Thursday, 05 October 2017 00:57

Extended exhibition "Tugs on Station"

We are pleased to announce that the current exhibition in the National Dutch Towage Museum titled "Tugs on Station" has been extended till November 26th. A fragment from the exhibition guide:
 
In October 1922 the oceangoing steam tug ‘Roode Zee’, under the command of the legendary captain Nils Persson, steamed into the Atlantic Ocean with a sealed envelope containing instruction for a type of maritime emergency service that would revolutionize the assistance to ships in distress.
Well into the 1980’s the salvage actions of the so called station tugs appealed to the imagination of the maritime industry as well as the public. The ‘Roode Zee’ was the very first of dedicated salvage tugs that during winter time would be stationed in strategically located ports around the Atlantic Ocean, the steam boilers continuously under full pressure, with the sole purpose to pick up distress signals by radiotelegraphy and to offer their salvage assistance on the basis of Lloyd’s Open Form. Many ships and crews thank their lives to these station tugs.

‘Tugs on Station’
is the title of the new temporary exhibition of the Dutch National Towage Museum in Maassluis in the Netherlands. With numerous and often unknown photographs and objects the imagination is captivated of this special form of assistance wherein the Dutch played an important role for decades. Salvages like that of the ‘Burgerdyk’, ‘Sports’, ‘Otto Petersen’ and ‘Ivar’ are presented. There was much competition. Not only from the German Company ‘Bugsier’. Dutch firms Wijsmuller, Smit, Doeksen and Willem Muller competed to arrive first at the location of a ship in distress and to offer their assistance on the basis of Lloyd’s Open Form – no cure no pay. Today, Smit, Svitzer and Multraship still have occasionally tugs on station but the nature of the work and services have changed substantially. Environmental protection is the overriding priority and national authorities bear the burden of the costs of the salvage tugs which now are called Emergency Towage Vessels (ETV) and operate under the direction of the National Coast Guard.  On the Dutch inland waterways and IJsselmeer tugs have always been and some still are on standby to render assistance when a normal sensible person would stay inside.
The risks that endangered the station tugs and crews are highlighted. The damaged telegraph of the steam tug ‘Ebro’, foundered in 1958 and salvaged 30 years later, is a vivid reminder thereof.
The early salvages were often a battle against the elements and tugs themselves sometimes sustained damage to their wooden bridges or even lose their own life boats. In war time, like the Second World War and the first Gulf War, also the dangers of war were never far away and many losses of life and tugs were suffered.
Often less exposed but interesting are the contractual side a successful salvage job and the role of communication. Attention is given to the legal background of salvage and its standard contract ‘Lloyd’s Open Form – no cure no pay and also to the important role of wireless operator or ‘sparks’.
Salvage station work was not only special because it was spectacular and adventurous. A successful salvage could result in a good salvage reward for the salvage company but it formed also a welcome golden opportunity for the crew. The general public was fascinated by the headlines, cinema news and nowadays internet and youtube. On the other hand, at times when nothing happened for weeks on end, the boredom was enormous.
 
This temporary exhibition can be visited in the Dutch National Towage Museum in Maassluis, the Netherlands. The opening speech was performed by Captain Bert Kleijwegt, former master of ocean going salvage tugs and salvage master on March 18th...
Friday, 04 August 2017 00:37

Bring the SMIT-LLOYD 1 back home!

