Ferryman, get over!

Easier said than done when the water is low for Michael Maul, whose family has operated the ferry connection between Oestrich-Winkel in Hesse and Ingelheim in Rhineland-Palatinate since 1968.

Maul is the scion of a family of ferrymen with a tradition dating back to the 16th century.

For him, however, being a ferryman was not a matter of course.

And that despite the fact that the “Michael” car ferry, which has been used to cross the Rhine since 1986, bears his name.

He only decided to join his parents' company when, after studying business administration, he felt free enough to choose another profession if necessary.

"In the end, my resistance wasn't stubborn enough."

Ferrymen like Maul are used to the whims of nature and the changing water levels of the Rhine: "That determines our lives," says Maul.

But in times of rapid climate change, nothing on the Rhine is as it was.

Until well into the 1990s, periodic high water was part of the normal course of a year for Maul, while extreme low water was very rare.

Both spoil the mood of the ferrymen.

Maul calls the accumulation of low water phases since the extremely dry year 2003 “scary”.

The 52 meter long "Michael" can no longer drive.

Maul, who takes the helm himself a few times a month, has rented the only flat-water ferry on the Rhine from his ferry colleague in Lorch to bridge the gap.

This is possible because the Rhine is already too shallow for this ship in the westernmost corner of Hesse, despite its draft of only 40 centimeters.

But this draft is sufficient for Oestrich-Winkel.

Maul likes high tide much better than low tide.

The former are usually short-lived and do not cause any damage to the ship.

Less than a hand's breadth of water under the keel, on the other hand, increases the wear and tear on the propeller and engine due to turbulent Rhine gravel.

Maul demands that the federal government must pay more attention to cross-traffic on the Rhine.

The 49-year-old ferryman looks to the future with concern.

Winkel Bay, which “Michael” wants to drive through with up to 32 cars on board, is becoming increasingly dry.

The unusually large number of aquatic plants hold back sand and sediment.

Dredging is expensive.

According to Maul, the ferry service is only romantically beautiful through the eyes of an outsider.

The burden of maintaining traffic across the river 365 days a year is great.