Mobile pontoon impresses visitors to Seawork 2015
Following its debut at Seawork last month, Damen’s new floating exhibition platform is preparing for further events in Northwest Europe, bringing both vessels and equipment designed and manufactured by the Damen Shipyards Group to shows and exhibitions in a unique format.
The platform itself is a Stan Pontoon 4113, measuring 41 metres in length and 13 metres across. With 536m² of deck space, at its inaugural event - Seawork, Southampton in early June - it was able to exhibit a Stan Tug, Multi Cat and Stan Patrol vessel, plus a range of other equipment including a mobile Ballast Water Treatment system, a propeller nozzle and an anchor. For those interested in the vessels, they were able for the first time to view them above the waterline, something that was impossible for all the other exhibits at this on-the-water show.
Visitors had easy access from the floating walkway via steps and could then tour the exhibits in perfect safety, walking around the obstacle-free, non-slip deck surrounded by safety rails. Three days of warm sunshine further contributed to making visits to the Damen pontoon a highly pleasurable experience.
Damen UK Sales Manager, Casper Vermeulen, says: “The exhibition platform allows us to show a wider range than before, particularly when it comes to our smaller vessels. And of course, we stand on one of Damen’s own pontoon and barge models. It’s something new for us and we’re grateful to the Seawork organisers for accommodating this innovative approach.”
Ryan Hopkins of Severn Offshore Services commented, “I think the pontoon is a great addition to Seawork. It shows the capabilities of Damen and it shows what they can do in such a short timeframe. They’ve got vessels that you would normally see in the water here, out of the water, and people can get hands-on experience. It also shows the different capabilities of the pumps and nozzles that Damen makes that visitors don’t normally see.”
The pontoon was towed by the Damen-built tug MTS Taktow to Southampton. Over the remainder of the summer the pontoon’s programme will include being part of a Damen client event at Sail Amsterdam 2015 and attending the Green Ocean student recruitment event, also at Sail Amsterdam. She is also expected to be a feature of the World Port Days in Rotterdam. Further dates will be announced in due course.