On december 16, 1964 the keel of yardnumber 256 was laid at the shipyard of “De Hoop” at Lobith. The vessel was launched on April 10th, 1965 and received yardnumber 642 to be completed at H.H. Bodewes Shipyards at Millingen. She was christened “Smit-Lloyd 1”. Despite her name she was the second of a series of newly designed type of vessels to accommodate oil rigs and work stations all around the world’s oceans.  The “Smit-Lloyd 1” had a long career. First she sailed under the flag of L. Smit & Co’s Internationale Sleepdienst at Rotterdam. Not much later she became part of the ever growing fleet of Smit-Lloyd N.V., Rotterdam. After a succesful 20 year career she was sold to Sea Service Ltd., Valetta, Malta and renamed in “Sea Serv III”. Apparently her new owner was very happy because another 20 years were added to her name. In 2004 she was sold to First Pacific Trading Company Ltd., managed by Tankship Management Ltd, also at Malta under the name “Ramla Bay”. After only two years she changed owners again without losing her name. She was sold to Island Fendering at Malta. In 2010 she was bought by her current owner Dipmar Gemi Kurtarma, a Turkish company that gave her the name “Deep Supporter”. And now she’s for sale. We would like to get her back to the Netherlands 18TH VOLUME, NO. 62  DATED 02 AUGUST 2017   12/27   and bring her back to her original outfit. To conservate and to exploit. She’s the very last vessel of this type that became an example of the whole offshore industry. We would like to set up a foundation. Of course we need to find out if this plan has a chance. The owners are willing to sell this ship for 250.000 euro’s. Suppose we’re able to raise that amount of money? Then what? We will have to find permanent docking facillity. A few ideas: 1. Get her out of the water and find a dry spot on land to put her on display. This could be a parking lot or a round-a-bout. This way the vessel will not have to be under class and the maintenance costs are lower. But eventually the public interest will fade away because she’s not a sailing ship. As vandalism will set in and before you know it the ship will be wrecked. 2. Keep the vessel in the water at a permanent docking facillity with the possibility to arrange trips in the harbor. This way the ships doesn’t have to be under class but can be exploited. The Port of Rotterdam is big enough and has a lot of interesting places to entertain people. This might lead to an income large enough to put her under class eventually. 3. Put her under class and have international trips. For this of course we need an certified crew. This is the most expensive possibility. What can we do with the “Smit-Lloyd 1”? We can set up excursions, wedding parties, live performances of bands and of course there will be an excursion through the ship guided by people who sailed her. She is in A1 condition and the only thing that needs to be done is painting her back in her original colours. Every piece of equipment on board is original. We would like to keep her away from the scrap beaches. We have until October to place a bid so we are in need of serious money. Please donate. Help us to bring her back home !!!!! Go to the donation site HERE and join use for a change

Last week the National Dutch Towage Museum could add two new very fine models to her collection. First a model of the harbour tug Jan Goedkoop Jr. and second the Ocean Going Salvage tug Barentsz Zee. The builder Jan Rison, a retired operator, spent more than 500 working hours on each model. Jan Rison said: “I found the Barentsz Zee ten years ago at an antiquary at the Spiegelgracht in Amsterdam when I did some restore work on old ship for him. The model was found in a garbage container and I ask the antiquary why the model was dumped into the container. He told me that this model could be restored but that it is up to you. I took the model home and start with the restoration. The model was made of sink plates on a brass keel with brass frames bended from brass T-profile and all soldered. The bow was complete destroyed which I have complete restored it with polyester. The superstructure was made from red copper which I complete renewed with polystyrene plate as the model has to be sailed again. The cap on the stake is still from red copper. My building time for this model was 500 hours. Personally I think the builder of the model spent more than 2000 hours” The tug Jan Goedkoop Jr. is made from wood with frames. On this Jan spent another 500 hours for this model. The Dutch National Towage Museum is grateful that Jan has ceded the models to the Museum. Visit the Dutch National Towage Museum and watch the fine models with all her details. Hoogstraat 1-3 - 3142 EA Maassluis (Photo’s; Hans de Klerk)

by Hans van der Ster

In October 1922 the oceangoing steam tug ‘Roode Zee’, under the command of the legendary captain Nils Persson, steamed into the Atlantic Ocean with a sealed envelope containing instruction for a type of maritime emergency service that would revolutionize the assistance to ships in distress.
Well into the 1980’s the salvage actions of the so called station tugs appealed to the imagination of the maritime industry as well as the public. The ‘Roode Zee’ was the very first of dedicated salvage tugs that during winter time would be stationed in strategically located ports around the Atlantic Ocean, the steam boilers continuously under full pressure, with the sole purpose to pick up distress signals by radiotelegraphy and to offer their salvage assistance on the basis of Lloyd’s Open Form. Many ships and crews thank their lives to these station tugs.

