At Abeking & Rasmussen (A&R), construction of the first of two Swath transfer vessels for the Dutch pilots has begun with the firing start.
Together with the client, the start of construction No. 6517 took place in Lemwerder. A&R’s designers had already been working intensively on theoretical calculations, technical diagrams and drawings in coordination with the client and the classification society over the past few months, according to a press release.
Pim Keijzer, Fleet Manager of the Dutch Pilotage Service Organization, as well as the representatives of the Newbuilding Committee and the Dutch pilots present, then learned directly from Florian Wagner, Deputy Head of the Welding and Shipbuilding Department, which parts the system burned out of the first aluminium plate in Shipbuilding Hall R2.
Afterwards, the future construction site was inspected in the corresponding shipbuilding hall, followed by the formal signing of the milestone certificate in the presence of the local DNV surveyor, Sven Dreessen. The next milestone – the keel laying – is planned for September 2025.
The Dutch pilots had already ordered swath tenders from the Abeking & Rasmussen shipyard 20 years ago. The current order is for two of the latest generation of tenders, each 25 meters long. According to the shipyard, they are around 20% more fuel-efficient than their predecessors.
Abeking & Rasmussen (A&R) won the tender process that started in April 2023. These newbuildings are being financed by the Dutch bank BNG. Nederlands Loodswezen supports the approximately 450 pilots registered in the Netherlands.
The SWATH@A&R pilot transfer vessels are based on the tried-and-tested SWATH hull design, which has been continuously optimized by A&R and enables safe crossing even in heavy seas. The safety features and parts of the equipment as well as the comfort for the crew have been further improved on the new vessels.
