Start of the season on the Kochelsee: Cast off for the "MS Herzogstand"

Created: 05/17/2022, 11:00 am

By: Stefanie Wegele

Looking forward to guests: Manfred Kneidl (32), who has been driving the "MS Herzogstand" on Lake Kochel for eleven years.

Here the ship is just at the landing stage in Altjoch, where it also spends the winter.

Bicycles and dogs can also ride © Arndt Pröhl

Motorboat trips on the Kochelsee already started in the pre-season at Easter, from June 1st all trips will take place again every day.

The Kneidl family, which has been in the shipping business for a good 40 years, is now hoping for a good season after the Corona period - and does not want to make the trips more expensive despite the rise in gas prices.

Kochel am See – “This year you can again enjoy the trip on board without a mask and we can also offer drinks again,” reports Manfred Kneidl (32), who has the “MS Herzogstand” with space for 100 passengers alternating with one second driver controls.

That wasn't possible recently due to the corona.

There were also hardly any club trips and group trips during the pandemic - many hikers used the ship for a crossing even in Corona times.

"Now clubs or larger groups are booking again, for example for company outings, which is of course great - and we hope that it will now be a normal season again," says the 32-year-old, who has been sailing the ship since he was 21 years old is.

Level is low

However, the Kneidl family was concerned about the low water level caused by the extremely dry phase in the pre-season.

"I can't remember that it was so deep," says Manfred Kneidl's mother Kreszentia.

"We even had to take a week off completely because we need a certain water level in order to be able to operate shipping." Since the "MS Herzogstand" is a front loader, the drivers have to drive directly to the shore to board and disembark the passengers to let.

"If the water is too low, we risk breaking the ship," explains Manfred Kneidl.

At the moment there is still little water in the Kochelsee, but they can drive again.

Fares and times remain the same

This season, the Kneidl family does not want to change anything in terms of the timetable or the prices for the trips - even though their motor ship runs on liquid gas.

"Of course we don't yet know how the gas prices will develop and we may have to react, but people are already under enough financial pressure and that's why we try to keep the prices stable," says Kreszentia Kneidl.

The fact that many now have to pay more attention to money in view of the increased costs in many areas of life is shown by the lower number of day-trippers who have previously traveled by ship.

"We also notice the higher fuel prices," says Kreszentia Kneidl.

Season goes until the church fair

Now the family is looking forward to things really getting going again in June.

"In the high season up to September 30th, we always drive, except in heavy rain, storms or thunderstorms," ​​says Kneidl.

It starts with the first trip at 11 a.m. at the landing stage in Kochel, the last trip of the day starts at 5 p.m.

"The end of the season is then at the church fair," says Kreszentia Kneidl.

You can also take your bike with you

If you are out and about on the Kochelsee by bike and want to switch to the ship in between, you can take your bike with you for a small fee - "but only if there is enough space on the foredeck and no passage is blocked," says Kneidl.

Dogs are also allowed to ride, but they must always be on a leash.

"Everyone is welcome here, and we always have a very mixed audience," says Manfred Kneidl.

Since they have been operating the current ship, built in 1998, on Lake Kochel, wheelchair users and parents with prams have also been able to board, and the "MS Herzogstand" also has a toilet.

"The previous ship, which was on the Kochelsee until about twelve years ago, was from 1938 - that was a lot more rustic," says Kneidl.

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