MS Mouette: Historic ship seeks new destiny

MOUETTE

Historic Ship

seeks new destiny ■ ■ ■

ICONIC VESSEL THAT WILL GRACE ANY LOCATION UNIQUE BAUHAUS DESIGN AND ELEGANT INTERIOR IMMENCE CHARACTER AND STYLE

A PIECE OF HISTORY AFLOAT ■ ■ ■ ■

34 METER LENGTH TO HOST 250 PERSONS WELCOMING ENTRANCE FOYER WITH ORIGINAL TICKET BOOTH 2 SUN-FILLED SALONS, DEDICATED TO FIRST CLASS AND SECOND CLASS OVER 70M² OF OUTSIDE DECK SPACES

FLEXIBLE BASE FOR MANY VENTURES ■ ■

FEATURED IN MANY BOOKS AND MAGAZINES, IN FILMS AND ART OBJECTS FULLY OPERATIONAL

Ready for new adventures....

MS MOUETTE:

A look back on an exciting history

The early years (1939-2002)

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In 1939 Mouette was built in the famous BODAN ship yard in Kressbronn am Bodensee in Southern Germany. Their client was the Swiss Shipping line LNM which provides ferry services on Lac de Neuchatel.

LNM had commissioned the ship yard to build Mouette (as she was named) to the highest specifiations using the best materials available in order to provide maximum comfort for their First and Second Class passengers.

BODAN delivered Mouette just in time, with the Second World War only days away. It is fair to assume that the ship’s valuable steel hull would have been used for the war effort, had she not arrived in safe Switzerland. Here she received her “Permis de Navigation” allowing her to take up to 250 passengers travelling between the various ferry terminals on the beautiful lake. During the week the service was

mostly used by workers and schoolchildren but at weekends families and courting couples flocked to the the ferries to enjoy the breathtaking views. After more than 60 years as one of the best loved vessels on the lake, Mouette, played her final role as a venue for the SWISS EXPO 2002.

Relocation (2002-2004) Mouette was up for sale and luckily won the heart of a young German entrepreneur.

A condition of the sale was for the ship to be removed from the lake. The new owner had a plan to take her to London but how to move the ship from a landlocked alpine lake to the British Isle posed a real challenge. The journey was epic , over the Swiss Jura Mountains, through narrow villages, across numerous roundabouts, along happy waving school children late for lessons due to the blocked road, shouting “Fitzcarraldo, Fitzcarraldo”. In

Basle Mouette was lifted into the Rhine where she sailed to the Bavarian port town of Bamberg, the new owner’s home town. There he used his wide network of artisans and craftsmen not only to restore but also enhance the period features and upgrade her technology so the ship was fit for the next millennium.

The London years (2004-2020 ) 10 months later Mouette travelled through the great rivers and canals of Germany, Holland and Belgium to the coast and braved the voyage across the Channel.

The final leg took her up the River Thames where she found a new home on a historic pier in Chelsea. Mouette, gleaming white with its traditional and original ferry seats on deck became an iconic sight and was frequently painted, photographed and even appeared in films. Musicians and artists performed at the regular events,

Chelsea Pensioners, in their red uniforms, were invited to enjoy drinks on deck. In 2012 there was a very public moment of glory when the Royal Barge was moored next to Mouette, during the Queen’ Royal Diamond Jubilee celebrations. On that historic day, Mouette hosted 100 guests from around the world - all dressed in style. Ladies in their finery wearing hats and gentlemen blue blazers with gold buttons.

Metropolitan life was in full swing on Mouette, when, suddenly, Brexit happened, the pandemic, and so time came for Mouette to return to the Continent.

Reinvention for a new era (2022-) Currently Mouette excites ship enthusiasts in the beautiful town of Bruges, Belgium but what will be Mouette’s next moves?

FROM THE SWISS LAKES...

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THIS SHIP IS WORTH ANY EFFORT

...TO LONDON”

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ELEGANT LINES OF A BYGONE ERA

WELCOMING FOYER WITH ORIGINAL TICKET BOOTH

SPACIOUS BRIGHT SECOND CLASS SALON WITH ORIGINAL INTERIOR...

...OPENING TO THE COSY AFT DECK

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OVER 70 M2 OF SUNNY UPPER DECK WITH MAHOGANY FLOORS

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CAPTAIN’S WHEELHOUSE WITH 360 DEGREE VISION

FIRST CLASS SALON WITH ORIGINAL BIRCH PANELLING FITTED AS MASTER BEDROOM

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UNLIMITED ORIGINAL FEATURES THROUGHOUT THE SHIP

MOUETTE HAS PLAYED MANY ROLES IN HER LONG LIFE ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

FERRYBOAT WEEKEND CRUISESHIP POST OFFICE EXHIBITION SPACE FOR THE SWISS EXPO 2002 LUXURY LONDON HOUSEBOAT RECEPTION BOAT FOR THE ANCIENT DOGGETT’S COAT & BADGE ROWING RACE VENUE FOR EXCLUSIVE EVENTS ATTRACTING CELEBRITIES ARCHITECTURE STUDIO HEADQUARTER OF COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES PARTICIPANT IN THE QUEEN’S ROYAL DIAMOND JUBILEE FLOTILLA 2012 FEATURED IN MAGAZINES, BOOKS, FILMS AND CONSIDERED A LIVING ART OBJECT

And for all, a place to remember forever...

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WHAT WILL BE HER NEXT ADVENTURE? ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

STYLISH BUSINESS SPACE TOP EVENT LOCATION GRAND GASTRO AND HOSPITALITY ART GALLERY FLOATING MEDIA STUDIO SPIRITUAL SPACE YOGA STUDIO EXCLUSIVE ENTERTAINMENT VENUE DREAM WEDDING LOCATION AMAZING LUXURY LIVEABOARD HOME FLOATING CLASSROOM 1930’S LOUNGE BAR FILM LOCATION AND MANY MORE...

The Sky is the Limit !

MS MOUETTE:

Technical Data

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YEAR BUILT: 1939 SHIPYARD: BODAN WERFT, KRESSBRONN AM BODENSEE LENGTH: 34 M WIDTH: 6,40 M DRAFT: 1,20 M INTERIOR SPACES: ~130 M² EXTERIOR DECK SPACES: ~70 M² HULL MATERIAL: STEEL INTERIOR MATERIALS: MAHOGANY, BIRCH, LARCH WOODS CAPACITY: UP TO 250 PASSENGERS ENGINE: DETROIT DIESEL V8 FACILITIES: 2 WC, EQUIPAGE, WINE CELLAR FULLY EQUIPPED GALLEY

Technical Drawings (Original 1939) ■ ■ ■

- COMMUNAUTAIR CERTIFICAAT (ON REQUEST) - TONNAGE CERTIFICATE ( ON REQUEST) - OTHER DOCUMENTS ( ON REQUEST)

CONTACT DETAILS 22

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WOLFGANG STECK WEWSTECK@GMAIL.COM TEL: +49-1717262033

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