‘Tugs on Station’
is the title of the new temporary exhibition of the Dutch National Towage Museum in Maassluis in the Netherlands. With numerous and often unknown photographs and objects the imagination is captivated of this special form of assistance wherein the Dutch played an important role for decades. Salvages like that of the ‘Burgerdyk’, ‘Sports’, ‘Otto Petersen’ and ‘Ivar’ are presented. There was much competition. Not only from the German Company ‘Bugsier’. Dutch firms Wijsmuller, Smit, Doeksen and Willem Muller competed to arrive first at the location of a ship in distress and to offer their assistance on the basis of Lloyd’s Open Form – no cure no pay. Today, Smit, Svitzer and Multraship still have occasionally tugs on station but the nature of the work and services have changed substantially. Environmental protection is the overriding priority and national authorities bear the burden of the costs of the salvage tugs which now are called Emergency Towage Vessels (ETV) and operate under the direction of the National Coast Guard.  On the Dutch inland waterways and IJsselmeer tugs have always been and some still are on standby to render assistance when a normal sensible person would stay inside.
The risks that endangered the station tugs and crews are highlighted. The damaged telegraph of the steam tug ‘Ebro’, foundered in 1958 and salvaged 30 years later, is a vivid reminder thereof.
The early salvages were often a battle against the elements and tugs themselves sometimes sustained damage to their wooden bridges or even lose their own life boats. In war time, like the Second World War and the first Gulf War, also the dangers of war were never far away and many losses of life and tugs were suffered.
Often less exposed but interesting are the contractual side a successful salvage job and the role of communication. Attention is given to the legal background of salvage and its standard contract ‘Lloyd’s Open Form – no cure no pay and also to the important role of wireless operator or ‘sparks’.
Salvage station work was not only special because it was spectacular and adventurous. A successful salvage could result in a good salvage reward for the salvage company but it formed also a welcome golden opportunity for the crew. The general public was fascinated by the headlines, cinema news and nowadays internet and youtube. On the other hand, at times when nothing happened for weeks on end, the boredom was enormous.
This temporary exhibition can be visited from March 18th until October 8 in the Dutch National Towage Museum in Maassluis, the Netherlands. The opening was done by Captain Bert Kleijwegt, former master of ocean going salvage tugs and salvage master on March 18th..
 
If you are interested in the full exhibition guide, please open the link below:
Thursday, 08 December 2016 00:43

Book: Bow Tug Operations

The third edition of Capt Henk Hensen's monograph has been updated to include several crucial aspects that play an important role in bow-to-bow operations , such as skeg and stern design. In addition, the author has included suggestions for test trials on a tug's suitability for bow-to-bow operations, with images explaining the trials discussed - all focusing on the safety of tugs, tug crews and attended ships. Informatively illustrated in full colour, Bow Tug Operations is aimed at helping tug captains, ships' masters, pilots, tug operators, marine administrators and fleet managers to identify the potential dangers and ways to avoid them.

Bow Tug Operations

Henk Hensen

Price: £25.00 ITS Club Discount Available of 5%

https://www.tugandosv.com/books.php?cat=2

November 22nd, 2016

The contract has been signed between Van Wijngaarden Marine Services and Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld for the build and delivery of a Damen Shoalbuster 3512, to be named the LINGESTROOM. This will bring the total number of Shoalbusters in the Van Wijngaarden fleet to five including the NOORDSTROOM, also a Shoalbuster 3512, which was delivered in April 2016.
 
Van Wijngaarden Marine Services operates a modern, 15-strong fleet that delivers a wide range of support and supply services on a global basis to the maritime construction and offshore energy industries as well as port services and towage.
 
The 3512 is the largest model in the Shoalbuster range at 35 metres and like its smaller sister-ships is designed to be a multi-purpose workboat capable of undertaking a wide variety of roles including towing, mooring, pushing, anchor handling, dredge support, supplying and other support assignments. All the Shoalbusters are well known for their exceptional versatility, particularly in shallow water, and their ability to take on just about any task. The 3512 combines a bollard pull of 55 tonnes with a deck area totaling 145 m²; enough space for seven 20 ft and two 10 ft containers, and an 11.3 tonnes @ 16.5 m deck crane, making it a formidable all-round workboat.
 
“The NOORDSTROOM has had an excellent reception from our clients and has been busy since we took delivery”, said Peter van Wijngaarden, Managing Director of Van Wijngaarden Marine Services. “This gives us the confidence to go ahead and order a second 3512, particularly as the offshore wind sector is likely to be a strong source of demand. Like NOORDSTROOM, the LINGESTROOM will be equipped to undertake all the roles that are necessary to support offshore windfarms and other marine construction, as well as much more besides.”
 
“We are delighted that Van Wijngaarden Marine Services has ordered a second Shoalbuster 3512 in twelve months at our yard,” added Jos van Woerkum, managing director at Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld. “This is certainly due in part to the excellent cooperation between the management and team of Van Wijngaarden Marine Services and the production team at our yard. This ensures that we can guarantee a fast delivery time and rapid deployment of the vessel.”
 
