October 23 - Van der Vlist has facilitated the demobilisation and last journey of one of Royal Boskalis Westminster's fallpipe vessels at its terminal in the port of Moerdijk.
Boskalis chose to use the Van der Vlist terminal to have the vessel, Sandpiper, stripped from all parts which could be of use - ranging from a crawler crane to the computers and small parts from the bridge - before the ship sailed off on its last journey to a demolition yard in Turkey.
For five days, Van der Vlist provided its quay for the operation and assisted with the stevedoring and the dismantling of various pieces discharged from the vessel, which were to be put into storage in the 120,000 sq m Moerdijk site or moved on for alternative use or disposal.
Built in 1971, the Sandpiper was converted from a bulk carrier to a fallpipe vessel in 1978, in order to be able to deposit stone accurately at great depths.
