New lease of life for 50-year-old work barge

Tog Mor (‘Big Lift’ in Gaelic) was built in 1976 by Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Mij. V.o.f. Amsterdam, which means it is now approaching its 50th birthday.

Originally built as a heavy-duty floating derrick barge at the time of rapid expansion in the North Sea offshore oil and gas industry, its design included Stülcken masts and the capability of assembling large sections and modules for offshore platforms.

In 1997 it was purchased by Allseas and converted for pipelay and construction activities, including for the Scotland-Ireland inter-connector pipeline project.

It went on to safely install more than 400km of nearshore pipeline worldwide. “Her robust design, impressive tension holding capacity and lifting power made her indispensable on dozens of projects requiring stability and strength in challenging conditions,” said Allseas.

Opportunity for Hebo

In September 2024, Tog Mor ran aground in Mexico while seeking shelter. Following a successful salvage operation, Allseas announced it had been ‘sold for repurpose’.

The sale to Hebo will see it take on a new role with conversion to an offshore construction barge. To be renamed Hebo-CB 1, it will feature a 300t crane, an eight-point mooring system, accommodation for 144 personnel and 1,300m² of deck space.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tog Mor into our fleet as Hebo-CB 1,” says Marius Punt, CEO at Hebo. “This barge conversion, along with its impressive features, will bolster our operations and help us to better serve our clients in the civil and energy sectors, particularly as we see increased activity in offshore projects.”

Rotterdam-based Hebo Maritiemservice provides a wide range of services both onshore and nearshore, including transport, heavy lifting, port services and civil engineering/infrastructure projects. An important part of its work is in the emergency response sector, including the provision of pollution containment and clean-up services for the Port of Rotterdam.

Hebo’s 11-strong fleet of floating sheerlegs was boosted recently following its merger with fellow Rotterdam floating sheerlegs operator Bonn & Mees to operate under the Marine People banner (https://www.maritimejournal.com/vessels/marine-people-welcomes-new-firm-to-the-family/1497200.article).

The addition of the Bonn & Mees trio of floating sheerlegs Matador, Matador 2 and Matador 3, along with its attendant tugs Jan Leenheer (approaching its 60th birthday) and slightly younger fleet-mate Pieter L, and of course the latest addition above, strengthens Hebo’s position in a sector it clearly sees as holding opportunities for future expansion.

Henry VIII

Tog Mor was thrust onto the front pages worldwide when in 1982 it was deployed to raise the wreck of Henry VIII’s Tudor warship Mary Rose from the seabed in the Solent, north of the Isle of Wight.

Working against a tight deadline due to a forthcoming commitment and dogged by technical setbacks, Tog Mor successfully moved the hull of the Mary Rose in its frame to a bespoke steel cradle close by on the seabed, and when weather and tide were favourable, the cradle containing the hull was raised to the surface and transferred to a barge.

The operation was watched by the then Prince Charles, and briefly thrust a working vessel that would otherwise go about its business unnoticed onto television screens across the world.