Damen floats dock in Curacao

After final tests on 2 November the 230m by 45m Panamax-class dock was submerged on to the equalised seabed. With the help of local KTK pilots and tugs, DSCu’s nautical department then docked the first commercial ship, a 63,000 dwt bulkcarrier.

DSCu’s managing director, Lodewijk Franken, said: “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.”

“There was a breathtaking moment which the staff at the yard relived when watching the first commercial docking. [It] went smoothly,” he added.

The dock is one of two in which Damen has invested. Both arrived jointly at the Caribbean island in April 2018 and are part of a wider investment programme for DSCu following its takeover by Damen in 2017.

The smaller D dock, situated inside the C dock since their Atlantic crossing, was floated-out in October to be moored alongside the repair quayside. It is currently under test and is expected to be put into service later in November.