Houseboat

The challenge

From the boatyard to the Danube

A houseboat that once travelled the canals of Amsterdam in the Netherlands found itself a new owner in Austria. This new owner spent years renovating it in a boatyard in Wilhelmsburg, adapting it to his requirements. And once the work was complete, it was to be launched in the Danube. Prangl was entrusted with this unusual heavy duty transportation.

Our solution

Selecting the route and equipment

It goes without saying that shifting a 31-ton houseboat with a length of 20.0 metres, a width of 4.3 metres and a height of 4.0 metres is no small feat. Transporting cargo of these dimensions places very specific demands on the specialist transporters. It was clearly necessary to identify a suitable route between Wilhelmsburg and Pöchlarn with consideration to the aspects of weight, width and height. And the perfect transport equipment was naturally also essential. A 250 ton telescopic crane was on hand to lift the houseboat onto a 4-axle tractor unit with a 4-axle low-bed semi-trailer.

Impressive dimensions

With a length of 35.0 metres, a width of 4.3 metres, a height of 4.5 metres and a total weight of 75 tons, the final transport train exhibited impressive parameters. In the evening, it set off on time, accompanied by several road patrol vehicles – making its way along the chosen route, which was 40 kilometres long. The convoy quickly made its way along the first section on the motorway, which took care of most of the physical mileage. But even at the Pöchlarn motorway exit, it became clear that tight bends would be a challenge for the driver and support crew.

Roundabouts with pitfalls

The roundabout immediately following the B209 required a great deal of patience from all involved; making its way centimetre by centimetre forwards and then backwards again, the convoy's progress was correspondingly slow. Traffic signs and signposts had to be partially removed by the team in the Prangl escort vehicle – it took a whole hour just to negotiate this roundabout. During this time, traffic was diverted via a petrol station located on the roundabout. The roundabouts that followed and many of the subsequent corners were also very challenging.

500 metres in reverse gear

In the end, it took hours for the team to safely reach their destination on the Danube, where an additional obstacle awaited the driver and crew: the final 500 metres had to be tackled in reverse. At the end of this section, following a particularly tight corner, there was another bend uphill to the Donaulände. This hurdle was also overcome at walking pace and with the assistance of the attentive support crew. In the early morning, the Prangl team was finally able to lower the houseboat into the water with a 250 ton telescopic crane, much to the delight of the owners.