The lake Schluchsee located 930 m above sea level is the biggest lake in the Black Forest with a length of 7.5 km, a width of 1.4 km, and a maximum depth of 61.7 m. As a relict of the last ice age, the glacial lake of the glacier Feldberg is now a water reservoir with a storage volume of 108 million m³. Today, it is not only a swimming lake but also a great aquatic centre in the High Black Forest – a paradise for surfers and sailors but also for divers and fishers. But as a water reservoir it is also used for the generation of energy. This is why more or less strong variations of the water level occur at regular intervals. Now, the maximum level was intended to be lifted by 1.5 m. This called for considerable alterations at the shore and the club Schluchsee e.V. had to decide about the future of the VETTER yachting crane of 2000 featuring a construction height of 9 m which would no longer be high enough. Every now and then, the 20-year old crane was already faced with “wet feet” not presenting any problems for the structure. But as a consequence of another increase of the level the crane could no longer be used as intended since the rigging of sailing yachts requires a certain height.
This is why a new column was required which is 3 m higher than the older one: A conventional retrofitting project perfectly implemented by VETTER. The crane now has a construction height of 12 m and a new galvanized column installed on the old foundation. On this occasion, the bearings and cable connections were inspected and replaced, too. Afterwards, the telescopic jib arm was mounted. Now the lake Schluchsee is well prepared for the new season and the VETTER crane for the next stage of its life!