Dutch shipbuilding group Damen Shipyards has started construction on a new offshore diamond mining vessel for a unit of De Beers in Namibia. De Beers Marine Namibia (aka Debmarine Namibia), 50/50 joint venture between the Namibian Government and De Beers Group, awarded Damen with the contract to build the new vessel in February 2019 for offshore operations in … [Read more...]
Damen Reports First Annual Loss in 15 Years
Damen Shipyards Group reported a net loss of 17 million euro in 2018, marking the first that the privately owned Dutch shipbuilder has reported a loss in the last 15 years. Damen says the net loss was due to "a sustained period of difficulty" in a number of key maritime sectors, acquisitions and investments in future programs that should benefit the company. "Notably, … [Read more...]
Damen Launches Two Ferries for Canadian Operator BC Ferries
In a span of just a few weeks time, Damen Shipyards has launched two 81-meter road ferries for Canadian ferry operator BC Ferries at Damen's yard in Galati, Romania. The ferries have been built to Damen’s Road Ferry 8117E3 design and will serve the Northern Gulf Islands off the coast of Vancouver, replacing vessels that are now over fifty years old. Damen says the order … [Read more...]
Damen Launches Second Walk-to-Work SOV for Bibby Marine
Damen has launched the second walk-to-work Service Operations Vessel (SOV), named Bibby WaveMaster Horizon, for Bibby Marine Service. The vessel was launched during a ceremony held March 29 at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania where the vessel is under construction. Damen developed the SOV 9020 vessel following close consultation with the offshore renewable energy … [Read more...]
The Super Rich Are Buying $50 Million ‘Support’ Yachts to Haul Their Toys
By Devon Pendleton (Bloomberg) -- Sailing from port to port in peace and seclusion on a multimillion-dollar boat sounds appealing, but as any seasoned yacht owner can tell you, just cruising around can get a bit, well, boring. To fully enjoy your luxury vessel, you need diversions. Maybe a sailboat or fishing and diving gear. Possibly jet skis, a seaplane or … [Read more...]