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Vulcanus Studytour 2014

Netherlands, Belgium and UK:

Vlissingen, Gent, Bristol, Liverpool

VulcanusStudytour2014

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Table of Contents

Preface ....................................................................................................................................... 3

Participants ................................................................................................................................ 4

Professor D. Stapersma (Dutch) ............................................................................................... 5

Kick off meeting ......................................................................................................................... 7

Damen Shipyards (Vlissingen [NL]) ............................................................................................ 8

Angelo Belgian Company (ABC Gent [BE]) ................................................................................ 9

Rolls Royce (Bristol [UK]) ......................................................................................................... 10

Cammell Laird Ship epairers & Shipbuilders Ltd (Liverpool [UK]) ........................................... 12

Free afternoon in Liverpool ..................................................................................................... 13

MST (Liverpool [UK]) ............................................................................................................... 14

North Sea crossing (Hull [UK] Rotterdam [NL]) ....................................................................... 15

Journey forth and back again .................................................................................................. 16

Sponsors .................................................................................................................................. 19


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Preface

The report before you is the Vulcanus study Tour 2014 report.

This report composes our experiences of the tour that was held from the 7th till the 12th of July 2014

and went to Belgium and the United Kingdom. The students who participated in the tour all wrote a

part for the report, beginning with the kick off meeting and ending with the crossing Hull‐Rotterdam.

By doing this, it makes the Vulcanus tour for and by, a close and nice group of (future) engineers,

which are highly interested in the Marine sector and want to pick up as much as possible from this

interesting part of industry and their innovation.

As already mentioned the report will start with the kick off meeting that was held on the 28th of May

to give an insight in the tour and to thank our sponsors. Followed by the text of the kick off meeting

Professor Stapersma, our founder of Vulcanus and special staff participant, was prepared to write

some text about the tour. After the text of the professor, our students wrote down their experiences

of our visit to DSNS, ABC motors, Rolls Royce, Cammell Laird and MST ending with the crossing Hull –

Rotterdam with MS Pride of Hull.

This year was a new milestone in the Vulcanus study tour history because after years of absence

students of the Naval Academy from Den Helder joined the tour. Thank you Navy, because without

your coach driven by two Marines, it would be hard for us to drive more than 1500 km around the

beautiful Belgium and British landscape.

Of course the tour was not possible if we did not have the wonderful support of our sponsors:

Alewijnse DAMEN

Heerema IHC

Nevesbu P&O ferries

SIP Marine Voith Turbo

Wärtsilä

Thank you very much!!

We hope you all enjoyed the tour and enjoy reading the report and wish you all the best for

upcoming college year and hope to see you soon!

Christiaan

Henk Jan

Dirk

Board of Vulcanus 2013‐2014


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Participants

From left to right (Standing):

Mike Loonstijn, Joos Bongartz (Staff KIM), Thomas Donk (KIM), Dirk de Waard, Michael Smith, Jim Otjens, Leon

Rietveld, Peter de Vos (Staff), Henk Jan Bosman, Marc Los (KIM), Roelf van Till (Staff), Hu Yeufeng, Klaas Visser

(Staff), Zhou Hong, Jurgen Salzberger (Chauffeur), Zelan Lyu, Douwe Stapersma (Staff), Folkert Faber

(Chauffeur), Matthijs van Veen (KIM), Paul Schulten (Staff KIM).

Bottom row:

Frank Jacobs, Fabian Bakker, Wouter Nijland (KIM), Ewout Slachter, Chris Korving, Robbert Essing, Fabian Schaap

(KIM), Guus van Fulpen (KIM), Willem Roos (KIM).


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Professor D. Stapersma (Dutch)

Ooit begonnen in 1994, vond dit jaar de de 18de buitenlandexcursie van het dispuut van

studenten Maritieme Werktuigkunde plaats. De oplettende lezer zou denken dat het de 21ste was,

maar helaas was er een kleine onderbreking van 2000 tot 2002. Tien excursies waren een “joint

operation” met de studenten Technische Dienst die aan het KIM in Den Helder een 5‐jarige opleiding

volgden. Maar toen het KIM opging in de NLDA was er vanaf 2008 in de nieuwe 4‐jarige bachelor geen

ruimte meer voor een excursie van een week.

Ik ben dan ook blij dat de overste Schulten dit jaar kans heeft gezien de oude samenwerking weer te

herstellen door voor de NLDA studenten ruimte te vinden in de non‐bachelor periode aan het einde

van de opleiding in Den Helder..

