With its headquarters in Hardinxveld-Giessendam DMS has its own, separate, suite of offices adjoining those of Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld.

This is a highly convenient arrangement but one that also causes some confusion among the uninitiated. Managing Director of DMS, Wim Crum, heads an organisation involved in chartering and manning workboats, trading, brokerage, evaluation and the development of new vessels for the workboat community. Although DMS is a separate company, within the Damen group, it has of necessity developed strong links and a unique relationship with the shipbuilding and engineering branches of the organisation.

Chartering workboats is an activity synonymous with Damen that dates back to the early 1960s and was eventually responsible for the formation of the Marine Service Division in 1974. Strong links were established in many developing nations, including Cuba, Nigeria, and many other countries in South America and the Middle East. Since those early days Damen Marine Services has become a specialist in the provision of tugs, workboats and other service craft to support dredging, civil engineering, port services and offshore marine operations anywhere in the world. Vessels from the company are frequently engaged in port towage, barge handling, dredging and marine construction, the installation and maintenance of wind farms, the accurate positioning of marine structures, survey work and crew transportation.

DMS has it own fleet, with a wide range of tugs, workboats and marine units available to serve clients all over the globe.

The company also undertake contracts for the provision of towage and other services in their own right. Vessels are available for charter under long-term arrangements or for short engagements of just a few days or weeks. Vessels on charter can be supported anywhere in the world from a number of centres in; Europe from HardinxveldGiessendam in the Netherlands and Tarragona in Spain; In the Middle East from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Doha and Qatar;

In the Far East from Singapore.

Operational and technical support for vessels on charter or carrying out contract work, is also available around the clock from any one of the many facilities within the Damen Group's worldwide network of shipyards. A well-organised rapid response to repairs and problem solving, aimed at decreasing downtime, is always available from DMS.

At the time of writing the DMS fleet comprised some 15 vessels, including tugs, multipurpose work vessels and fast crew-boats. The charter fleet also gives clients the opportunity to charter or lease one of Damen Shipyards standard, series built, vessels from stock. This arrangement gives the customer the chance to gain first hand experience with a vessel and if required the agreement can include a purchase option. This 'try before you buy' option has proved popular among many operators. Chartering under favourable financial terms can also be arranged while a clients' own new vessel is under construction at one of the Damen Shipyards.

The Damen facility at Hardinxveld is a busy place with almost continual traffic in vessels arriving and leaving the yard.

Many of these are charter vessels having finished work with one client and ready to go elsewhere.

Once returned to the yard any necessary maintenance and repairs are carried out in readiness for the next assignment.

A very important aspect of the chartering and contract work carried out by Damen Marine Services is the heavy involvement in the actual operation of vessels manufactured within the Damen group. From the involvement the company gains a wealth of vital experience regarding performance and functional aspects of the craft. That experience is put to very good use and has resulted not only in the improvement of existing vessels but also the development of completely new designs.

Back in the 1970s the charter fleet of DMS consisted mainly of small specialised workboats such as PushyCats, StanTugs, small Multi Cats and fast polyester crewtenders (Poly Cats). Those vessels were mainly providing assistance to dredging operations in the Netherlands and abroad.

From that early experience DMS quickly learned that there was an urgent need for more advanced vessels capable of fulfilling a whole range of different services. As a direct result of this operational experience two completely new types of vessel were developed in conjunction with Damen Shipyards, Hardinxveld, the 'Damen Dredgehelper' and the 'Damen Shoalbuster'. Both vessels were specially designed to provide support to the dredging and marine construction industries.

Other vessels in the Damen Shipyards range have also been developed and modified as a direct result of DMS involvement with potential clients.

The development and operation of the Damen Shoalbuster is a good example of the close collaboration that has been generated between DMS, their customers and the shipyards division. As described in Maritime Journal (issue May 2004), the Shoalbuster was first conceived by Henk Bruins, former Managing Director of DMS and was the result of intensive collaboration between DMS and the Damen Shipyard at Hardinxveld.

This first vessel of the series was introduced in 1995 and the design has been kept under close scrutiny ever since, with changes in the size, equipment and performance being initiated at regular intervals in order to meet the very latest demands from operators. The original aim, to produce a shallow draft tug/workboat with a good towing performance, sufficient buoyancy for lifting and anchorhandling, with adequate deck space aft and provision for a powerful crane was achieved.

