Iskes Towage & Salvage, the leading maritime service provider based in the port of IJmuiden/Amsterdam, has taken delivery of two DAMEN ASD Tugs 2810. The vessels were built at DAMEN Song Cam Shipyards, Vietnam, and delivered last year to Damen Shipyards Gorinchem, the Netherlands, as part of the group’s strategy to position stock vessels for rapid availability in Europe, the company said in its press release.
This on-demand availability was a significant factor in DAMEN winning the contract, with both tugs being delivered within two weeks of the contract being signed. Named Phoenix and Lynx, the tugs are essentially standard versions of this best-selling model.
28-metres in length, they have a bollard pull of 60 tonnes, a top speed of 13 knots, and excellent manoeuvrability and seakeeping. This makes them ideal for a wide range of duties including vessel handling, offshore supply duties and ship-to-ship transfers. Some minor modifications were made prior to delivery in line with Iskes’ standard requirements.
These acquisitions mean that Iskes now owns and operates a total of nine DAMEN ASD tugs as part of a fleet of 18 vessels. Phoenix and Lynx are the third and fourth standard ASD Tugs 2810 to be purchased by Iskes, joining their sister ships Argus and Arashi.
“Iskes has started to operate in the growing ports of Eemshaven and Delfzijl in Holland,” explains Peter Rondhuis, Commercial Director at Iskes Towage & Salvage. “The project in the most northern ports of Holland was under time pressure and the off-the-shelf concept of DAMEN was perfect for our needs. It is great to be able to benefit from the high quality of DAMEN on one side and their ability to deliver the vessels within just two weeks on the other. We operate at high standards and DAMEN has yet again not disappointed us on the quality. The Lynx from its homeport of Delfzijl will operate jointly with the 2016 delivered DAMEN ASD Tug 3212 Mars in Eemshaven and Delfzijl, assisting bulk carriers and tankers calling on behalf of clients we also service in other ports. The Phoenix will replace Mars in IJmuiden/Amsterdam, assisting all types of vessels.”
“We’re delighted that Iskes Towage & Salvage have returned to us once again for their tug requirements,” said Mijndert Wiesenekker, Sales Director Benelux, Damen. “We have a strong relationship with the company and a keen focus on working with them to ensure that their vessels deliver excellent performance and reliability together with the low operational costs that enable them to satisfy in turn their own clients.”
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.