Onmiddellijk is ook weer de oude werkverdeling hervat: de “burgers” benaderen de

bedrijven en de “militairen” regelen het vervoer, waarbij overigens de aan de TUD studerende

militairen tijdelijk bij de burgers worden ingedeeld en daar leveren zij, dit jaar niet anders dan vroeger

jaren, hun bijdrage in de organisatie. Wilde het vervoer heel vroeger nog wel eens per vliegtuig gaan,

later dicteerde budgetaire overwegingen de bus. Ook dit keer stond er op maandagmorgen een

marineblauwe bus gereed achter het gebouw van 3 ME, bemand door twee chauffeurs die ons zowel

op het vaste land als in het Verenigde Koninkrijk stipt en veilig en aan de juiste kant van de weg naar

onze vele bestemmingen hebben gebracht (hoewel de weg in Bristol een keer zo smal was dat het het

niet meer duidelijk was aan welke kant van de weg wij reden, waar met name de tegenliggers wat last

van hadden).

Het primaire doel van de “study tour” is echter het bezoeken van bedrijven, een blik te

werpen op de producten en de productieprocessen en zo mogelijk de “engineers” van die bedrijven

te verleiden tot een verhaal waarin zij technisch gesproken het achterste van hun tong laten zien. De

mix van bedrijven was dit jaar bijzonder gevarieeerd: te beginnen met een bezoek aan de

scheepswerf Damen Schelde met zijn marinebouw, dan de niet zo bekende fabriek van diesel en

gasmotoren ABC in Gent waar men zojuist een prototype van een nieuwe, grotere motor op de

proefstand had staan, vervolgens het “system house” Rolls Royce in Bristol waar wij toch werden


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onthaald op hun “core business’, de assemblage van gasturbines, met name de nieuwe MT30 en ten

slotte Liverpool waar de zich voornamelijk op reparatie toeleggende werf Cammell Laird werd

bezocht en het kleine, innovatieve MST waar snelle bijboten worden ontworpen en geproduceerd.

Ten slotte werd op de terugtocht van Hull naar Rotterdam aan boord van de P&O ferry nog een kort

bezoek gebracht aan de met Wartsila dieselmotoren uitgeruste machinekamer.

Traditiegetrouw is er tijdens de Vulcanus excursie altijd ruimte voor cultuur en vertier. Voor

het vertier wordt geen expliciete tijd ingepland en dat gaat dus meestal ten koste van de nachtrust,

maar voor de cultuur wordt een middag ingeruimd, dit keer in Liverpool met zijn met maritieme

geschiedenis beladen monding van de Mersey, zijn weliswaar door staking gesloten Maritieme

Museum maar met gelukkig een open Beatles museum. Ook zagen wij in Liverpool Oranje in de halve

finale verliezen, zodat wij daarna het oranje Vulcanus shirt moeilijk meer openlijk konden dragen.

Uiteraard dank aan de sponsors die financieel hebben bijgedragen aan een stuk vorming van

voor hen potentieel interessante studenten. Een goed inititatief dit jaar was de ontmoeting vooraf

van de sponsors en de deelnemers aan de reis. Ten slotte gaat mijn dank uit naar het Vulcanus

bestuur dat dit jaar weer veel tijd heeft gestoken in het organiseren van de reis: Dirk, Chris en Henk

Jan: “a job well done!”.

D. Stapersma


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Kick off meeting

On the 28th of May a kick off meeting was organized. This meeting had several functions: first of all to

inform the Vulcanus members about the great study tour we were organizing. Secondly to thank our

sponsors and to give the sponsors the opportunity to tell the students what for interesting companies

they are and, last but not least, to have a drink at the end of the presentations, where sponsors, TU

Delft staff and students could talk with each other in an informal way.

For the board it was exciting how the kick off would perform, because it was the first time Vulcanus

had organized a kick off meeting, but from the first moment everybody was exciting and worked at

the event to become a well‐attended and nice event.

Very interesting were the given presentations by three sponsors. In the presentations the sponsors

gave an insight in their company and what kind of trainee ships or graduation projects they have.

The managing director of Nevesbu, Mr. van Roosmalen, was present and gave an excellent

presentation about Nevesbu. Mr Bonsen, vice president Marine of Voith Turbo gave a presentation

and told us about the opportunities in doing graduation projects in Germany. The last speaker was Mr

Grevink, general manager sales engineering of Wartsila Netherlands. He told us about the highly

innovative products of Wartsila and what kind of opportunities Wartsila has for graduation projects.

