1973 - today: Chronicle of the
Yacht Club Leverkusen-Hitdorf e. V.
After the club was founded in 1973, still under the name "Monheimer Yacht-Club Hitdorf", the club was located on a site that it had rented from IG Marina. IG Marina was an interest group that let the club use the site for a fee. At that time, Hitdorf belonged to the town of Monheim. After the regional reform and the allocation of Hitdorf to the town of Leverkusen , it was decided to give the club the name "Yacht-Club Leverkusen-Hitdorf eV" and to have it registered in the association register under this name. The first jetty of the newly founded club was built near the harbor exit. A corresponding waterfront property was leased. Today, the Motor Yacht Club Hilden has its jetty anchored there. At the same time, considerations were given to where a large jetty could be located in the harbor. The new location should still offer protection against the waves of commercial shipping during slight high water levels . The choice fell on the end of the harbor basin. The new jetty was to be built where, until the end of the 1960s, timber rafts were still landed to be processed in the Hitdorf sawmill .
Aerial photograph of Hitdorf from the 1950s.
Courtesy of Astrid Behrendt
Source: A walk through the old Hitdorf
Raftsmen at work courtesy of Astrid Behrendt
Source: A walk through the old Hitdorf
The initial situation required a great deal of imagination and a fair amount of enthusiasm. At normal water levels, the planned water surface was only more than 50 centimetres deep in a few places. In addition, several gravel banks protruded from the surface.
Raftsmen at work courtesy of Astrid Behrendt
Source: A walk through the old Hitdorf
The initial situation required a great deal of imagination and a fair amount of enthusiasm. At normal water levels, the planned water surface was only more than 50 centimetres deep in a few places. In addition, several gravel banks protruded from the surface.
View of the harbor - year unknown. This is what the end of the harbor looked like before dredging work began.
Courtesy of Astrid Behrendt
Source: A walk through the old Hitdorf
Thanks to the enormous effort of the then members Alois "Papp" Zingel and Martin Lünsmann, the harbor basin was dredged to an average depth of 2.50 meters with the help of a dredger that was set up on the peninsula and connected to the other side of the harbor via a pulley. This work continued until 1975. Then the jetty could be moved from its previous location at the harbor exit to its new location.
At an extraordinary general meeting at the beginning of 1975, the members decided to buy a workboat from the Oldenburg Waterways and Shipping Authority and to convert it into a clubhouse. The club's board was given authority to bid at the auction for the workboat. Through clever action, the board managed to win the auction. On June 6, 1975, the time had finally come. The clubhouse arrived at Hitdorf harbor. It was brought to Hitdorf over 352 km and through 22 locks by Messrs. Elend and Zingel.
During the 1975 season, the necessary renovation work on the jetty was carried out and on December 7, 1975, the clubhouse was integrated into the complex. The clubhouse was located in the southern area of the eastern main jetty and was inaugurated. It was christened "Skippers Inn". In addition, dinghy stations were built for the large number of sailing dinghies, where the boats could be stored dry. In the first few years, 7 sailing dinghies and a motorized Wiking inflatable boat belonging to Werner Demmer were moored at these dinghy stations.
After a few years, the steel floats that made up the jetty in the first stage of construction and that had been bought second-hand by the German army were in need of repair. After detailed consultation, it was decided to rebuild the entire main jetty and replace the existing steel floats with plastic floats. On February 15, 1977, 120 plastic floats and plastic panels were purchased from Stahlbau Bläser KG in Kamen as a jetty covering. They were gradually transported to the harbor.
Due to the rapidly growing number of members and the corresponding increase in the number of boats, members expressed the wish to be able to carry out minor repair work on the underwater hull of the boats themselves. This wish of the members was met in 1977 with the decision to build a rail slip for boats up to 15t. The necessary materials were purchased from the Oberbilk steelworks through appropriate contacts. On January 21, 1978, the dismantling of rails and sleepers for the new slipway began and on April 4, 1978, the new slipway was built. In the immediate vicinity of this large slipway, a slipway for pleasure boats was put into operation on March 10, 1979. This slipway was necessary as a replacement for the first slipway near the current flagpole.
