Cranes effective for anchorage
Thijs Viegers grew up in the maritime world. He was introduced to the profession of tugboat captain at an early age as his grandfather founded Viegers Tugs in 1932, when he carried out all kinds of activities for the inland shipping sector with his tug. Thijs’ father expanded the business further into the coastal and marine sectors. Thijs attended the maritime college and subsequently took over the company from his father.
Knuckle boom crane ideally suited to Viegers Tugs
‘We contacted Heila Cranes in 2001 when we were looking for a crane. Heila exhibited at Europort 2001 and we clicked immediately with the director-owner of Heila, Kees van Dijk. We chose a knuckle boom crane. We have limited space on our tug and this type of crane is ideally suited. It can be folded into a compact unit when we are not working with it – only the case when we are on the way to a job. Furthermore the crane performs well in all locations and under all weather conditions. From 2004 to 2007 we worked for Van Oord in Dubai when they were busy spraying the ‘world’ in front of the coast.
Because the cranes are reliable we have not had much contact with Heila. We did have to replace a swing-motor once and one telephone call was sufficient. They have all standard parts in stock and their technicians perform repairs worldwide. The consequence was that the crane was only idle for a short period. Once every year Heila carries out a detailed inspection of our marine crane in the presence of Bureau Veritas. There is also a DOUBL D mechanic present, so if a repair or replacement is needed the work can be carried out immediately.
When a crane is overhauled, Heila organises a replacement crane. They understand that operational delay costs money and they react fast and effectively. I am very happy with their service’.
Opportunities
‘Up to now we have not had a shortage of work in spite of it being a difficult time for the maritime sector. You need to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. As an example, the current tendency is to reduce CO2 emission by looking for alternative energy sources, i.e. wind energy. The number of offshore wind farms is growing steadily. We see these developments as an opportunity and we now supply water, diesel and provisions to wind farms. We also assist by towing components for these farms and by laying cables, chains and anchors. Heila’s cranes are ideally suited to these activities. Our next crane will certainly be ordered at Heila Cranes.’
Viegers Tugs
Viegers Tugs developed from a towing company operating on inland waterways to an expert in salvage, towing and other common activities for the marine and offshore sectors. This work varies from towing and anchorage to salvage and from dredging support to supplying offshore projects such as wind turbine farms and Oil & Gas drilling platforms. Viegers Tugs can be found in the waters around England, France, Ireland, Denmark, Mexico and Dubai. In recent years the company’s focus has been on supporting offshore activities, particularly wind farms.
.
