02 November 2012
Olav Tryggvesson til Kronprins Olav
Danish article translated to English
Today is a day of celebration in Elsinore. It is exactly 75 years ago that a gentleman by the name Knud Emil Thorvald Henning Hansen started a company, although rarely mentioned in connection with abbreviations (of ships), but which nevertheless is alive and kicking in just a shortened name – namely KNUD E. HANSEN.
It is not because that KNUD E. HANSEN has just planned the big bash on the day. This is in turn include the employees concerned by a party that is designed to be launched in February.
All others can then look forward to that in November released a commemorative work in book form – KNUD E. HANSEN: 75 years of Ship Design. Written by one of today’s biggest passenger ship experts (according to Maritime own copy of them): Dr. Bruce Peter, who in addition to having a comprehensive book production behind it also teaches at the Glasgow School of Arts.
But I wonder if that will be drawn a line of work after lunch once, so there may burst a bottle of champagne or two. Mindful of the more than 650 ships (plus the many who never reached beyond the planning stage), the company has been involved in the design since its inception in 1937. In addition to involvement in a sea of conversions and inspections, etc.
The beautiful lines
Now, Knud E. Hansen of course himself long since gone public, but the company KNUD E. HANSEN has over the years tied up in many legends. Not least is the company famous in relevant circles for his efforts in passenger ships and ferries.
The very first ship that carried the company KNUD E. HANSEN line patterns was thus a ferry – Peter Wessel, who sailed for Larvik-Frederikshavn route. And also the first ferry / passenger ship that was designed for the direct loading of cars on an international voyages. It was in 1973 one naming successor, who also still in sailing the Adriatic under the name Marko Polo for the company Jadrolinija.
KEH-class
The ship was one of many small and large milestones, Scandinavian shipbuilding has set itself over the years. And one of many milestones for KNUD E. HANSEN specifically. And Knud Emil itself was actually already a known master in the industry when he started his own company. He thus took the exam back in 1925 at the Polytechnic, as the technical education stronghold of the times let her name.
But with him, he took particular a pronounced interest in the old (very old) Nordic hull design, which, he believed, bar the seeds of better design of modern ships – or datidige, if you will. His thoughts on particular Viking ships’ strong design unfolded already in his time at Elsinore Shipbuilders and Engineering Building, where Knud E. Hansen worked until he founded his own ship engineering company in the same city. And even though the inspiration was probably a little old great, so was the ever visionary, and that’s exactly the thread that has gone through the company’s work ever since. Admittedly, sky and sea (Kattegat and Baltic Sea), unlike, for example. Crown Prince Olav in 1937 and Gotlandsbolagets more contemporary Visby. But KEH-class forsaken (still) not. The logbook kipper certainly happy with the flag.
Jubilæum for et firma - og et varemærke inden for skibsdesign
Article from Søfart
I dag er en festdag i Helsingør. Nærmere betegnet på Classensvej. Det er nemlig præcist 75 år siden, at en herre ved navn Knud Emil Thorvald Henning Hansen startede et firma, der ganske vist sjældent omtales i forbindelse med forkortelser (af skibe), men som ikke desto mindre lever i bedste velgående under netop et forkortet navn – nemlig KNUD E. HANSEN.
Det er nu ikke fordi, at man hos KNUD E. HANSEN lige har planlagt den store festivitas på selve dagen. Det sker til gengæld bl.a. for medarbejdernes vedkommende ved en fest, der er designet til at blive søsat til februar.
Alle andre kan så glæde sig til, at der i løbet af november udkommer et jubilæumsværk i bogform – KNUD E. HANSEN: 75 years of Ship Design. Skrevet af en af tidens største passagerskibseksperter (ifølge Søfarts eget eksemplar af slagsen): Dr. Bruce Peter, der ud over at have en omfattende bogproduktion bag sig også underviser på Glasgow School of Arts.
Men mon ikke, der bliver slået en streg over arbejdet efter frokost en gang, så der kan sprænges en flaske champagne eller to. Ihukommende de mere end 650 skibe (plus de mange, der aldrig nåede ud over planlægningsstadiet), firmaet har været med til at designe siden starten i 1937. Dertil kommer så medvirken til et hav af ombygninger og inspektioner m.v.
De smukke linjer
Nu er Knud E. Hansen jo selv for længst gået heden, men firmaet KNUD E. HANSEN har gennem årene bundet sig op på mange frasagn. Ikke mindst er firmaet jo berømt i relevante kredse for sin indsats inden for passagerskibs- og færgefarten.
Det allerførste skib, der bar firmaet KNUD E. HANSENs stregmønster, var således en færge – Peter Wessel, der sejlede for Larvik-Frederikshavn-ruten. Og i øvrigt den første færge / passagerskib, der var konstrueret til direkte ombordkørsel på en international fart. Den fik i 1973 en navne-efterfølger, der i øvrigt stadigt i sejler Adriaterhavet under navnet Marko Polo for rederiet Jadrolinija.
KEH-klasse
Skibet var en af mange små og store milepæle, skandinavisk skibsbygning har sat sig gennem årene. Og en af mange milepæle for KNUD E. HANSEN specifikt. Og Knud Emil selv var faktisk allerede en kendt herre i branchen, da han startede eget firma. Han tog således eksamen tilbage i 1925 på Polyteknisk Læreanstalt, som de tekniske uddannelsers højborg i de tider lod sig benævne.
Men med sig tog han bl.a. en udtalt interesse for gamle (rigtig gamle) nordiske skrogdesign, som, han mente, bar kimen til bedre design af nutidige skibe – eller datidige, om man vil. Hans tanker om bl.a. vikingeskibenes stærke design udfoldede sig allerede i hans tid på Helsingør Jernskibs- og Maskinbyggeri, hvor Knud E. Hansen virkede, til han stiftede eget skibsingeniørfirma i selvsamme by. Og selv om inspirationen nok var lidt bedaget, så var den stadigt visionær, og det er præcis den røde tråd, der er gået gennem firmaets virke lige siden. Der er ganske vist himmel og hav (Kattegat og Østersøen) til forskel på f.eks. Kronprins Olav fra 1937 og Gotlandsbolagets mere nutidige Visby. Men KEH-klassen fornægter sig (stadigt) ikke. Logbogen kipper i hvert fald meget gerne med flaget.