Damen Stock Tugs Shipped to Rotterdam

Shipbuilder Damen said its latest transport of newbuild vessels has arrived in the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The multiple vessel shipment carried on board the SAL Heavy Lift vessel MV Lone comprises various Damen Tugs and one Multi Cat that have been constructed at Damen’s yards in Vietnam.

Consisting of two Stan Tugs 2608, three ASD Tugs 2411, four ASD Tugs 2810, two ASD Tugs 3212 and a Multi Cat 1908, the shipment is a strategic positioning of built-for-stock vessels in Europe, the shipbuilder said. In line with market needs, Damen has strengthened its ability to provide swift deliveries for clients and operators in Europe, Western Africa and Central America.

For Damen, choosing to transport multiple vessels on board a heavy lift vessel is not a new strategy; the company noted it has brought this into effect on numerous occasions in the past. The success of this customer-focused approach lies in the increased efficiency of moving vessels to where the markets need them. Furthermore, Damen said it has developed a system of modular vessel cradles that, in combination with integrated lifting points on the tugs, results in safe and efficient loading and unloading of the vessels.

SAL Heavy Lift has supported Damen with engineered heavy lift transport solutions on numerous occasions, including last year’s transport of Stan Pontoons and Tugs from Damen yards in China and Vietnam. This shipment of 14 vessels was transported by SAL’s MV Svenja.

“SAL Heavy Lift has once again proved itself a strong partner to Damen by transporting these 12 vessels with our type-183 vessel MV Lone,” said Justin Archard, Corporate Director Commercial with SAL Heavy Lift. “With a combinable lift capacity of 2,000 [metric tons], more than 3,300m² deck space and a hold size of 107.1 x 17 x 13.7 meters, MV Lone is the right ship for the job of transporting these vessels safely and rapidly from Vietnam to the Netherlands.”