Pon Power News

ASK A QUESTION

ASK A QUESTION

Klaas Krook

Account Manager Pon Power

“It was beautiful to watch the initial skepticism making way for amazement and finally, appreciation”

ULTRASONIC BATH

The engines were moved to the workshop in Papendrecht, where they were disassembled, after which all parts were placed in a large ultrasonic bath to be cleaned in the most unreachable of places. Next, the parts were reassembled and sprayed. The result was miraculous. Tjalling: “We’ve actually just restarted the engines for the first time, and they’re purring like a song. What’s beautiful is that you can’t even tell the difference with a new engine. It’s only the dull registration plate that betrays that these machines are almost 50 years old! I never expected to receive this kind of personal and professional service from a big company like Pon Power. My compliments.”

FACTS & FIGURES

IN THE NETHERLANDS SINCE

PRINCIPAL

YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION

BUILDER

PROPULSION

TYPE

OWNER

SHIP

1988

CNFR (Compagnie Française de Navigation Rhénane; France’s state government inland shipping company)

1967

Shipyard De Biesbosch, Dordrecht

2 x Cat 3408 a 350kW each

Towboat, 17 x 9.5 m

Tjalling Langius, Nadia Duwvaart (Push Tow Tugboat*), Rotterdam

Nadia

FACTS & FIGURES

GOOD QUOTE

Klaas Krook, Account Manager Service at Pon Power, had heard that Tjalling was in need of someone to help him out and he decided to contact him. “I called Mr. Langius on the phone and asked if he would let us present an offer. He accepted, but I noticed he was skeptical.” Tjalling: “Well, I had some reservations about the ability of such a big company to compete with a smaller business. So I was quite surprised when he came up with a very good quote. We sat down to discuss and he convinced me that it would pay for me to place the order with Pon Power.” At Pon Power, they decided to put a team on it to get Tjalling back on the water as soon as possible. Klaas: “The inland trade in this country rests squarely on people like Tjalling Langius. It matters to them that we understand and care about their business, and to know we have a heart for the trade. So, yeah, we were happy to go the extra mile, and we enjoyed it every step.”

Tjalling Langius

Managing Director of Nadia Duwvaart, Rotterdam

“I hadn’t expected to receive this level of service on a personal and professional level from such a big company. It was a good experience…”

March 2014, and that’s when the problems began. Tjalling: “First the propeller axle ran amok. After that, one of the two main engines jammed due to poor maintenance by the previous owner. To top it off, an electrical short circuit caused a fire. My first mate acted instantly and was able to prevent an all-out fire, but the damage was still considerable.” When the smoke had cleared, the big question was: replace the engines, or recondition them? Tjalling opted for the latter. “Those Cat 3408’s are known for their reliability, and we decided they would probably be alright for a good many years after reconditioning. But I still had to go find someone to do it.”

SIX GENERATIONS

In the Dutch inland shipping trade, Langius is a household name. The family has navigated the Dutch waterways for six generations, and many of its present day generation are involved in the inland shipping industry, largely in Amsterdam. Tjalling Langius, the Managing Director of Nadia Duwvaart, is the exception. His hometown and port of homecoming is Rotterdam. A fact that’s been the butt of many a sneer at birthday parties and family gatherings, but Tjalling can take a joke. From its home berth in the port of Rotterdam Tjalling navigates his towboat the Nadia mostly between the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp. Tjalling acquired the vessel, a 17 meter-long towboat, in