 metres, such as Ζωή, and the comparatively small SRVs (Small multi-purpose Research Vessel) with a length of around 12 metres.
Characteristics
Suitable designs of research boats and ships must fulfill the requirements of seaworthiness, carrying capacity, towing capacity and, of course, environmental compatibility in order to be able to cope with the tasks set. SRVs and FRVs in particular must also be able to be sailed by smaller crews – the e-Καΐκια even by a single person – and offer sufficient space for their mission. In addition, they should provide at least a minimum level of comfort for their crews and guests, especially on longer journeys. What all our ships have in common is our ambition to build robust work and research vessels from sustainable materials that can withstand all weathers. The wooden laminate also provides excellent sound and heat insulation, ensuring a pleasant climate on board.
The deckhouses and shade sails are fitted with photovoltaic modules, which generally cover the energy requirements. In addition, the medium-sized and large ships are equipped with extremely powerful Hydrogenerators developed in collaboration with Hamburg University of Technology and TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology), which convert ‘surplus’ wind energy into electrical energy.
Manufacturing
Details on construction methods, building materials and manufacturing techniques can be found in this chapter under Wooden Components Production, and Tools and Machinery in the Zoé chapter under Construction and in the R&D chapter under Boatbuilding Timber.