Eleven tugs have been transported on one vessel from Asia to Europe in a rare major logistical operation that was all Dutch in achievement.
Dutch firm BigLift Shipping deployed its 156m heavy-lift vessel Happy Star to transport the 11 Damen tugs, with two heavy-lift mast cranes weighing 1,100 tonnes each on board.
On April 4, Happy Star set sail from Damen’s shipyard in Halong Bay in Vietnam for Europe., and arrived in Vigo, Spain just 38 days later. One vessel was unloaded there before she continued to Rotterdam to unload the remaining 10 on May 19.
Happy Star can lift up to 2,200 mt in tandem lift, with a lifting height of nearly 47m above the main deck.
With a weather deck extending over the full width of the vessel, her load space can be used to the utmost and shen can sail with open weather deck hatches on a draught of up to 8m. The vessel has Finnish/Swedish 1A Ice Class notation.
“These mass deliveries do not take place often as it is rare that so many vessels are ready to be despatched at the same time,” said Damen Services Heavylift coordinator Rimmert Berlijn. “The last such event occurred in 2015 when Happy Star transported 22 vessels of various types on the same route.
“However, this brings advantages versus delivering vessels on their own hulls. These include having the vessels and their equipment arriving in pristine condition. The marine environment also benefits from having fewer emissions with just one ship, albeit a larger one, doing all the work. These outcomes align well with Damen’s commitment to sustainability and operational excellence.”
“The Happy Star, one of the Netherlands’ premier heavy lift vessels, transporting tugs for a distinguished Dutch shipbuilder, ultimately serving various Dutch clients,” said Sanne Wiegerink, commercial manager at BigLift Shipping. ”We take immense pride in our contribution to this remarkable project.”
Damen says that while such voyages usually require six months to plan and organise, this one was prepared and carried out in less than two months, thanks to each stage being executed on time.
