VIDEO: Damen Curaçao commissions new Panamax floating dock

New floating dry dock officially entered service with docking of a 63,400 dwt bu

NOVEMBER 14, 2018 — Damen Shiprepair Curaçao (DSCu), has now commissioned the largest of two new floating dry docks. After final tests on the morning of November 2, the 230 m x 45 m Panamax class C Dock was submerged and the shipyard’s Nautical department, with the help of local pilots and tugs subsequently docked the first commercial ship, a 63,400 tonnes deadweight bulk carrier, putting the C dock into service.

“This marks a special milestone and we are very proud of this,” said Lodewijk Franken, DSCu’s managing director. “It is highly rewarding to see the yard’s infrastructure today, following an intensive period of improvements, and to have the first ship in our C dock.”

The smaller of the two new floating docks, D dock, is currently having electric power connected and is expected to be put into service later this month.

Both docks arrived in Curaçao on April 30 and are part of a wider investment program made by Damen in DSCu since taking over the facility in 2017.

The two new floating dry docks supplement the shipyard’s two graving docks. The largest of these, the Antillia, one of the largest docks in the Caribbean, can accommodate vessels up to 270 m x 44 m, while the second graving dock, Beatrix,can accommodate vessels up to 170 m x 23 m.