Different operators however have differing requirements and during the life of the design 20 vessels have been produced varying in size from 19m to 26m and each version an improvement on its predecessor. The latest version the Shoalbuster 2609, a vessel capable of full-unrestricted seagoing operation, was the culmination of nearly a decade of development.

But development continues and an even larger vessel is under discussion.

The Dredgehelper was also a brainchild of Henk Bruins. Input from the company's own staff and dredging company superintendents in the early 1990s identified a need for a more suitable vessel to support dredging operations. At first it was thought that an improved Multi-Cat would provide better anchorhandling, pipeline assembly and maintenance facilities and a number of other on-site services.

But, as the new design was developed very little of the original Multi-Cat design was left. It was Henk Bruins aim to make the right choices and compromises in the design, while keeping quality standards high and construction costs within budget. The first Dredgehelper, DH Alpha , was built in 1993 and was subsequently sold to Smit Singapore in 1996, becoming the Smit Bison , and was sold earlier this year to Marine Co in the UK. This vessel was followed by DH Bravo and DH Delta , which had the same underwater characteristics but a different superstructure and deck layout. A fourth vessel DH Charlie is now in service with Maritime Craft Services (Clyde) Ltd (MCS) as the MCS Elly . MCS have had a long association with DMS and a number of vessels have been chartered and purchased for the developing company fleet.

Within a few weeks MCS will take delivery of a new Shoalbuster 2609 the MCS Nikki .Since the inception of Damen Marine Services BV vessels have been sold from their own active charter fleet. But during the mid 1980s a special department, entitled Damen Trading & Chartering was formed to deal with those activities. Damen Trading & Chartering is now a separate division of DMS that has gradually expanded its activities to include the sale, purchase and chartering of any type of used vessel.

Over the years the organisation has acquired a great deal of experience and knowledge in brokerage, enabling them to offer customers a full service with assistance before, during and after a sale or purchase. Additional services offered include, assistance with registration, transport to any destination, and the arrangement of modifications to meet the client's specification. A search of the market can be carried out to find a specific type of vessel or assistance can be given to acquire a new one. If a new vessel is purchased from within the Damen Shipyards Group, a used vessel can be traded in.

Some vessels originally ordered for the DMS charter fleet change hands very quickly - even twice in one day. Tugs such as the new Shoalbusters, Camperduin and Tarka , are a good example. They were built to the order of DMS to service the major Dubai 'Globe' project. The tugs were constructed and allocated names with the now familiar 'DMS' prefix, but before completion they were sold to independent operators Viegers Tugboat Services BV and Herman BV. When each vessel was completed, on the day of the naming ceremony, DMS formally purchased each tug from their colleagues at Damen Shipyards Hardinxveldt in their adjacent offices. The tugs were then formally sold again a few hours later to their individual owners.

A christening at Hardinxveld is a popular event and usually followed by a traditional 'Captain's Supper' and considerable celebration.

Vessels offered for sale by Damen Trading and Chartering now include craft from the DMS charter fleet, vessels wholly owned by Damen Trading and Chartering and those offered exclusively - direct from owners or co-brokers.

One of the first vessels sold by Damen Trading, which was not part of the Damen Marine Services B charter fleet, was a Polycat 200 named Susanne . She was bought from a Dutch owner and sold to Angola. From that moment on Damen Trading became known as worldwide broker and now has a well-developed network of contacts with owners, operators and co-brokers. Although Damen Trading originally specialised in the sale and purchase of tugs and workboats, and Damen products in particular, the range of vessels now on offer can include coasters, service launches, patrol boats and passenger ferries. In November 1987 a direct mail newsletter 'Damen Direct' was introduced and is now sent to over 4000 addresses around the world.

A further service offered by DMS is the supply of experienced crews to man a wide range of small craft and work vessels.

Properly licensed personnel are available at daily rates to man marine equipment or to provide training. DMS crews have a wide range of experience in marine contracting, with the added advantage of being multi-lingual.

Such personnel speaking languages such as German, English and French, can ensure a smooth running operation in many parts of the world.

Well-trained captains, engineers and crew also have ready access to any necessary tools and backup from the parent Damen organisation.