Pioneering Spirit Arrives Rotterdam

Allseas’ Pioneering Spirit, the largest construction vessel in the world, has arrived in the port of Rotterdam to prepare itself for upcoming topsides lift works.

The preparations included the removal of the pipelaying stinger. When Pioneering Spirit is required for topsides lift work, the pipelaying stinger will be removed from the bow section of the vessel and stored on the purpose-built barge, Bumblebee.

Kotug Smit Towage provided various towage services for the removal of the stinger. This included among others the transportation of the barge ‘Bumblebee’ to the Alexiahaven, where the mooring wires for Bumblebee were prepared. Thereafter, Bumblebee was manoeuvred in the slot of the Pioneering Spirit to transfer the stinger on the barge.

As soon as the stinger was dismantled and transferred on the Bumblebee, the barge was manoeuvred very carefully out of the slot of Pioneering Spirit.

Kotug Smit Towage prepared and assisted the transport of Bumblebee to the Waalhaven, where RT Adriaan and several other tugs faced challenging circumstances in the confined space, combined with the width of the stinger.

The transport was coordinated by a tow master of Kotug International. A well-prepared cooperation between experienced crews and tow master resulted in a safe and swift towage operation.