German Ferry vs Storm - Elbe River

Up front with those people is where I would be.
So glad they and others were not hurt.
Amazing the windows blew in.
Hard to design and plan for these extremes. This would not be the first time waves have damaged, disabled (sunk) a ferry.
IMO, windows should have had a better design.

They had a video of that guy, who was sitting in the front seat of that harbour ferry in the local TV news here in Hamburg last night. Because he instinctively raised his hands in front of his face, no pieces of broken glas entered his face but both hands and arms were sticking full with broken glass. All other pessengers of the ferry got lucky away.

Remember we are not talking about a storm in the North Sea, it happened here in the Hamburg Harbour, downtown Hamburg and 80 NM away from the open sea.

And Ralph, You are correct, I would have set in that front seat too.

The problem with this ferry is, that is part of the greater Hamburg public transport systems like busses and subs. As one of my sons and myself are living in the suburb of Blankenese in the west of Hamburg on a hill above the Elbe River, the shuttle ferry is, especially during rush hours, the most convenient way to our office in the downtown harbour. At least better than sitting in the back of Your car and watch Your driver loosing his patience in the traffic jams.



They call it the floating flat iron. The passengers during that "event" were Airbus workers on their way to the Airbus factory at Finkenwerder.

"One time You loose and one time You just don't win".

Hamburg harbour can occasioally be a nasty bit of water. No reason to underestimate it Just because it's just the Elbe River. Even tied up a light boat can start rolling for no obvious reason there and with wind against tide, running against the waves and with a scedule with waiting passengers at the stations it can sometimes become critical if you try to be on scedule at all costs. The old Hadag ferrys hat storm blinds for the sea deck for a good reason.

I can count 9 customers on the Ferry. Do we really need to run a that boat in those conditions to get a dozen people off the roads?
Perhaps so, we will run this Ferry come hell or high water. Well, there you go.

So glad all is well with the crew and customers, that's for sure.

Contracted runs may have to run with zero people on board. All depends on the deal of operation.
I also am glad all is well with those onboard.
I think some forgot an important rule on the water; Ship Happens..
Sure would like to know the real specs on that front glass and any service history.
Somebody(s) found a pooch.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=screw the pooch