Hydrographic Society Benelux

News
On June 24th the Hydrographic Society Benelux held a workshop entitled ‘Hydrography! @Your Service’. Although still not yet officially ratified, the workshop also related a little to the official anniversary of IHO on 21st June 1921. The workshop took place in a warm and sunny Scheveningen at the ‘Shore accommodation of the Rijkswaterstaat’ where ‘North Sea directorate’ vessels Arca and Zirfea were moored and open to the public during and after the workshop. Five presentations where given, three by government organisations from The Netherlands and Belgium, one by a commercial company and one by students.

The first presentation was by Mr Harald Versteeg, head of the survey department of the directorate. He focused on the role and position of directorate survey work and specifically on the needs for out-placing survey work to commercial contractors. He explicitly described directorate policy having shifted its position on quality from ‘the best’ to ‘good enough’ to enhance the efficiency of the work in terms of quality and necessity. He also urged commercial parties to listen carefully to the demands and requirements of directorate real needs.
Commander Jan Appelman, head of plans for the Hydrographic Office of the Dutch Navy proceeded with an extensive presentation on the civil and military tasks of the service and the special position and related tasks for the hydrographic market. Like ‘Rijkswaterstaat North Sea directorate’ tasks, his own department also faced operational targets, both civil and military, from national and international obligations flowing from IHO and IMO. This was why the service had migrated towards more production awareness. The new and ultramodern hydrographic vessels HNLMS Snellius and HNLMS Luymes largely contributed to fulfilling these operational tasks and all related modernisation issues.

Students of the maritime institute ‘Willem Barentz’ based at Terschelling Island gave the third presentation. As second-year students they explained the course topics covered at the institute in training their skills as future hydrographers. They concluded with a description of their first practical experience in preparing and conducting a real survey with the institute's training vessel, Octans. All workshop participants recognised the typical problems that these youngsters faced for the first time.
The fourth presentation was by Belgium's Nathalie Balcaen, head of the Hydrography and Hydro-Meteo Department of the Flemish Community on Ostend. She outlined the work and assets of the department as the government agency responsible for carrying out survey work on the Belgian coast and waterways of the Westerschelde, the entrance to Antwerp harbour.

Last but not least, Nicolas de Hilster from Starmountain gave a very interesting presentation on ‘350 years of surveying technique for one project’. Nicolas linked his semi-professional hobby, building replicas of ancient measuring and navigation devices, to his present technological skills in photogrammetric surveying of all kinds of objects to reconstruct precise geometry. This we know from ship-geometry surveying, for example in precise (multi-beam) surveying, but it is also applicable in surveying old and delicate remains of authentic navigation instruments found at historical scenes, so enabling the production of accurate (re)construction plans.

All presentations will be made available for download from the HSB website.

This workshop would not have been possible without the generosity of the Rijkswaterstaat Northsea directorate in facilitating the nearly one hundred participants. The sponsorship help of twelve corporate members also contributed to the success of the workshop: Royal Netherlands Navy, IXSEA, QPS, HydroConsult, CSO, Fugro, Geometius, GeoPlus, Thales Navigation, GITC, Simrad and Qmetrix.

The next Workshop, on ‘Oceanology’, is planned for 23 September.

Contact
HSB
p/a Shipmen bv
Binnen Kalkhaven 201
3311 JC Dordrecht
T: +31 78 6310381
F: +31 78 6390711