More than just the boat

With a comprehensive portfolio of maritime solutions spanning the lifecycle of a vessel, Damen goes above and beyond the role of the traditional shipbuilder. When a local – and vital – ferry service looked like it had reached the end of its days, Damen stepped in. Providing the local authorities with the financial support it required to rescue the service, Damen has established a company to ensure the community keeps connected.

The Ferry connecting Rozenburg with Maassluis in the Port of Rotterdam is an institution. Since the 14^th century the service has played an important role in transporting locals, commuters, students and tourists alike across the Scheur waterway.

Lifeblood of the community

The only alternative is an almost 30 kilometre route that takes in some of the busiest, frequently congested roads in the Netherlands. So, when the car ferry, the 1965-built Blankenburg, ceased operations in 2022 and the operator filed for bankruptcy the situation was unthinkable for those dependent on it. 

At this stage, the local authority, the Province of Zuid Holland (South Holland) reached out to Damen for an urgently needed solution.

Beyond the boat

The company, well known for its building and repairing of ships, offers a wide-range of maritime solutions. These include financing and lease set-ups, as well as setting up joint collaborations with local partners. This portfolio of support would prove very useful in getting the Rozenburg-Maassluis ferry service up and running again.

At Damen Financial Services (DFS) we are used to offering maritime solutions to our clients. Johan de Haas, Project manager at DFS says, “Our first thought was to supply the service with a Damen Waterbus from our frontrunner fleet. The frontrunner fleet is a fleet of waterbuses that are available for the startup of new public transport or as frontrunner for a newbuilt ferry. However, we always like to conduct a thorough assessment of the situation before we embark on a new operation. In this case, we could quickly see that the best solution would be to apply an existing vessel.”

There’s a ferry for that

The vessel Damen decided on was, in fact, the veteran of the route for many years – the Blankenburg.

de Haas continues. “With this, we were able to offer continued employment to those who had operated the route for so many years. They would have access to a vessel they knew inside out and would be able to hit the ground running.” 

To that end, Damen Financial Services provided the Province with the support it needed to purchase the Blankenburg. Damen’s scope would also include operating the new service – Veer Maassluis Rozenburg. 

Harbour & Voyage in action

Initially, the service operated only a passenger and bicycle ferry. Before it could reach its full operational capabilities, the Blankenburg required restoration. For this, Damen Shiprepair and Conversion’s (DSC) Harbour & Voyage (DSHV) team swung into action.

Making full use of DSC’s two locations in the port, at Schiedam and the nearby Botlek, the team set about making the Blankenburg service-ready once more.

Jozeph Quak, DSHV MD takes up the story.
“The Blankenburg is an old vessel, so there was quite a bit of work to be done. We undertook the modernisation of the bridge and the engine room, replacing a lot of aged equipment with modern, more efficient systems. We also needed to do some repair work to the vessel’s thruster, which was quite a complex scope. And of course, we completely repainted the vessel. She looks as good as new now, and will continue to serve the route for some years yet, I’m sure.”

In the nick of time

The Blankenburg was back in operation on 14^th March this year with a celebratory event for passengers and crew to mark the occasion. The return of the car ferry came not a moment to soon. The following week, the Botlek tunnel was closed to traffic, leaving the ferry service the most viable alternative route.

“During that weekend, we transported 3,700 cars,” says Johan de Haas. “The service has proven to be a great success. Since August 2023, we have transported more than 210,000 passengers and since March 2024 also over 75.000 cars; numbers which clearly demonstrate the crucial role this service plays locally. I’m very proud that Damen has been able to support this important connection – a testimony to the added value offered by our wide range of maritime solutions.”

The Veer Maassluis Rozenburg operates the Blankenburg for all types of vehicles from 06:00 – 19:00 weekdays and 07:00 – 19:00 on weekends. From 19:30 until 24:00, the service operates a foot and bicycle passenger service.