This first slipway could no longer be used due to the growth of the club and the jetty, as the required open space in front of the slipway was no longer available.
At the end of the 1970s, the club members decided to buy the jetty from IG Marina so that they could become the owners themselves. This transfer of ownership took place gradually, as the shares of the individual marina members were gradually bought off. With the date of the annual general meeting on March 9, 1979, the time had finally come. The club finally became the owner of the jetty.
The water area rented by the club at the harbor entrance is handed over to the Hilden Yacht Club on April 26, 1979. The main access bridge is towed from its original location at the harbor entrance to the current jetty on April 28, 1979.
The constant increase in membership, including among young members, makes it necessary to purchase sailing boats for the club. The first sailing dinghy is purchased on May 12, 1979, and the second on April 14, 1981. These are sailing boats of the Pirate class. Subsidies for the purchase of these boats are approved by the German Sailing Association, the Sailing Association of North Rhine-Westphalia, and the City Sports Association.
The ravages of time have also taken their toll on the hull of the clubhouse. In addition, the space on the jetty is urgently needed for new moorings. The club decides to move the clubhouse from its current location on the jetty to an area in the parking lot. On April 1, 1982, the foundation for the clubhouse is laid in the parking lot. And on December 10, 1982, when the flood level is favorable, the clubhouse is floated onto the foundation, lowered, and secured. It is secured using wire ropes and four steel dolphins. The first major flood on May 19, 1983 already showed that the dolphin length is not sufficient. The clubhouse is in danger of slipping out of its mount in the event of a heavy flood (gauge in Cologne 10 m). Therefore, after the water level drops on November 28, 1983, 2 m long supports are welded onto the existing dolphins to secure the clubhouse in the event of a flood.
In 1982 and 1983, the sailors of the Yacht Club Leverkusen-Hitdorf e. V. took part in the Rose Monday parade in Monheim with their own float. This idea was born out of a spontaneous participation in the Rose Monday parade in 1981
In this parade in 1981, the sailors took part as a walking group dressed as babies.
The sailors were infected with the Carnival virus. In 1982, a small van belonging to member Werner Elend was converted into a carnival float. The conversion was carried out in the Elend company's depot. In 1983, a large trailer belonging to Elend was used for the conversion. The construction was carried out at the Köhler company in Baumberg. The building materials were sponsored by club member Wolfgang Fürschbach. The tractor was provided by farmer Willi Diepes from Hitdorf. Since a lot of throwing material could be obtained, the sailors decided to take part in both the carnival parade on Sunday in Leverkusen and the Shrove Monday parade in Monheim.
In 1985, a new harbor master's house was needed because the previous building no longer met requirements. The new harbor master's house was dismantled by the Hau company in Düsseldorf, taken to Hitdorf and lifted onto the main jetty by the Colonia company.
The existing large slipway had to be rebuilt. Construction of the new slipway began on March 28, 1988. The winch was supplied by the Mannesmann company. The new slipway was put into operation on July 15, 1988. This facility is still in operation today with slight modifications.
The Leverkusen-Hitdorf Yacht Club had agreed to host the traditional Rhine Week in 1989. According to the press at the time, most of the regatta participants felt that this was high time. The sailors of the organizing club could not take part in the races in the usual numbers because they were needed to organize the regatta. According to the press in an article about the Rhine Week, the regatta participants from other clubs welcomed this fact, as the Hitdorf sailors often took the prizes from regattas back to Hitdorf. The regatta course ran in 5 stages from Oberwinter to Wesel and was covered in the regional and national press. The event was a complete success thanks to the active support of many club members.
In 1990, an excavator was purchased to be able to carry out necessary earthworks and to transport larger parts. This work tool was replaced by a newer model in 2000. The excavator was used until 2006 and then given away because the possible uses no longer justified the cost of maintenance.
Up until 1992, a Deutz tractor with the type designation F1 from 1949 was used to transport the booms from the parking lot to the slipway.
