Wandelaar Invest
In 2004, the Flemish Government set up the Pilotage Resources project to modernise the Flemish fleet pilot boats. This was part of a cooperation agreement with the Dutch Scheldt pilotage services to build a joint fleet to serve the Scheldt estuary and the Flemish coast more efficiently.
To achieve this, they opted to build three new fast tender vessels and a SWATH-type mother ship. SWATH stands for “Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull”. This is a new type of high-tech vessel that, thanks to its great stability, can bring pilots on board a ship even in particularly bad weather conditions. The mother ship also serves as a maritime hotel for the pilots. The vessels were ordered from German shipyard Abeking & Rasmussen in 2009, following a public tender procedure.
Financing
To finance the project, the company nv Wandelaar Invest was set up in 2009. Through this company, both private and public partners were attracted. The current shareholders of Wandelaar Invest are PMV, DAB Vloot, Antwerp Port Authority, Brabo and Belfius Lease. The financing of the vessels is based on a long-term contract, called a bareboat charter, with DAB Vloot, part of the Flemish Region. A bareboat charter is a type of lease contract frequently used in the maritime sector.
PMV’s role
- management of the negotiation process for the four vessels;
- a direct interest of 25% + 1 share in Wandelaar Invest;
- PMV is the manager of the project company Wandelaar Invest
The project in numbers
- the 3 tenders reach speeds of 25 knots and can safely pilot in waves of up to 3.5 metres
- the vessels will be used in the fleet of DAB VLOOT, which annually pilots more than 30,000 vessels off the coast and in the sea;
- total investment amount for the four vessels of around EUR 100 million;
- construction of the vessels started in 2009. They were delivered in 2011 and 2012
Other partners
- DAB VLOOT is a shipping company that is part of the Flemish Government through the agency Maritime Services and Coast. VLOOT deploys some 40 vessels and employs more than 500 people in five different locations: Ostend, Nieuwpoort, Antwerp, Ghent and Flushing.
- The Antwerp Port Authority has various functions and responsibilities within the Port of Antwerp. For example, the Port Authority manages and maintains the docks, bridges, locks and quay walls. It is also responsible for smooth and safe shipping traffic in the Antwerp port area. Furthermore, its employees ensure the deployment of tugs and cranes, among other things.
- Brabo Havenloodsen en Bootlieden CVBA, founded in 1931, is one of the largest European companies in the field of piloting ships within the port of Antwerp and mooring/unmooring seagoing vessels.
- Belfius Lease – Belgian financial institution. In addition to being a shareholder, Belfius is also the financier of the four ships.
