Record attempt longest sea tow


               30 july 2010

During the first weekend of August the annual reunion of the LVBHB (National Association to Maintain Historical Professional Ships) took place in Schiedam. The association did select Schiedam for their annual reunion with a large number of members. Almost twohundred boats occupied the ports of Schiedam.

At the organization, which was managed by Scyedam Vaert, the idea became for doing an attempt of improving the record "longest sea tow", during this event. This record was set by the Hercules during "Sail Amsterdam" in 1990, 20 years ago.

This time the record attempt took place during the beginning of Scyedam Vaert on Friday afternoon on the New Waterway. The tow departed from the Schiehaven where the boats and vessels had been assembled. 
The tow was stopped at the Beneluxtunnel. The whole was monitored on a radar screen by a notary at VTS sector Waalhaven. Everything was entirely according to the rules for a new listing in the Guinness Book of Records.
The scene was watched by quite some interested people from the Maasboulevard. Various boats accompanied the tow of which the "Volharding I" with cheerful tones.

The old record was broken by one additional ship what did make the total to 15 boats/vessels with a total length of 668 meter. The distance passed was 4.3 kilometres and the time was 35 minutes. Homage to the engineroom crew who was able to make a huge coal fire in a very short time and managed to squeeze a few revolutions extra out of the engine.

Click here to view the photo's.



Atmosphere impression Scyedam Vaert

An impression of the weekend in Schiedam on the following You Tube video. With on 14.55 minutes the steamroller "de Concurrent" of the v/d Giessen brothers. On 20.00 minutes an atmosphere impression aboard the Hercules, where can be watched how our linesmen boat Argo is employed when it is quite shallow. The organisation did want the passengers to experience a lock transit, what meant approaching shallow water area for the deep draughted Hercules after transitting the lock inbound. This resulted in manoeuvring problems especially during departing from the quay. And also an interview with René Beijer, one of the stokers, in the engineroom. Captain Kees is speaking as well and is pleased to play the steam whistle and sirene to Wiebe the reporter. A very nice story produced by Wiebe Hoogeveen van Broodkast Videoproducties for Look TV, the local television broadcast of Schiedam.









       The record of 1990




The old record took place during the event Sail Amsterdam in 1990, recorded on 14 historical vessels with a length of 614 metres and with a towed distance of 3.4 kilometres in 45 minutes.