Anyone happening to be at Waalhaven on Tuesday 25 August, was able to witness a rather interesting maritime job being executed at Buoy 26. The huge hull of an inland vessel –135 metres long, 22.8 metres wide and weighing 2,300 tonnes – was unloaded from a heavy lift vessel.

The project, coordinated by Bonn & Mees, involved five sheerlegs: three from the firm’s own fleet, one owned by Multraship and one by a Norwegian company. The massive object was first hoisted via a tandem lift, after which the five units collectively moved backwards to allow the hull to be lowered into the water.

The entire call is the result of a partnership between NEPA Shipping, Steinweg, Bonn & Mees and Sinepol. In the course of this week, UHL Fast will be continuing to Steinweg’s Beatrixhaven terminal to unload the other two hulls.

UHL Fast hails from Nantong, China. The vessel has travelled to Rotterdam across the Arctic Ocean with three inland vessel hulls on board. Compared to the far longer freight route that is normally taken for this itinerary, this option actually cuts the transit time by 10 days. The inland vessel hulls will be forwarded to various shipyards in the region for finishing.