Frits Van Dongen News

Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam (DMSS) has announced the departure of Managing Director Frits van Dongen and the appointment of Eric Moerkerk in his place.During a party that was held at Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam (DMSS) to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the yard, Frits van Dongen, who has worked at Damen for the past 40 years, with 25 of those as managing director of DMSS, handed over his responsibilities on the first of October to Eric Moerkerk.Eric was previously at Keppel Verolme, which became part of Damen in September 2016. At that point he moved to DMSS as project manager and ten months later was promoted to deputy director.“Frits has been an enthusiastic ambassador for the fishing industry…

Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam is constructing an innovative razor shell dredger for the Dutch fishing cooperative YE 118 Noordland BV. The 43-metre vessel, sharing the same name as the cooperative, shows how a standard Maaskant design can be modified to meet the ever changing requirements of the modern fishing industry. “We are very happy to have been given the opportunity to build such a cutting-edge vessel,” says Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam Director Frits van Dongen. “The Noordland will be able to harvest razor shells in water up to 20 metres deep – something that is made possible by the advanced pumping system.” The pump will be connected to a 30-metre suction pipe, with a 1-metre wide basket at one end that the vessel will position over the target area.

To develop its large fleet, Groen Offshore, Guard & Support has selected the first Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Supplier 2610 to be customised with Offshore Oil & Gas standby capabilities. The Netherlands-based company will deploy the new vessel on long-term charter for a major E&P operator in the Danish part of the North Sea, following quick delivery this summer from Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam. On 13 May, Henk Groen, Director of Groen Offshore, Guard & Support (in Dutch known as Rederij Groen), signed the contract for the new FCS 2610 with Frits van Dongen, Director of Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam – the Damen yard in the Netherlands that will finish the vessel from stock.

As European fishing policies evolve, so fishing techniques advance. One of the latest technologies available is electric pulse fishing. In line with European Union regulations, a proportion of the Dutch fishing fleet is currently permitted to utilise this innovative method. With a view to supporting a sustainable North Sea fishery, Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam, part of the Damen Shipyards Group, is meeting market needs by offering conversion services to trawlers still using traditional methods.

Maaskant Shipyards (Stellendam), part of Damen Shipyards Group, has received certification from Bureau Veritas for aligning its quality and management systems with internationally recognized standards. A certificate of approval for the ISO 9001:2008, management standards was presented to the yard by Bureau Veritas on October 17, 2014. Bureau Veritas spent four days at the Maaskant yard undertaking their final review and certification of the quality assurance system, and the yard’s managing director, Frits van Dongen, reports that the feedback was excellent. He emphasizes that the methods Maaskant has developed through this quality system will help the shipyard with increased productivity and work efficiency, something which will make it even more competitive.

Rederij Groen’s entire SRSV fleet built by Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam. Dutch offshore services company Rederij Groen has taken delivery of the 7-Waves, the second of a total three identical Seismic Research Support Vessels. Once the third of these so-called offshore chasers will join the fleet in January 2015, all of Groen’s five custom built chasers will have been built by Damen yard Maaskant. Prior to ordering the three 35mSeismic Research Support Vessels of this current ‘7’-class in November 2013…

The delivery of the Aquarius-G and her sister ship Astra-G to offshore services company RederijGroen (Scheveningen, the Netherlands) marked a milestone in Offshore Support Vessel construction. According to Damen, never before have such Chasers have purpose-built. The vessels were designed by Saltwater Engineering in close cooperation with both RederijGroen and Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam. Both Seismic Research Support Vessels were constructed by Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam, part of Damen Shipyards Group. “Indeed, all our other SRS Chaser vessels so far involve converted fishing trawlers”, HenkGroen, director and proprietor of offshore company RederijGroen proudly noted about his new twins.

Dutch Shipping Company Groen has ordered two Seismic Research & Support Vessels (SRSV’s) with Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam (Netherlands), part of the Damen Shipyards Group. Maaskant has broad experience in maintenance and repair of Offshore Support Vessels. However, an order for SRSV-newbuilds is a first. Director Frits van Dongen says: ”The vessels have been designed in cooperation with Saltwater Engineering (Netherlands) to meet the needs and experiences of Shipping Company Groen. The vessels’ all-weather chase and support tasks will focus on seismic activity research. Both SRSV’s will be 40 m long with a 9.30 m beam. Two Caterpillar propulsion units of in total 1940kw (2640pk) will give the vessels a design speed of 14 knots.