Rijksrederij takes delivery of its scientific research vessel Tridens after an extensive refit at Damen Maaskant Shipyards
Last week – right on schedule – the Dutch governmental shipping company Rijksrederij (part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, Rijkswaterstaat) took delivery of its scientific research vessel Tridens after an extensive refit at Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam in the Netherlands. Tridens underwent a major midlife conversion to boost the vessel’s multifunctional capabilities for fisheries research, including installation of an innovative ‘drop keel’, the company said in its press release.
The Rijksrederij is the custodian of the North Sea and manages a fleet of specialist vessels. The maritime research institute IMARES, in collaboration with other European fisheries institutes, employs Tridens (73.5 metres in length and 14 metres beam) to help determine fish stocks in the North Sea, among other duties.
Looking to increase efficiency in employing the 25-year-old Tridens, the Rijksrederij developed a high-tech engineering package together with Damen Research, Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam and GNE BV Hardinxveld-Giessendam.
“We’ve worked with Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam over many years for maintenance,” says Dirk Kuijt, Technical Manager at the Rijksrederij, “but this is the first time we’ve completed a refit of this scale and the first time we’ve installed a drop keel. The cooperation with Damen has been exceptional. It was a very big project for us and we had a very tight schedule. Tridens is departing immediately for survey trials and will shortly represent the Netherlands in a four-week joint European survey, so we were all under a lot of pressure. I’m very pleased with how Damen completed the project according to plan.”
During the refit, Tridens was fitted with a wide range of modern scientific research equipment, including the innovative drop keel with broadband multibeam echosounder installed by IJmuiden-based WNL Marine Electronics. With the new equipment, Tridens can accurately track biomass and fish shoals in the ocean as well as conduct bathymetric surveys.
Deployed up to 3 metres proud of the hull, the drop keel eliminates interference from the air bubbles that normally form around the hull and can affect the performance of the echosounders.
