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Stock build gives Carmet short lead time
Damen Shipyards Group has signed a contract with Carmet Tug Company for a Damen Multi Cat 2309, giving the Merseyside towage and workboat operator a newbuild vessel with delivery scheduled just four weeks after signing.
The contract was signed on 9 June at Seawork in Southampton, where commercial marine operators and suppliers gathered for one of Europe’s main workboat events. For Carmet, the timing matters. The company needed a Multi Cat quickly, and Damen had one available through its stock building programme.
That stock model is central to the story. In a market where vessel lead times can shape project schedules, Damen’s ability to deliver from stock gives operators a practical option when client demand moves faster than traditional newbuild cycles. For towage, dredging support, marine civil engineering and project support work, that can be the difference between accepting a job and watching it pass to another operator.
Carmet builds on existing Damen experience
Carmet already operates second hand Damen vessels, including a Shoalbuster and a Stan Tug. The company said that experience helped guide the decision to approach Damen when it needed a new Multi Cat.
In mid May, Carmet representatives visited Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld in the Netherlands to inspect the vessel and sail aboard it. Following that visit, the company confirmed its intention to place the order.
The new Multi Cat 2309 is a multipurpose workboat designed for duties such as towing, anchor handling, supply, dredger support and general marine operations. Damen describes the model as a twin propelled vessel with a spacious deck area and accommodation suited to workboat operations.
For a company such as Carmet, which provides towage and workboat services across the UK marine sector, the appeal is clear. A Multi Cat is not a single task tool. It is closer to a marine equivalent of a yard tractor with deck space, bollard pull and workboat flexibility. When the call comes in, the vessel has to be ready for whatever the job demands.
Vessel prepared for UK requirements
Before delivery, Damen is preparing the vessel to match Carmet’s operating needs. The work includes painting the vessel in Carmet colours and aligning it with UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency requirements.
Damen will also install its Damen Marine NOx Reduction System. The selective catalytic reduction system is designed to reduce NOx emissions by 80 percent in line with IMO Tier III requirements.
That detail is operationally important. Tug and workboat operators are increasingly expected to balance availability, power and compliance. The question for many owners is no longer simply whether a vessel can do the job. It is whether it can do the job while meeting tighter environmental expectations from regulators, ports and clients.
Damen has scheduled delivery of the Multi Cat 2309 for 3 July, four weeks after the contract signing.
Carmet cites speed of delivery
Joshua Metcalfe, Managing Director of Carmet, said the company had been pleased with the performance of Damen vessels already in its fleet.
“So, when we needed a new Multi Cat with a short delivery time, we enquired if Damen would be able to support us,” Metcalfe said. “The speed with which Damen has made the vessel available has surpassed all expectations. The availability of a stock vessel, adapted to our requirements, enables us, in turn, to provide a fast response to our clients.”
For Carmet, the purchase adds another Damen vessel to a fleet used across towage and workboat assignments. The company, based in Merseyside, provides harbour towage, coastal towage, marine civil engineering support, buoy maintenance, dredging support and related marine services.
Damen points to stock programme
Wijtze van der Leij, Sales Manager UK at Damen, said the order showed the benefit of building vessels in series and holding stock for rapid delivery.
“I am pleased that we are able to support the company with a fast delivery, clearly demonstrating the advantages of our stock building programme,” van der Leij said.
He added that Carmet’s positive experience with Damen vessels had set expectations for the new Multi Cat 2309.
The signing also underlines a wider pattern in the workboat market. Operators serving ports, contractors and marine infrastructure projects often need vessels at short notice, while shipyards usually work to longer production timelines. Damen’s answer is to build standardised vessels ahead of contract signing, then adapt them to the customer’s flag, colour scheme and operating profile.
For Carmet, that means a newbuild Multi Cat moving from contract signing at Seawork to delivery in early July. For its clients, the impact will be measured in availability.
