Damen Shipyards Gorinchem is delivering four tugboats to the Egyptian Navy. According to Ronald Maat, this is not the first time that Damen has provided vessels to the Egyptian Navy. “In 1982, the Egyptian Navy purchased four Damen Stan Tug IV model tugboats from us. These tugs are still in service after all these years, which of course tell the Egyptian Navy something about the quality of our vessels.”
The tugboats Damen is building for the Egyptian Navy are Stan Tug 2208 models, which are 22 metres long, 8 metres wide and with a bollard pull of about 40 tons. Damen delivered the first one at the beginning of November, with the rest to follow at the end of 2009 and the middle of 2010. During construction, Damen has intensive interaction with delegations from Egypt. A number of Egyptian inspectors are permanently assigned to each ship, and they closely monitor the construction process. Once a vessel is ready, after five months of construction, it must undergo thorough and rigorous testing attended by Egyptian inspectors.
According to Ronald Maat, “The crew members and officers receive a total of two weeks of intensive training from us. The training comprises several trainees who are trained using simulation techniques, and who receive training on the electrical systems and undergo a “captain’s course,” while the vessel’s technical staff are provided engine-related training.” Damen always asks its customers to review its training programmes, and the same request was made of the Egyptians. “We scored a 9.8 out of a possible 10. We were very pleased, because customer satisfaction is our number-one priority.”