Keiler Explained

The Keiler is a river icebreaker commissioned in December 2011 to serve as the flagship of Lauenburg'sWater and Shipping Authority fleet of ten icebreakers, on the Elbe River.^{[1] [2]} The vessel is 33.21m (108.96feet) long and 8.45m (27.72feet) wide.She has a crew of four, and has sleeping and dining accommodation for operations that take longer than a single shift.

She is the first icebreaker built for the water authority in 24 years.^[1]

In February 2012 the upper reaches of the Elbe were beset by the worst ice jams since 1987.^{[3] [4]} The jams were 20 kilometers long, and upstream communities faced flooding as water built up behind the ice dams. The Keiler and sister ships Büffel, Widder, and Wisent were dispatched from their normal stations to attack the ice jam. They had to be careful blocks of ice they freed did not form jams downstream. This crisis represents the first time the water authorities icebreakers were used at night.^[5]

Further reading

• Web site: Eisbekämpfung durch die Wasser- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung (WSV) des Bundes auf der Elbe . German. Wasser und Schifffahrtsamt Lauenburg (Waterways and Shipping Office Lauenburg, a sub-agency of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs) . 2013 . 2015-12-01.

Notes and References

1. News: Der neue Star der Eisbrecher-Flotte . The new star of the icebreaker fleet . . 2011-12-18 . 2012-01-10 . Timo Jann . dead . https://archive.today/20130106012401/http://www.ln-online.de/lokales/lauenburg/3320175/der-neue-star-der-eisbrecher-flotte . 2013-01-06.
2. News: Lauenburger Hitzler-Werft übergibt neuen Eisbrecher an das Wasser und Schifffahrtsamt. Lauenburger Hitzler shipyard hands over new ice breaker to the water and Shipping Office: "Wild boar" makes its debut. Wasser und Schifffahrtsamt. 2012-01-10. dead. https://www.webcitation.org/64bHDyrIE?url=http://www.nok21.de/files/neuer_eisbrecher_wsa_lauenburg.pdf. 2012-01-11.
3. News: Eisstau auf der Elbe: Überflutung droht . Ice blocked the river at 20 kilometers in length. Levels rise rapidly. . . 2012-02-12 . 2012-06-15 . Timo Jann . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120327081812/http://www.ln-online.de/nachrichten/3366150/eisstau-auf-der-elbe-ueberflutung-droht . 2012-03-27.
4. News: Mit 1200 PS in den Kampf gegen das Elbe-Eis . https://archive.today/20120616005359/http://www.ln-online.de/lokales/lauenburg/3359518/mit-1200-ps-in-den-kampf-gegen-das-elbe-eis . dead . 2012-06-16 . With 1200 hp in the fight against same-ice . . 2012-02-04 . 2012-06-15 . Timo Jann .
5. News: Elbwasser staut sich weiter hinter hoher Eisbarriere . Elbe water builds up behind the high ice barrier on . . 2012-02-14 . 2012-06-15 . dead . https://archive.today/20120616001033/http://www.ln-online.de/lokales/lauenburg/3367212/elbwasser-staut-sich-weiter-hinter-hoher-eisbarriere . 2012-06-16.