After the last questions we went to the “Lagerhuijs” for a deserved drink and a little snack. At 18:30

everybody had a good time and went back home.

We think that the kick off meeting is a good addition for future events and that we must continue this

new and interesting event.


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Damen Shipyards (Vlissingen [NL])

The first day of the study tour started with a visit to Damen Shipyards Vlissingen. After a nice cup of

coffee we had a few presentations about Damen in general, Patrol Ships and Sigma class ships.

Cap.ret. P. Heijboer talked about the Golden Triangle design strategy which damen is using. The

golden triangle indicates a cooperation between the ministry of defense and the navy, the industry

and research institutes. Together they are able to create the high quality and price competitiveness

that is the Damen standard.

The second presentation was by ir. Rene Meijn who talked about the

Damen PS. The PS is a vessel that is used in the lower violence spectrum,

such as coast guard duties, security tasks and humanitarian missions. It

has some small arms resistance and weaponry, but is not intended to be

used explicity for warfare operations. The vessel is equipped with a

hybrid propulsion drive, with two 400 [kW] electric engines that can

power the vessel up to a speed of 9.5 [kn] and two diesel engines with a total combined power of 5.4

[MW] that is used for quick action at 20 [kn]. The PS is further equipped with two FRISCS (Fast Raiding

Interception Special Forces Craft) that can be deployed during sailing speeds of up to 12 [kn]. These

have a maximum range of 200 [km] and are used as fast interceptors to counter for example small

pirate boats. The need for less and less active personnel on navy vessels requires more automation.

The PS has a high degree of automation, hence requiring only 50 active personnel.

The last presentation was about the differences between building ships for the Dutch navy and

building ships for the export. The difficulty with export is that there can be no design for every

proposal that is required. Furthermore the technical knowledge and language barriers are often

problems that need to be tackled. In order to do this, Damen applied the SIGMA methodology. SIGMA

stands for Ship integrated Geometric Modularity Approach. This methodology takes a proven design

and adds modularity and hence flexibility. SIGMA class ships can be built from 55 to 105 meters, by

adding compartments (hull sections) of 7.2 [m].

After these interesting presentations it was time for a quick (and nice) lunch. Then it was time to visit

the PS ‘Zeeland’ where we could see in practice the high degree of automation that was explained in

the presentation. Due to the Thales antenna the ship had to be wider, because of a negative impact in

stability. This also has a benefit for the crew, which has more space. Due to the low amount of active

personnel it is sometimes possible to eat real steaks. Finally, the helideck on the vessel gives a safe

harbor for a NH‐90 helicopter, which is together with the FRISCS the interceptor force.

The last part of the visit consisted of a visit to the production facilities. We were able to see the

modular concept of Damen shipyards in practice, as the

‘difficult’ modules were constructed at Vlissingen, and the

easier parts elsewhere. A Stan Patrol was almost finished,

which was also nice to see.

All in all we had a very nice visit at Damen Shipyards

Vlissingen, and we would like to thank Damen for the

interesting presentations and excursions.

Frank Jacobs


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Angelo Belgian Company (ABC Gent [BE])

After a good night sleep in the KABA hostel a new day was risen. The bus journey was very short but

in spite of this a good atmosphere was present which could be seen from Leon its “guitige” face. We

were hosted by two guides, one of them was the technical director and a pensioned employee. After

a nice coffee and for some of us something more hydrating, the technical director did a business

presentation and after that a thorough tour was given through the factory site.

The family owned company is making engines already for more than 100 years. The name was

thought up after that the Belgian family found British investors to start up. Unfortunately the Angelo

investors drew back but the name was already established on the business cards, so since then the

non‐Angelo business was still called Angelo Belgian Company. ABC aims to keep their engines as

simple as possible to achieve their demand for 150k hours lifetime. In contrary to for example MTU

which has also middle speed Diesels, which squeeze much more power out of a block but that results

in a lifetime of 10k, according to the technical director. This immediately indicates the focus of the

company, which is making very robust diesels. But don’t be fooled by this because parallel to this

innovation to the IMO3 legislation is currently continuing. Innovation like exhaust gas recirculation,

variable valve timing, Miller timing, two stage turbo charging, duel fuel and even triple fuel engines

are already used to empower the future…

Now it was time to see some astonishing

steel technical masterpieces. The tour

through the factory had covered everything

of the production of the engines. From the

part production machinery to the

assemblage, and from the painting room to

the test bench. On the test bench there was

currently an engine tested at full speed

making a sweet sound, the energy was

delivered to the grid making the burned fuel

useful for the people in Gent.

