ISA Towage B.V. celebrates naming of new Shoalbuster 3209 ‘ISA’ at Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld

At a ceremony held on Friday 17 November at DAMEN Shipyards Hardinxveld (DSHa), the naming of ISA Towage BV’s new DAMEN Shoalbuster 3209 ‘ISA’ took place. The godmother of the ISA was Mrs. Miranda Mastenbroek, wife of Willem-Harm Mastenbroek, owner and managing director of ISA Towage B.V., DAMEN said in its press release.

The Shoalbuster 3209 is the second vessel to be purchased from DAMEN by ISA Towage B.V. A smaller Shoalbuster 2709, also called ISA, was delivered at the close of 2016, and it has now been replaced by the 3209. The decision to make the upgrade is the result of an offer made to Willem-Harm Mastenbroek by Jos van Woerkum, managing director of DSHa.

“When he offered us the opportunity to upgrade to a Shoalbuster 3209 that had just been just completed, it was just too good to miss,” says Willem-Harm Mastenbroek. ISA Towage’s current client at the time had recently informed them that their existing vessel did not have sufficient bollard pull for their next contract and that 50 tonnes of bollard pull would be needed. So the decision to make the step up to a bigger vessel with more capabilities was easily made and later in the summer the new 3209 replaced its predecessor in the Baltic Sea. In addition to allowing the company to fulfil its current contract, the new acquisition allows them to explore new and better opportunities, and to take on a wider range of contracts.

Shoalbusters are among the most versatile vessels in Damen’s unrivalled range of workboats. The name references their ability to operate in shallow waters, but the 32-metre long, 9-metre wide ISA is also ready for a broad spectrum of operations including towing, mooring, pushing, anchor handling and dredging support. To achieve this, ISA Towage specified an equipment package that includes twin Caterpillar engines delivering 3500 bhp for 52 tonnes of bollard pull and a top speed of 11 knots, an HS Marine deck crane giving 8 tonnes of lift at 16-metres, and a 50-tonne towing and a 12-tonne tugger winch. The fully air-conditioned interior has comfortable accommodation for up to seven crew. All the necessary modifications were carried out within a four-week period.

We planned the christening for the 17th of November back in the summer, although that was a wild guess as we didn’t know then if the ISA would be available,” said ISA Towage’s Willem-Harm Mastenbroek. “She started in service with us at the end of July, so we knew there was a very good chance that the vessel would not be there but on some contract far away. Fortunately that was not the case and on the day the ISA was moored at the DAMEN yard in Hardinxveld. It was a beautiful, cold autumn day with lots of sunshine, which made it extra special! After the bottle broke - in one go – we had a great party. All in all it was a beautiful day for my wife and me!”

Jos van Woerkum, managing director of DSHa, added: “This was the result of a fortuitous concurrence of circumstances in which a customer seeking a Shoalbuster 2709 allowed us to offer them the smaller ISA while at the same time we at DSHa were able to give ISA Towage B.V. the opportunity to upgrade to a Shoalbuster 3209. In the event, the proposition worked well for ISA Towage while we at DAMEN Shipyards Hardinxveld were able to complete both sides of the deal. We can now look back both to a productive partnership between ISA Towage B.V. and our yard, as well as to a successful naming ceremony and party for the Shoalbuster 3209 ISA, and we wish her and her crew safe voyaging.”



Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 33 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 9,000 people worldwide. DAMEN has delivered more than 6,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 180 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept DAMEN is able to guarantee consistent quality.

Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale values and reliable performance. Furthermore, DAMEN vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.

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.

For nearly all vessel types DAMEN offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and the transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. DAMEN also offers a variety of marine components, such as nozzles, rudders, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of sixteen repair and conversion yards of which twelve are located in North West Europe. Facilities at the yards include more than 50 drydocks; conventional, floating and covered, the largest of which is 420 x 90 metres, as well as slopes, ship lifts and indoor halls. Projects range from the smallest simple repairs through Class’ maintenance to complex refits and the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,350 repair and maintenance jobs annually, both at the yards as well as in ports and while vessels are at sea.