In March the Dutch governmental shipping company Rijksrederij (part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, Rijkswaterstaat) took delivery of its scientific research vessel Tridens after an extensive refit at Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam in the Netherlands.
Tridens underwent a major midlife conversion to boost the vessel’s multifunctional capabilities for fisheries research, including the installation of an innovative ‘drop keel’. The Rijksrederij is the custodian of the North Sea and manages a fleet of specialist vessels.
The maritime research institute IMARES, in collaboration with other European fisheries institutes, employs the 73.5m Tridens to help determine fish stocks in the North Sea, among other duties. The major refit will improve the efficiency of the 25-year-old Tridens, with a wide range of scientific research equipment fitted, including the drop keel, which greatly improves the performance of the echo sounders.
