Port full again during Bagger Festival

The municipal harbor will again be full of ships for viewing during the Dredging Festival. In addition to the Royal Navy and the Fire Department, there is quite a bit of dredging equipment to admire.

As in 2017, the Royal Navy's tug "Gouwe" is returning to its native soil. It is the last remaining tug of the Linge class, delivered in the 1980s by the former Delta Shipyard on Rivierdijk. More military display is present, as Damen Shipyards is on standby with two of its military high-speed RHIBs. These Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats are normally deployed by special forces worldwide, but will be on standby June 29 in Sliedrecht.

Above 100

The spectacular craft will depart from the Municipal Harbor between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for trips of about 15 minutes each, reaching speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour. Sailing along is available for ages 14 and up and costs 5 euros per person. Proceeds will be donated to charity.

Resistance

The fireboat Zuid-Holland Zuid can also be visited in Sliedrecht on Saturday, June 29. This vessel also has a Sliedrecht touch, as the construction of the steel hull was awarded to J. Schlieker & Zonen on Rivierdijk. However, the construction took place in 2013 at subsidiary Jachtwerf De Combinatie in Dordrecht, so the Sliedrecht connection is not that thick; or it must be the special anti-fouling by painting company Den Breejen, which was applied to the hull to reduce resistance in the water.

Hybrid

The equipment of Scheepvaartbedrijf B.T.O. is very Sliedrecht-like. They are present with crane-dredger 'Nooitgedacht' and support vessel 'Tyda-Kyra'. The former i s pretty much preserved by its owners, father and son Mijnster. Among other things, the vessel was made hybrid and a switch was made to emission-reducing fuel for the diesel engine. All in all, it earned the Green Award certificate "gold" and thus a preferred position for work in the Port of Rotterdam.

Zalmschouwen

More working vessels can be admired during the Dredging Festival. One can look on board IHC's Beaver cutter suction dredgers and the KNRM is once again on standby with the 'Tjepke Ekkelboom' from station Dordrecht. Enthusiasts of historic vessels will also be in their element. Naturally, the steam dredger 'Friesland' of the Baggermuseum will be on display, but the Association for the Preservation of Fishing Charters (Vereniging tot Behoud van de Zalmschouw) will also be on station with a fleet of eight to nine fishing charters.

Monopole

Finally, it is nice to mention that the young brothers Reinout and Olivier van der Wiel from Barendrecht are moored in the harbor with their 1929 'Monopool'. They bought the German tugboat two years ago with 'some overdue maintenance' and since then have made quite a few strokes to get this sailing heritage ready for the future again.

Dredging Festival Sliedrecht

The Bagger Festival is a biennial event in the birthplace of the dredging industry: Sliedrecht. Dredging, hydraulic engineering and other maritime sectors therefore occupy a central place. Naturally, everyone is welcome, but it is primarily a festival for and by Sliedrechters, in which the Sliedrecht business community, shopkeepers, catering establishments, sports clubs, churches, musicians, the Bagger Museum and the municipality all play their part.

From June 27 to 30, the thirteenth edition of the Bagger Festival will take place in Sliedrecht: Baggerfestival.com.