Since 1980 there was no full new engine designed, but now ABC is entered the market of bigger

engines for example seagoing cargo vessels. A fully new engine was designed from scratch, and ABC

was now starting up the production of the engine. This has a tremendous impact on the current

production plant of ABC, so a brand new factory site was built, a test bench is made and all kind of

specialized machines had to be installed. A simple example, for assembling the engine it has to be

turned around, with a total new size of engine a brand new engine turner was required. Together

with this new engine ABC want to increase its production from 120 engines to 300!

With this visit of ABC Diesel a good impression is given of a modern production facility of high quality

genuine diesel products, amazing!

Fabian Bakker


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Rolls Royce (Bristol [UK])

The company visit started with a small introduction by Bart van Den Bos who told us about his

personal experience as an employee at Rolls Royce. Unfortunately we have had some traffic leaving

us to arrive later as planned, this meant that the presentation had to be cut short.

The follow up presentation was presented by Roger Tooke who told us about the wide range of

products that Rolls Royce develops. After his broad presentation on Rolls Royce as a whole he went

into further detail on the naval branch. A large variety of naval vessels and their propulsion systems

where presented with particular interest on the gas turbines as main propulsors. Most of the gas

turbines produced by Rolls Royce end up on the wings of aero planes and as such, most ground and

naval gas turbines are derived from these aero engines. Rolls Royce has overcome the different

operating conditions by building their machines as separate modules. Thus an engine used on ship

applications is not a completely new design but rather an adapted design of the aero model.

The biggest change is the conversion of thrust (for aero engines) to shaft power (for land and naval).

This is accomplished by using extra turbine stages that are attached to a shaft from which power can

be utilized in mechanical applications. The particular engine that was shown had 4 extra turbine

stages on a power shaft in comparison to its aero equivalent.

After the presentation we were split into two groups where one was taken to the engine test bench

of a MT‐30 gas turbine and the other was taken to the production facility, after which both groups

would switch and visit the other location.

The test bench location was currently not in use, this allowed us to safely enter the room where the

gas turbine was located, in this case a MT‐30 with a nominal power rating of 40 MW. Its intake was in

the order of 3 meters in diameter and this was isolated from the rest of the gas turbine to prevent hot

air to enter the inlet. We also visited the control room where we got a brief explanation on the

control systems utilized in the MT‐30. Overall the test bench with its

turbine and control center where really impressive and a refreshing

touch from the Diesel engine facilities we have visited over the

years.

After the test bench we visited the production hall, a very clean and

organized facility. It was apparent that the production quality was

very high and that a lot of measures were taken to make sure it

keeps the high quality over its life time. The hall contained

production locations for multiple engine types, new and old. We

ended up in the back of the hall where an almost finished MT‐30

was located. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we got answers

to almost every question posed. It was nice to see the quality in

production for these type of machines, which run on very high

speeds with very small clearances.

When both groups finished their tours of the before mentioned locations, we once again regrouped

at the Rolls Royce Heritage Trust. Here we could see a large collection of retired engines that where

once produced by Rolls Royce ranging from the reciprocating Merlin engine from the spitfire to the


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gas turbine engine fitted to the harrier. Commercial engines were also on display with a scale model

of the Concorde engine being one of the most memorable.

After the extensive tours of the facilities we were treated to a tasty warm lunch, Indian curry and

Eaton mess for desert. All in all it was a very informative morning that we all really enjoyed. The level

of quality and attention to detail was one of the aspects that left a very memorable impression on

me.

Mike Loonstijn


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Cammell Laird Ship epairers & Shipbuilders Ltd (Liverpool [UK])

On July 11, 2014, the group of Vulcanus studytour visited Cammell Laird Shiprepairers & Shipbuilders

Ltd, a company located in the west bank of the Mersy River in Liverpool. The HR manager of Cammell

Laird Mr. Danny Hart welcomed the group at the Maritime Engineering College of the company.

Danny introduced a brief history of the company and the apprentice program that the company has

been running. The company tour was consisted of two parts: a presentation given by the project

manager Paul and an operating yard tour guided by Danny and engineer Jakov.

Paul gave the presentation about the British aircraft project (HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and HMS

PRINCE OF WALES) that the company had been doing since 2009. According to his presentation,

Commell Laird was awarded five modules of each aircraft. Each module weighs from about 600 tons

to over 900 tons. By installing one type of the largest overhead cranes for assembly in the

construction hall, up to 240t section can be lifted when two cranes are jointed. Those modules were

fabricated upside down, which made the fabrication work easier. By using a unique three points lifting

method, subsections can be easily turned upside down for assembly.

