The Schelde is a seagoing pontoon, capable of being used for roll on/roll off (Ro/Ro) and conventional transport, and as a tool for launching large ships. It measures 85m x 22m. It is 5m high, with an unloaded draft of 950mm. It can carry a load of 80t per sq m along the centre line of the pontoon, and 15t per sq m over the rest of the vessel surface. It is fitted with four spud poles, each measuring 26.9m.
One of the first jobs for the new pontoon was the launch of new frigate at Damen shipyard in Sloehaven, in the south of the Netherlands. The launch was the first carried out this way for both Mammoet and Damen. The job started during the night at high-tide on Monday 12 July, when the Schelde was positioned over Damen’s Ro/Ro quay. As the tide went down, the Schelde settled on the dry part of the quay.
The frigate was placed on 104 axle lines of SPMTs and rolled onto the deck of the Schelde. On Tuesday afternoon, the Schelde carried the frigate from the Ro/Ro quay to Sloehaven’s Jetty E, where it met a range of equipment that Mammoet had prepared ready to float the frigate. This included the Purmer and Weiringer pontoons, each of which was fitted with a winch frame. There were also two winch frames on the quay, both fitted with 12 ballast boxes as counterweight. The operation was commanded from a central container, using two laptops.
As high winds came in on 15 July, the decision was taken to delay the operation. The next day, the frigate was launched as planned.