Iskes provides feedback on its new Damen tug

The Tugs & Towing column of MJ regularly reports on newbuilding tug deliveries. After the initial flurry of publicity however and as the new vessel settles down to work, information about how it is faring is seldom made available. The builder will be keen to gather feedback and Iskes has now provided an insight through the eyes of the crew as they settle in after its first 100 days at work.

The ASD 2411 Venus was delivered to Iskes in November 2015 and provides shiphandling services in the locks and canals around Amsterdam and Ijmuiden. Powered by two Caterpillar 3516C main engines developing 4,200bkW (5,632bhp) in total and driving Rolls-Royce US 255 thrusters Venus has a bollard pull of 70 tons.

Jim Iskes, managing director of Iskes Towage & Salvage explains that a compact tug combing power with minimal dimensions was an important factor for its work in Ijmuiden locks and comments: “You call them [Damen] with what you want and they organise it. Then you get the key and you’re on your way. Of course, any new build has problems to start off, but Damen sorts them out. It’s top quality – what every ship owner really wants.”

The range of vessels Venus has to deal with was demonstrated with its first job handling a 280m bulk carrier, its second helping a small fishing trawler. The captain, Auke de Haan had previously worked on larger less powerful tugs and comments: “I had my doubts about working on this relatively smaller tug, but these have turned out to be unfounded. We work a lot over the bow, towing in reverse, but her stern rises nicely out of the water with great course stability. She’s very manoeuvrable and can handle the power well thanks to the slipping clutches. I can perform manoeuvres with only 10 revs on the prop.” He also provides feedback for Damen adding: “The bridge could be more spacious … For example, there’s a good chair for the Captain, but only a simple bench for my crew.”

Venus’ engineer Wilco Wittekoek provides an insight into life below deck: “She’s nice and quiet.” adding: “There’s quite a lot of electronics down here compared to some of the older tugs that I’ve worked on, but that’s unavoidable these days. And, being an engineer, it’s a shame that you can’t do much work on the engine. That all happens via the laptop. However, the shore support that we get from Caterpillar is very handy. Collecting and analysing data in this way really contributes to keeping the ship tip-top.”

It is said the galley is the most important part of any ship and the duty of cook falls on deckhand Niels Segelen who also has thoughts that will be of interest for Damen: “There are a couple of things that could be improved, in my opinion. The shore supply electricity cable is heavy. And it would be nice if Damen could find a way to increase the size of the sink in my cabin. For the rest, the Venus is a super boat!”

Part of the Damen team visiting the Venus and her crew was sales director Benelux, Mijndert Wiesenekker. Responding to the comments he heard, he says: “It is our customers who are out there every day getting the hands-on experience with our vessels. So we treat their feedback very seriously. Listening to, and acting on, their comments is the best way to improve our vessels.”

By Peter Barker