A century-old Norwegian coastal trading vessel, MS Hans, was converted to live-aboard and supports development of Dgen projects and shared collaboration. Built in Amsterdam in 1916, she traded along the coasts of Norway, Russia and Denmark for 87 years before being converted into a live-work home, workspace, studio and recording space.
View from M/S Hans sailing at sunset, Thames, London
All conversion work has been carried out in alignment with the Barcelona Charter for historic ships. With continued attention to the physical structure and hull, Hans remains a fully navigable vessel: IMO No. 5141938.
| Identity & dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Motor Ship: Norwegian coaster |
| Hull | Steel, double-ribbed (ice-rated) |
| Built | Amsterdam, 1916 |
| Trading history | 1916–2003 (Norwegian coast) |
| Converted | 2004–2009 |
| LOA | 110 ft (34 m) |
| LWL | 100 ft (30.48 m) |
| Beam | 20 ft (5.98 m) |
| Draft | 5 ft (2.12 m) |
| Air draft | 38 ft (11.6 m); 32 ft from deck |
| Gross tonnage | 125 t |
| Nett tonnage | 71 t |
| Deadweight | 215 t |
| Engine | Scania DSI 11: 310 hp straight-six turbodiesel |
| Propeller | Hundersted, fixed pitch, twin-disc gearbox |
| Capacity & systems | |
|---|---|
| Fuel | 3,000 L diesel (660 imperial gallons) |
| Fresh water | 3,000 L |
| Black water | 1,000 L |
| Floor space | ~1,600 sq ft (140 sq m) |
| Deck gear | 2-tonne hydraulic winch/crane |
| Navigation | Radar, 2× GPS + autopilot |
| Power | Water-cooled + air-cooled generators; high-capacity battery/inverter; 24V + 12V AC/DC circuits |
| Data | Micro-datacenter: TB+ storage, Gb network |
| Audio | 3.8 kW 11-channel sound system; 48-track recording studio |
| Safety | Breach & flood sensors, high-power searchlight |
| Location | HCM, Thames, London |
Photo: Charlie Tymms
Built in 1916 by G Muller in Amsterdam for Ganger Rolf, under Det Norske Veritas classification 1A1+K as a steamer trading the coasts of Norway, Russia and Denmark. Constructed of steel riveted onto angle frames, she was the last small coasting vessel of her size to work in Norway and traded commercial cargo for a total of 87 years: a participant in both WW1 and WW2.
Originally a twin-hatch coaster with a centre derrick and exposed helm, she was later modified for grain carrying in the 1960s with high silos aft, then converted to a single-hatch vessel with a forward mast and derrick. The layout typical of Baltic traders of the last fifty years.
From 1960 to 2003 she was owned and operated by the same family, John Torkilson and his son Jarle, running building materials between Stavanger and Bergen twice weekly. In 2003, as she became economically unviable, she was replaced by a larger vessel. After a brief period in Maldon, Essex earmarked for film support work, she was purchased and converted into a live-work home.
M/S Hans, berthed at Hermitate Moorings. She is typical of Baltic traders of the last fifty years
Full historical record: Krigsseilerregisteret
Hermitage Community Moorings: the first licensed residential development on the Thames in over 100 years
Hans now lives at Hermitage Community Moorings (HCM), which Gavin co-founded and helped build. HCM is the first licensed residential development on the Thames in over 100 years: constructed from scratch as a cooperative to meet the needs of its occupants.
The cooperative model means shared infrastructure: bridge, pontoons, a shared community building for events, water, energy, and internet: while each vessel is individually owned by its occupier. It is a condition that vessel owners are members of the coop, live aboard, and are active members of the community.
- Recently installed 23 kW of solar on the shared community building, reducing energy costs across the whole community
- Shared maintenance and boat knowledge: collectively learning the infinity of DIY tasks
- Sailing as a fleet for long weekends
- A community of like-minded individuals building on a collective vision
More photos on Flickr: and at Hermitage Community Moorings.