A festive day in Cuxhaven

A name giving Ceremony of the two magnificent new freezer trawlers Cuxhaven NC 100 and Berlin NC 105

From the Naming Ceremony last Friday. On the picture from left:. Dr. Ulrich Getsch Mayor of Cuxhaven, Haraldur Grétarsson Director of DFFU and his wife Harpa Ágústsdóttir, Kai-Uwe Bielefeld Covernor Cuxhaven County and Ståle Rasmussen CEO of Kleven/Mycklebust Shipyard.

Last Friday was a big day in the history of Samherji and Deutsche Fischfang Union (DFFU) when the two new vessels were formally given a name at a ceremony in Cuxhaven, Germany. The event was even more remarkable since DFFU's last new build came to Cuxhaven in 1990. Harpa Ágústsdóttir wife of Haraldur Grétarsson, DFFU's Managing Director, named Cuxhaven NC 100 in a formal and traditional way. Then Annegret Aeikens wife of Dr. Hermann Onko Aeikens, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, named Berlin NC 105. In relation to special event DFFU hosted a reception for it´s customers, officials, suppliers, employees and other well-wishers of the company. A total of 400 guests from 17 countries attended. Haraldur Grétarsson, Dr. Ulrich Getsch, Mayor of Cuxhaven and Dr. Hermann Onko Aikens, addressed the guests.

On this occasion, DFFU donated nine ship models to the Windstärke 10 Maritime Museum in Cuxhaven. The models are made after some of the company´s vessels and show the evolution of German fishing industry in the last century, but the oldest model is from 1921. This gift was well received by the museum's management, as the history of the fishing industry in Germany and Cuxhaven city coincide. Cuxhaven was one of Germany's largest fishing ports in the last century, in which many Icelanders landed their catch from the North Sea.

	The ships were open for all interested.

On Saturday the people of Cuxhaven were invited on board to explore the vessels. It was particularly pleasing that around three thousand people used the opportunity.

The vessels are 81.2 meters long freezer trawlers, built in the Mykleburst shipyard in Norway and designed in collaboration with Rolls-Royce. These are stunning vessels with the most advanced equipment available, whether in the bridge, deck, engine room or the crew facility. It is especially pleasing that a lot of the equipment on board is made by Icelandic industrial and technology businesses such as, Slippurinn, Kælismiðjan Frost, Vélfag, Marel, Brimrún and Héðinn hf. 

"Today, we are first and foremost proud and happy. We are naming two beautiful ships that show without a doubt that we are optimistic for in the future. We have been operating in Germany since 1996 and these are our first new builds. It has not been an easy ride but recent years have been successful and we believe this is an important step and the beginning of a great chapter in our fishing history in Germany, "said Þorsteinn Már Baldvinsson, CEO of Samherji.

„This is a big day in DFFU's history. These new vessels are important for us to stay competitive in our operations, and to strengthen our position in attracting young people to interesting jobs at sea. These are well-paid jobs and we provide the best available working conditions. It has also been a pleasure to see how the people in Cuxhaven have rejoiced with us and showed great interest." said Haraldur Grétarsson, DFFU's Managing Director.

German media coverage from the ceremony available here and here. Icelandic TV station N4 coverage available here.