Thirty workboats all in one place
Netherlands shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Gorinchem has hosted the Damen group’s third annual Workboat Festival, bringing together over 200 customers, media and industry partners.
The event could boast 34 workboats to view along with an afternoon of presentations, demonstrations, product displays and interactive exhibits.
The workboats ranged in size from ten-metre Stan Launches and Stan Tugs up to a 72-metre Stan Pontoon. In between were Fast Crew Suppliers, Stan Pilots, Stan Patrols, additional Stan Launches and Tugs, plus an Interceptor and a RHIB. All were available for onboard inspections and some took guests out on to the water for demonstrations, including the high-speed craft.
A number of Damen suppliers were also present, covering specialist sectors including engines and other machinery, electrical integration and automation, and propulsion. Representatives from Alewijnse, Alphatron, DBR, Emigreen, MTU, Pon, Radio Holland, Reintjes, Rolls Royce, RotorTug, Schottel, Veth and Volvo were all manning stands and happy to discuss their products and services. Other attractions included a reversed sailing challenge arranged by André de Bie.
Wouter Lokker of Damen supplier Alphatron Marine said: “It was a useful and dynamic event with many relevant players from our field. At Alphatron Marine we took the opportunity to present our ProLine total wheelhouse package. Our compliments for the organisation to Damen Shipyards Gorinchem. We will definitely be back next year!”
Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts.
By Jake Frith
