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Ferry van Eeuwen
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Smit-Lloyd The North Sea oil rigs required special so called supply vessels which could carry out a number of tasks. Apart from bringing supplies to the rigs, they had to be able to carry out anchor handling for the rigs up to more conventional tug operations. For this reason on 10th November, 1964 the Dutch shipping company Koninklijke Rotterdamse Lloyd NV (Royal Rotterdam Lloyd) and the tug boat company L. Smit & Co together (75% - 25%) founded Smit-Lloyd NV. At the founding five ships were ordered with two Dutch yards. By putting the accommodation on the fore ship a thirty meter long flat deck was created. The ships were propelled by two Industrie motors of 1500 pk each and two Lips screws and one bow thruster. Furthermore the ships contained a tank for the transport of oil, water, cement and chemicals. The cost per ship was an estimated 2,4 million Dutch guilders. The design was typically Dutch failsafe; if the supply business went sour - it was a new thing and thus a kind of gamble - the tank with the cement equipment could be taken out and the ship would become more or less a normal tugboat. Clever, clever.... I worked on and attended the sea trials of the Smit-Lloyd 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14. In good seaman's tradition number 13, which could bring disaster to the ship, was skipped.
I worked on and attended the sea trials of the Smit-Lloyd 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14. In good seaman's tradition number 13, which could bring disaster to the ship, was skipped.Those sea trials on a rough North Sea were often not exactly for the faint hearted. Scores of landlubbers from the yard and others became very sea sick. Smit-Lloyd 12
A picture of the Smit-Lloyd 12 call sign PHPC. The supply vessel was launched 18th March, 1967 and delivered 24th April 1967 by the yard "N.V Scheepswerven v/h H.H. Bodewes" at Millingen as newbuild 664. LxWxDr: 59,77 x 11,71 x 4.10 meters. Tonnage 799. Propulsion by two 6 cylinder Industrie engines nr. 4261 and 4262 with a total of 2700 Hp or 1986 kW. Pulling force 34 tons. Speed 14 knots.
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