1981  –  VLIESTROOM & MERWESTROOM

The MERWESTROOM has been named after the Merwede river; a tidal river in the southwest of the Netherlands. The Merwede creates a lower course of the Waal river and is one of the most important waterways of the Rhine Delta. The Merwede starts east of Woudrichem and branches off at Dordrecht into the Noord river and the Oude Maas river. A lot of shipbuilding industry happens along these busy rivers, especially in Gorinchem, Werkendam, Hardinxveld-Giessendam and Sliedrecht.

History
In 1981, Van Wijngaarden Marine Services purchased the ‘Anja’, a sistership of the Vliestroom, built in 1969. The ship was renamed ‘Merwestroom’ and was immediately equipped with a 365 HP GM-Detroit diesel. In April of that same year, the Vliestroom was also internally renovated and equipped as a survey vessel. Together the ‘sisters’ went to Amsterdam via inland waterways, where they were both positioned as deck cargo on a sea-going vessel. Both ships were deployed for Project Cilacap by a Dutch dredging company for the construction of a new oil terminal in distant Indonesia.

Image: Sister Ships