Call Sign : PBCY
Gross tonnage : 218
Type of ship : Tug
Year of build : 1982
Flag : Netherlands

As I mentioned before, shooting photos of a pair of tugs at the shipspotting meeting in Rotterdam, a fellow member asked me the name of the company of those with the letter “K” on the funnel.

Didn’t he really know, or was he testing my knowledge? I had to admit I didn’t know, being from the Amsterdam region.
I promised to myself I had to look into that.

The weeks following the meeting in Rotterdam I was in the Toulon region in France on Holliday.
Last year I discovered the three monthly magazine called “Navires & Marine Marchande”. These are well illustrated and clearly written magazines with interesting items.
One of the first things I do when I get there is to go to the “Tabac” and get as many numbers I can get. Last year I was on holliday twice in different trimesters and was able to get two numbers.
Now I got the No 35 featuring, among others, an article on the coccinelles (ladybirds) of Le Havre.

Reading this article I came across pictures of tugs with the same colours as the ones in Rotterdam and a “K” on the funnel that had been painted over. Soon the article mentioned Rotterdam and the name Kooren. No doubt I had a smile on my face that very moment. One question was answered.

First part of the article was about Kooren taking part of the market in the port of Le Havre, a second part described the invention of the Rotor Tug by Ton Kooren.

It all struck me to be very interesting.
Realizing that not every member has the opportunity to get these magazines and next to read French. I took it upon myself to make an excerpt/translation of it. I hope this is not in conflict with authors rights.

read it at the Forum:
http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=5084&post_id=26992&order=0&viewmode=flat&pid=0&forum=7#forumpost26992