In order to speed up this work, a "new" tractor, also from the Deutz company from 1956, with the type designation D25, was purchased this year. This new tractor is equipped with a hydraulic system. After the special trailer was converted with a hydraulic lifting system in 1993, lifting the outrigger jetties was made much easier.
The dredging work that was carried out until 1975 to make room for the current jetty was continued in 1992, as a so-called clay lens at the end of the jetty had resisted all attempts to achieve a uniform water depth in the harbor basin. This clay lens is now being removed with special excavators.
After almost twenty years of club operation, extensive maintenance work is necessary. The existing jetty covering on the jetty outriggers is replaced in 1992. The steel barge is also equipped with a diesel engine to further simplify work on the jetty.
In 1993 the club celebrates its 20th anniversary. A rally is organized to mark the occasion. The year 1993 ends with a flood of the century. The water level at the Cologne gauge is measured at 10.63 m. Large parts of Cologne's old town are flooded.
These photos are not from 1993, but give an impression of the enormous masses of water,
which the Rhine flows past Hitdorf during floods.
In Hitdorf, residents of Rheinstrasse worked with THW forces to prevent the water from reaching Hitdorfer Strasse. This was achieved with combined forces. Only residents of Hitdorf were allowed to drive their vehicles into the town so as not to hinder the emergency services. Police forces ensured that this restriction was observed. If the temporary barriers had not held, a large part of Hitdorf's hinterland as far as Monheim and Langenfeld would probably have been flooded. During the flood wave, access to the jetty was only possible by boat. The jetty survived this once-in-a-century flood without major damage.
The electronic age also does not pass the club administration by. In 1994, the first computer is purchased
to bring member data management and accounting up to date.
In the years 1994-1996, the existing plastic coverings of the main bridge were replaced by wooden coverings.
Work is carried out by the members themselves under the expert guidance of member Fritz
Korger. The renovation work on the jetty is now largely complete.
In January 1995, another flood of the century occurred. Persistent rainfall and the beginning of
Snowmelt in the low mountain ranges in the first days of the new year caused the Rhine to reach record highs
20th century from 10.69 m. Again, access to the jetty is only by water
possible. The journey to the jetty leads directly past the balconies of the new houses on Rheinuferstrasse.
The flower boxes on these balconies are seen by the swans as a welcome - and at this water level
The jetty also survives this flood without any significant
Damages.
The photos were taken from Rheinuferstraße in the direction of the YCLH jetty.
The construction trailers standing in the water are at street level
In the spring of 1997, a heavy storm brought down several trees in the immediate vicinity of our clubhouse.
Balance. The trees fall on the clubhouse and damage the railing and roof of the clubhouse.
Through the mediation of club member Franz Schmidt, the opportunity arose to take over the boatman's mast from the Cologne Boatmen's Association. This mast had to vacate its traditional location due to the construction of the new Chocolate Museum in Cologne's Rheinauhafen. The city of Düsseldorf would also have liked to take over this boatman's mast for the newly designed Rhine bank in front of the old town. But the deep-seated aversion of the Cologne Rhine boatmen to a location in Düsseldorf, combined with the promise of the YCLH to give the mast a worthy location, meant that the location decision was made in the club's favor. After appropriate preparatory work and the creation of foundations, the mast was erected on October 8, 1997 and officially taken over with a topping-out ceremony. The members of the Cologne Rhine Boatmen's Association were also invited to the topping-out ceremony and inauguration with priestly blessings from the Catholic and Protestant clergy from Hitdorf. The members of this association who attended were enthusiastic about the new location.
The flagpole continues the old tradition of greeting passing ships with flag decorations and
while at the same time making the connection between all those involved visible.
With the flagpole of the Cologne Shipowners' Association, Hitdorf now has two facilities of this size, as the flagpole of the former Hitdorf Shipowners' Association has found a worthy location on the grounds of the Yacht Club Wuppertal-Hitdorf .
This picture shows the current location of the clubhouse (dotted line) and the above-mentioned boatman's mast of the Rhine boatmen's association of Hitdorf. The railway line for transporting the floated wood to the sawmill is clearly visible. This transport line ran under Rheinstrasse directly to the sawmill.
Courtesy of Astrid Behrendt.
