Progress RV Wim Wolff

You can follow the progress of the construction of RV Wim Wolff by the monthly update on the ship’s timeline. Here you can read the summary, on the design phase, the project management and the latest planning.

Builders
Tecla Bodewes Shipyards (TBS) in Harlingen will build RV Wim Wolff and deliver it late 2022. The wharf, specialised in both reparations and building, operates on four locations in the northern part of the Netherlands. TBS will outsource building the aluminum hull of Wim Wolff to Dijkstra in Harlingen as much as possible. The rest of the construction will be done on the TBS wharf in Harlingen. At least every two weeks, the project management team from both NIOZ National Marine Facilities (NMF) department and TBS will meet.

Feico Hoogeveen from NAVIS in Harlingen will support NIOZ during the project. Navis Naval Management & Consultancy is specialised in ship management and project management, including new construction support.

Aluminium hull
Most of the RV Wim Wolff’s displacement of 65 tonnes lies in the weight of the hull and superstructure. Using an aluminium alloy for the construction will result in a 40% weight reduction over the use of steel. Aluminium is less prone to corrosion and will therefore require less maintenance and does not need to be painted. Furthermore, unlike steel, aluminium can be recycled without loss of quality.

Design phase
Currently, the design of RV Wim Wolff is being finalised. After the first phase of the design, it has been decided to add one meter to the width and half a meter to the length of the ship. This will make it suitable for sailing both deep water in the coastal zones and the shallow waters of the Wadden Sea. Sailing shallow water in particular requires good steering and making leeway during strong side winds.

Testing the design
After finishing the final design, maritime research institute MARIN in Wageningen will test the sailing characteristics. The results of these test will provide the final necessary power capacity and contribute to the selection of the propulsion engines.

Quality control during the build
All ships have to meet technical requirements concerning the construction and equipment, and meet demands like a competent crew and sufficient maintenance. Part of these requirements have been determined internationally, and for sea vessels, this is the responsibility of the International Marine Organisation (IMO).

There are also national demands by the so-called flagstate, the country in which the ship is registered. In the Netherlands, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate monitors the Dutch fleet. For the RV Wim Wolff, Bureau Veritas is authorized to inspect the strength of the hull the stability and fire safety, the installations of machinery and electricity, and communication and navigation equipment.

Planning

• Until June 2021: from specifications to final design
• Second half of 2021 and first half of 2022: roofed build of the aluminum hull.
• Second half of 2022: roofed completion of the hull construction, placing the motors and finalising the build of the machine room, building in the laboratories, huts, galley, steering hut and daytime residences, with the essential parts and electronics.
• Start of 2023: delivery to NMF.