An association is helping to breathe new life into the aged passenger ship on Lake Aegeri. The MS Morgarten was restored at a cost of over 100,000 francs and has now even been given a new boat cabin.
The “Morgärtli”, as the small motorboat is affectionately known, almost suffered the same fate as so many of its ageing counterparts: too small for a profitable scheduled boat service, too expensive to maintain and too costly to renovate. For this reason, the Zug transport company took the old-timer out of service and left it to its fate in the boat shed in Oberägeri.
This did not sit well with some steadfast lovers of old boats. “This historic ship should be preserved, it is part of the cultural heritage of our region and is a piece of living history that reflects the beauty of the Aegeri Valley,” they decided and founded an association with the aim of raising money to restore the ship and make it roadworthy again.
The financing was successful thanks to many sponsors and a grant from the lottery fund. With the Sprenger boatyard from Niederurnen, the association found a competent company that is familiar with the refurbishment of wooden boats.
Extensive repairs
The renovation of the ship, which is over a hundred years old, turned out to be a Herculean task. As the patient lay on the operating table, it became clear that some parts not only had to be restored, but completely replaced. As the wood had rotted due to the standing bilge water, a new keel was implanted. The existing hull, which had previously been cleaned of the 35-year-old polyester, was first glued and doubled up with 4 millimeter thick plywood and then with mahogany wood of the same thickness under vacuum. Between the two layers of wood, thin glass fiber fabric reinforces the shell structure.
In early summer last year, the MS Morgarten was relaunched on Lake Aegeri in its new beauty and is now available to the 130 club members for trips. The boat, which is 10 meters long but just under 2 meters wide, can accommodate up to 25 people.
The success story was only completed this year. The Morgärtli has had a new roof over its head for a few weeks now. The municipality of Oberägeri had the old boat hut demolished and built a completely new boathouse. A dignified home for a special gem.