Source: A walk through the old Hitdorf
Between 1995 and 1998, the access bridge that had been damaged during flooding was repaired to make it flood-proof, steel rails were installed in the parking lot to secure the finger piers in winter (the system prevents the piers from breaking loose during flooding), the parking lot was paved and the electrical system on the pier was optimized.
Since the end of the 1990s, members have been increasingly wanting to expand the sanitary facilities in the club complex, so that owners of smaller boats can also have a morning shower after spending the night on board. As the existing clubhouse did not allow for expansion due to the size of the floating body, the plans were initially based on a floating sanitary facility. A material thickness measurement carried out in the hull of the old clubhouse in 2001 required completely new plans, as the results in some cases only showed material thicknesses of a sheet of paper. Therefore, the plans for the sanitary facilities were stopped and planning began for the construction of a new clubhouse instead.
Transport of the float construction by the company Schwientek. Completion of the construction work with installation of the parapet.
In 2004, the new clubhouse was officially inaugurated. The clubhouse was blessed by Deacon Müller.
View of the new clubhouse from the harbor side
This clubhouse was designed to meet the needs of owners of smaller boats for appropriate sanitary facilities. In addition to the new and modern sanitary facilities, the new building also has showers. The enlarged kitchen and the new club room also meet the needs of the members. Since the clubhouse was inaugurated, the annual members' meetings have been held in the clubhouse.
After the record high water levels in the mid-1990s, September 2003 saw a record of a different kind: low water. The Cologne gauge only showed a water level of 0.80 cm. Many boats could no longer leave their berths because the harbor no longer had the necessary water depth.
After 30 years of use on the main jetty, the plastic floats in the main jetty need to be renovated. This renovation will begin and be carried out in-house under the leadership of the harbor master Hans-Dieter Intven in 2006. Given the considerable scope of the renovation work, the work will continue over the next few years.
In February 2009, work will begin on comprehensive flood protection for the Hitdorf district. These safety measures will close the last gap in flood protection along the Rhine. The YCLH club grounds will also be affected by these measures. Before construction work begins and before the start of the breeding season, all trees that stand in the way of the use of heavy machinery will be cleared. On the club grounds, the first to fall victim to this clearing are the bushes and hedges that provide a visual barrier to Rheinstrasse.
The trees were felled at the end of February 2009. All other equipment such as lighting and water level indicators in the fence area will also be removed.
The club's plants and facilities will be restored once the construction work is completed. Space for movement is required for the construction work.
Removal of topsoil for interim storage
Removal of the asphalt surface from the access road to the club premises
First, the topsoil is removed and temporarily stored at the edge of town towards Rheindorf. Then a concrete channel is installed, which is needed for the actual sealing wall to guide the excavator. A special building material is poured into this channel, which hardens to the planned depth of over 25 meters below the earth's surface and under water, and provides the desired protection. Sheet piles are then embedded in this special building material, which serve as the basis for the above-ground flood protection wall. This wall is then faced.
Once the construction work is complete, the club grounds will be returned to their original state. The fencing will be renewed. The club grounds should be fully available for use by the club again in summer 2011.
As part of the renovation of the jetty, three new steel floats will be installed in the area of the head jetty in summer 2010. The new floats have a significantly higher buoyancy than the previous floats. This will stabilize the head jetty. The renovation of the plastic floats will also continue on an ongoing basis.
After an early onset of winter in December 2010 with unusually large amounts of snow for the Rhineland, the first acid test for the sealing wall and the protective gates followed in January 2011.
Jetty on 18.12.2010
Construction of the protective gate by employees of TBL (Technische Betriebe Leverkusen) and the company Spedition Niesen.
Die Schutzwand wird nicht aufgebaut, da absehbar ist, dass die zu erwartenden Pegelstände dies nicht notwendig machen.
The clubhouse will also have to show for the first time, when the water level is around 9.00 m (Cologne gauge), whether the structural engineers' calculations were correct and whether the clubhouse will really float. Fears that the calculations might not work out are dispelled by reality. The clubhouse floats as calculated.
The clubhouse floats between the guide dolphins.