The Shoalbuster 3512 is also a popular design with the crew who work on board. The climate-controlled accommodation includes a captain’s cabin, two single crew cabins, four double crew cabins, a galley, a mess, and sanitary facilities. There is even an office for the client, complete with V-SAT connection. The facilities comply with ILO2006 rules, and can take up to 11 persons.
 
These Shoalbusters are exceptionally versatile and robust tug/work boats,” concluded Peter van Wijngaarden. “Just what we need in today’s market.”
 
Delivery is due at the end of April 2017.

from: Towing Line, Hans van der Ster

Monday, 07 November 2016 15:03

New tug ARASHI for Iskes IJmuiden

The year 2016 promises to be another interesting year for Ijmuiden-based Iskes Towage & Salvage with delivery of a new Damen 2810 tug to report along with progress on its newbuilding EDDY tug also due this year.

Before we take a detailed look at the Damen delivery it is worth reminding ourselves of Iskes’ activities. It operates a fleet of around fifteen modern mainly ASD tugs and is active in harbour towage, offshore services and emergency response. Iskes’ harbour towage activities are mainly based at Amsterdam and Ijmuiden, towage provision at the latter dating back to 1928. It is also now operating in nearby Rotterdam with of late the ASD tugs Brent and Mercurius working in Europe’s busiest port.

Delivery of the EDDY Tug 24-70 by Holland Shipyard, to be named Telstar promises to be one of the more interesting stories of the year no doubt returned to in this column. In the meantime, Iskes has another new tug to integrate into its family with recent delivery of the Damen ASD 2810 tug Arashi.

The new addition is classed by Bureau Veritas, flies the Dutch flag and is homeported in Ijmuiden. Looking in detail at Arashi’s main dimensions: length overall is 25.78m, length extreme 27.9m, length including fenders 28.67m, beam moulded 9.8m, extreme beam (including fenders) 10.43m, depth moulded 4.6m, draught 4.8m and air draught 18m.

Main propulsion is provided by Caterpillar via two 3516C main engines each developing 1,865kW at 1,600rpm driving Rolls-Royce US 205 azimuth thrusters. Auxiliary equipment includes two Caterpillar C4.4 TA gensets each developing 107kVA. Tank capacities include 72.3m3 of gas oil, 14.9m3 of fresh water and 15.7m3 of ballast. Performance figures quoted are 62.2tbp and speed 13.6kn.

Iskes has included a comprehensive deck equipment specification with Arashi. Damen DMT winches are fitted forward and aft, forward a hydraulically-driven towing and anchor winch has a 32 ton pull (at 9.2m/min) and 150 ton brake load. On the aft deck a hydraulically-driven double drum towing winch is installed with a 33 ton pull at 9.5m/min and 35 ton pull at 9m/min, brake load is also 150 tons. Towing provision is supplemented by a Mampaey 650kN SWL towing hook.

Deck space aft is 90m2 and additional deck equipment includes a Heila HLM 20-3S crane capable of lifting 2,000kg (including winch lifting power). A five-ton load capstan is also provided and the tug has fire-fighting capabilities via two monitors delivering a total of 1,200m3/min.

Main supplier of navigation and communication equipment on board are Furuno who supply: two radars, satellite compass, GPS, echo sounder, Navtex, AIS, SSB and Inmarsat C terminals. Sailor and Jotrun supplied the main and portable VHF sets and EPIRB and SART and Simrad the autopilot.

By Peter Barker

- See more at: http://www.maritimejournal.com/news101/tugs,-towing-and-salvage/investment-continues-at-iskes-towage-and-salvage#sthash.XO7zbVMm.dpuf

