‘Years ago, I delivered the Mahaa Jarraafu from Qidong, China to the Maldives. Last month, I had the opportunity to also deliver its sister ship* Mario Oliva Perez from Kinderdijk, the Netherlands to Havana, Cuba. Same vessel, new adventure!’ says TOS Ship Delivery Captain Piet Smit.
‘The first few days of the preparation got off to a very cold start with snow on deck and no heating. The final destination: the tropical island of Cuba, where there is no need for a heater. As a temporary solution, we were able to keep relatively warm with nine portable radiators. The vessel’s reflagging and the ISPS and ISM preparations (paperwork + exercises) ran smoothly. After the sea trial, we docked in Dordrecht. Once inspection was complete, we were ready to begin our voyage of more than 5.000 miles and 21 sailing days to Havana.’
Spanish class
‘Besides the TOS delivery crew, our client’s Chief Engineer and Captain also joined us on the vessel. This was a nice opportunity for them to become familiar with the vessel during the journey. Also, our Spanish skills improved quite a bit. Only the Chief Engineer spoke a little bit of English. Fortunately for us, our Dutch Engineer was pretty good in Spanish. So, in the engine room …… instructions in Spanish.’
*) A sister ship is a ship of the same class or of a virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, are similar in size, and have roughly comparable features and equipment.
Left: Mr. Francisco Rodriquez Napoleón, Project Manager IHC
Right: Piet Smit, Ship Delivery Captain at TOS
Work on deck
‘In the first week, we experienced rough waters (North Sea & Bay of Biscay). After that, the weather was much friendlier, and we had time to complete the work on deck. The vessel was thoroughly cleaned of all the construction debris, inside and out. The crew removed rust and did a lot of painting. We wanted the Mario Oliva Perez to look her best upon arrival, of course! The vessel transfer was overwhelming. At 7:30 a.m., we welcomed 40 reception guests, including a minister, the end-client’s board of directors, IHC representatives and descendants of Mario Oliva Perez (an important Minister of Civil Works in the 1970s). After several speeches, they took a tour of the entire ship. Finally, we assisted the new crew with reflagging from the Panamanian to the Cuban flag. After one night in a hotel, we were free to return home the next day… leaving one satisfied customer behind.’
Ship Delivery Captain Piet Smit
YOUR DESTINATION IS OUR CHALLENGE
We are experienced in the relocation of all types of vessels. For an all-in price and with clear terms and conditions, we can take care of flag state registration, certification, ISM and instruction of the new crew in preparation of handing over the vessel.
Call now +31 10 436 62 93
Mail now Rolf Kievits, Sales Manager Ship Delivery (third from the right)
Read about our Ship Delivery Service