Damen Shipyard, Hardinxveld, managed by Mr Jos van Woerkum, is the shipyard from which the entire Damen Group of companies has grown under the control and vision of Mr Kommer Damen. It was this small yard on the banks of the river Merwede that Mr Damen took over from his father in 1969 with a 300,000 gilder loan from the local branch of the Rabobank. Only eight of the original employees supported the project and remained in the yard but a real breakthrough came with the design of the famous ‘Pushy Cat’, a sturdy multi-purpose workboat intended for use by marine contractors. A unique deal was struck with Caterpillar and the first vessels were fitted with a 250 bhp diesel engine that had a proven track record in the heavy plant industry. In subsequent years the Stan Tug series was introduced, starting with the familiar Stan 1, along with increasingly larger tugs for use overseas, and pontoon type work vessels such as the ‘Multi Cat’.

By 1974 Damen Shipyards were building 100 vessels per year and the company eventually set up its headquarters on a much larger site on Avelingen-west industrial estate at Gorinchem. From the very start Kommer Damen was committed to the policy of standard designs for serial production and the principles applied to the early Pushycat have been developed and applied throughout the Group.

Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld has remained the centre for the design production of specialised plant for the marine civil engineering contractor. The name is synonymous with designs such as the MultiCat, Dredge Helper, and the increasingly popular Shoalbuster. Although serial production is still very much at the heart of the yard’s activities, with most hull construction and major steelwork undertaken by sub-contract in Poland, a high degree of ‘customisation’ is possible. New vessels are fitted out either at Hardinxveld or nearby Gorichem using the same skilled Hardinxveld labour force. The relationship between the client and the shipyard tends to be a very personal one and every effort is made to ensure that vessels delivered fit exactly the requirements of the owners’ business. This may require a high degree of innovation but client and shipyard work closely together to achieve solutions to operational demands that, in the longer term, improve the Damen product range.

Development of the Shoalbuster range of shallow draft tugs is a good example of the development capabilities of the Hardinxveld yard. This vessel was first introduced to ensure that marine contractors could operate on site, in shallow waters where necessary, carry out a wide range of lifting, anchor handling and transportation services yet also have a significant coastal towing capability. Since the introduction of the first vessel ‘Shoalbuster’ in 1995 several variants have been produced, culminating in the new Shoalbuster 3009.

During a recent visit by Maritime Journal, the Shoalbuster 3009 ‘Giessenstroom’, was about to be delivered (see the launch feature in this issue) and plans were already well advanced for further vessels of the same type and yet further new additions to the range. In order to meet continual demands for more bollard pull a triple screw version is under development designated the Shoalbuster 3012. Work on an extremely shallow draft version of the Shoalbuster 2609 is also well advanced and will be designated the 2612. The latter will have a working draft of 1.5m, a large crane, wide set push knees, a triple screw propulsion system and a bollard pull of 16 tons. Both of these new designs will meet classification rules for Unrestricted Service. A hull for the first new Shoalbuster 2612 is on order and scheduled for arrival in the Netherlands for fitting out towards the end of this year.

The popular Multi Cat range is also expanding as a Multi Cat 2209 has been added to fill a gap in the range and has already been ordered by overseas clients. A second Damen Multi Cat 2611 is nearing completion for Delta Marine Ltd of Lerwick, with delivery expected in the spring. Named ‘Voe Jarl’, the new vessel will be similar to the highly successful triple screw ‘Voe Viking’ but have some additional refinements.

In January nine vessels were under construction for clients, including one new Shoalbuster for Dutch operator Viegers Tugboat Services and one for Marineco in the UK, and the new MultiCat for Delta Marine. Both Shoalbusters are to be extensively tailored to fulfil the owners’ requirements. Twelve other hulls of various types were on order for stock.   

There is also scope at Hardinxveld for some ‘one off’ or more specialised construction. Two pollution control vessels to a Damen Skimmer Boat 2408 design were being completed on the Hardinxveld covered slipways for delivery to Thames Water in March of this year. Also under way was a production line set up to manufacture a series of small RIBs for the Dutch Navy.

Many clients of Damen Shipyard, Hardinxveld also have a close relationship with Damen Marine Services BV (DMS), headed by managing director Mr Wim Crum. DMS is a company within the Damen Shipyards Group particularly well known within the marine civil engineering and dredging industries and among the operators of small support craft. It is also one of Damen’s more complex and interesting companies.

The organisation, soon to celebrate its 35th anniversary, was formed to undertake the charter and manning, trading, brokerage, and the evaluation and the development of new vessels for the workboat community. The company specialises 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 for hire or bare-boat charter. The company also undertake contracts for towage and other services in their own right. Vessels on charter can be supported anywhere in the world from a number of centres; in Europe from Hardinxveld-Giessendam in the Netherlands and Tarragona in Spain; in the Middle East from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Doha and Qatar; and in the Far East from Singapore. The company is deeply involved at present with contracts in Dubai supporting the extensive dredging, land reclamation, and construction for the ‘Palm’ and ‘Globe’ projects. DMS and its sub-contractors are transporting stone to the sites by sea and providing on site services for Van Oord Dredging.

The DMS 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 client’s own new vessel is under construction at one of the Damen Shipyards.

A very important aspect of the chartering and contract work carried out by DMS stems from its heavy involvement in the actual operation of vessels manufactured within the Damen Group. From that involvement the company gains a wealth of vital experience regarding performance and operational aspects of the vessels. As a direct result of that 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.

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. Since its introduction vessels have been produced in varying sizes, from 19m to 30m, to suit the needs of various operators and each new version benefits from the experience gained from its predecessor. As previously described, Giessenstroom is the first of the new 3009 series and other variants are to follow. DMS operates several Shoalbusters of various sizes in Dubai and has a 3009 on order.

The level of collaboration between DMS, Damen Shipyards and their clients is unique and is summed up very well by Jack van Dodewaard of Herman Sr BV, one of the many small tug owners that have enjoyed a long association with the company. He commented, ‘When I think of Damen Marine Services I remember the 1970's when my father was the proud owner of a Damen Pushy Cat 46+ named ‘Heco’ (HErman & COrrie van Dodewaard). It was built in 1970 at Hardinxveld where Mr. Kommer Damen had just taken over the shipyard from his father. As one of the first Pushy Cat 46+ built under Bureau Veritas rules, she was powered by a Caterpillar engine of 365 hp and had a bollard pull of 4.2 tons. The Heco was purchased back by the shipyard in 1974 as one of the first vessels for DMS.

‘The relationship between the yard, DMS and the Dodewaard family has continued ever since. Herman Snr BV had no newly built vessels in the early days, we chartered DMS vessels on a regular basis, until 1995 when Henk Bruins and I agreed the order for our first Shoalbuster 2409, named ‘Tarka’ (Twin Caterpillar 3412 @ 680 hp. 16 ton BP). That original Tarka was sold in 2003 and a further agreement was made with Wim Crum to buy one of the new Shoalbuster 2609s This new Tarka (Twin Caterpillar 3508 @ 1120 hp. 28 ton BP)

was completed and launched in 2004 at Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld and went immediately under contract to Van Oord in Dubai under the flag of DMS. The new Tarka is still working in the Gulf region in collaboration with DMS. We would like to congratulate Damen Marine Services on their anniversary and wish them many more happy and successful years.’

Since its inception, Damen Marine Services B.V. has sold vessels from their own active charter fleet. But during the mid-1980s Damen Trading & Chartering was formed to deal with those activities and is now a separate division of DMS undertaking the sale, purchase and chartering of any type of used vessel. The market can be searched 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.

By JACK GASTON