Sunday, 06 November 2016 10:36

Save the SMIT-LLOYD 1

The moment of truth is there. The very last version of the original A-class Smit-Lloyd suppliers is about to disapear. We are talking about the former “Smit-Lloyd 1”, built in 1965 en the second vessel in de Smit-Lloydfleet. Since 2013 operating under the name of “Deep Offshore”. The condition of the ship is excellent but the current owners have decided to take it out of commission due to lack of employment. At this time there are negotiations between a group of passionate shiplovers and the owners to try to get the former “Smit-Lloyd 1” back home and save it from the scrap yards. We need the amount of 250.000 US dollars (or 230.000 euro’s) to be able to buy the vessel. And then we need some more for transportation, either with a fully certified crew, or maybe the possibility of a semi-submergible pontoon. In the first case we need insurance, food and fuel supply. In the second case…. well, no company will do this transportation for free… At this moment we are looking into ways to set up a foundation to try to raise the money through crowd funding/sponsoring/donations. Buying the ship and getting it back to the Netherlands is one thing. Maintaining it is something else. We need docking facilities, a group of volunteers and the list goes on. But every journey starts with the first step and that is buying the vessel. I’m confident more steps will follow once the first step is taken. We need all the expertise we can get in this matter. Like the Americans say: “Put your money where your mouth is!” On the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Smit-Lloyd-11770022119922751/?fref=ts you will find the initiator of this project mr. Leroy Smith.

For the installation of a new boiler the steam tugboat NOORDZEE has been towed from Medemblik to Willemsoord Museum Harbour in Den Helder, the Netherlands. The NOORDZEE was built in 1922 at the Janssen & Schmilinsky yard in Hamburg, Germany, and was fitted out with a compound steam engine and Scottish boiler made by Blohm & Voss. The owner of the tug is the Steamtug Noordzee Foundation. The photograph shows the departure of the Noordzee from Medemblik and was pushed by the tugboat Zeeleeuw. (Tugs, Towing & Offshore Newsletter).

Wednesday, 26 October 2016 14:15

Tug STEENBANK saved from demolition

A joint action from two entrepreneurs with a large dedication for the Dutch tug and towing heritage and a group of dedicated volunteers have made it possible to save the 1250 HP coastal / Harbour tug Steenbank (build 1960 ) from final demolition. Sunday October 23 the Tugboat port Maassluis was enjoying a great moment when the Tug Albatros (build 1959 ) also voluntarily towed the crippled Steenbank into the Outer harbour after a successful towage trip from IJmuiden. The Steenbank was assisted by the former Smit harbour tug Maassluis (1948). By welcoming the Steenbank, Maassluis Tugboat harbour is consisting of a fleet of not less than 9 museum vessels related to the  heritage of the first harbour on the Waterway. Together with the National Tugboat Museum, Maassluis is offering a unique remembrance of Ships, objects and other materials from the past hundred years of towing history. The Steenbank will be totally renovated into here original NRS Livery. (from: Tugs Towing & Offshore Newsletter).

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Steenbank I 26203

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Specifications and short history (courtesy of The Tugslist / Piet van Damme):

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(sisterships: SCHOUWENBANK, STEENBANK)
Registered: LR66-67:533974
IMO 5339743 /(NLD)brand:10810 Z Rott 1960 /(NLD)IVR 27.10810
183 GRT, L30,38m(28,00), B7,55m, Dr2,99m, Dp3,81m  (99'8"x24'9"x9'10")
1 fpp +nozzle, d-e., 2x diesel 4t 8cyl K.H.Deutz (nr.2599726/33 +2599718/25) type BA.8M.528, 1240bhp-912kW total @750rpm, sp 11kn, bp 13t

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STEENBANK
1960 -16/11: Launched by "Scheepswerf v/h H.H. Bodewes" at Millingen (NLD) (YN 560)  (keel laid 02/06/1960)
1960 -16/12: delivered to "L. Smit & Co's Internationale Sleepdienst Mij NV" at Rotterdam (NLD)
        (NLD flag, regd Rotterdam, brand:10810 Z Rott 1960, IVR 27.10810, c/s PHSF)
1961 (31/05): chartered to "NRS - Nieuwe Rotterdamse Sleepdienst" at Rotterdam (NLD)
1972 -xx/07 (10/04): To "Smit Internationale Havensleepdiensten BV" at Rotterdam (NLD), renamed ASTROLOOG
        (NLD flag, regd Rotterdam, c/s PCVO)
1980 -xx/04: To the "Belgische Zeemacht" at Oostende (BEL) (for 25,000,000.-Bef), renamed C/Lt VALCKE (pennant A 950)
        (BEL flag, regd Oostende)
1985 -27/02: damaged in a collision with UK ferry 'European Enterprise' off Zeebrugge (BEL)
1994: laid up
1996: refit and back in service
2007: still in service

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Pict. Fotoboek Belg. Zeemacht p.93 +142

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