The yard tour covered all the docks. Among them, No.4 dock is the most ancient that can date back to

the American Civil War time. No.5 dock is used for emergency docking while others are larger and

used for normal docking use. The docking process can be very fast due to the proper facility the

company can provide. In the assembly hall, the group saw the modules built for HMS PRINCE OF

WALES. All pipes were fitted in the module so that it could be directly put into use when connected

with other modules. However, cables were remained to be fitted afterwards. There is also a basin

between the docks, which was described by Danny as the key facility of the company because it was

where various tests were done.

After a nice lunch and free discussion time, the Vulcanus board and the Royal Dutch Navy Academy

gave presents to the company for the well‐organized tour. Mr Danny Hart also expressed the

company’s willingness in communicating with the universities by organizing such similar study tours.

Hong Zhou


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Free afternoon in Liverpool

Thursday afternoon was the only scheduled leisure time of the VST.

After visiting Cammell Laird in the morning we were free to explore

Liverpool. Liverpool is mostly known for the Beatles, the football club

“Liverpool FC”, Everton and the port of registry of the RMS Titanic.

Despite the biting incident during the match... our Chinese students

went to their beloved football station, they must be real fans! Some

other students and I went on a quest for Abbey Road, the place

where world’s most famous picture of a zebra crossing was taken.

Unfortunately we discovered that this beautiful stretch of road is not

in Liverpool, but in London. Having removed this place from our wish

list, we have seen all Liverpool’s highlights: the Port of Liverpool

Building, Liverpool Catholic Cathedral, Sint George’s Hall and

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. Tired of walking we took a break and

had a nice drink in the sun at the Pumphouse, a British pub by the

river Mersey with a lovely view on Cammell Laird.

At night we had a grand dinner with de

members of Vulcanus, the last dinner

before departure to Hoek van Holland. It

was a pleasant evening with teachers,

professors and students. An informal

setting which is well suited to make new

contacts.

Vulcanus Board, thanks for this great week.

Leon Rietveld


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MST (Liverpool [UK])

MST (Marine Specialized Technology) is a small company located in a unit of an industrial estate in

Liverpool on the banks of the river (INSERT RIVER HERE.) They specialize in the design and

construction of small high speed multipurpose RIB’s (Rigid Inflatable Boats.) Since a small team of

experts left their previous employer to start MST they have steadily grown. After winning a tender for

the Royal Navy for the replacement and technical support of the FRISC (Fast Raiding Interception and

Special Forces Craft) they had the possibility to expand their production facilities.

After checking in at the facilities we received an introduction into the work of MST and their portfolio

of RIB’s for armed forces, coastguard and lifeguards. This was followed by a presentation from one of

MST’s project managers which emphasized on the core methods by which MST designs and builds

their vessels. MST is a small company that builds their own hulls and does the assembly but relies on

subcontractors for delivery of some components and structures. They firmly believe in high reliability

and quality to ensure maximum availability for their users. Reliability is achieved by means of

innovation and field experience. Quality is ensured by several ISO certifications which MST have

implemented from the very start of their production meaning every single one of their crafts is fully

documented.

The presentation was continued by 4 engineers from the design department each specializing in a

certain area of the build; mechanical systems, hull, electrical and ergonomics. Key innovations from

MST include an automotive style wiring loom using a CAN‐bus protocol resulting in a more simple and

robust electrical system, a modular house (PRECISE NAME UNKNOWN) in which all controls and

displays are mounted, an inflating self‐righting mechanism to right the craft after a roll. Currently

work is being done to design and build condition monitoring systems and to minimize shock load to

passengers.

After the presentations we enjoyed a cup of coffee or tea before splitting into 4 groups to have a

close up look of the actual hardware. At several

locations in the workshop and design office we

got a more detailed explanation of the crafts

technical details and design and construction

methods. Typically for the students and

teachers extra attention was being spent at the

propulsor types and engine which were

requested for each craft. MST’s customers are

very specific into their demands and wishes and

MST makes design changes and additions for

each order. When completed the vessels are

shipped across the world to serve for various institutions and roles.

After the tour we enjoyed a selection of luxury sandwiches and snacks, which in typical Dutch fashion

were either eaten at the site or taken into the bus to enjoy on route to Hull.

Ewout Slachter


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North Sea crossing (Hull [UK] Rotterdam [NL])

MS Pride of Hull is a Bahamas registered passenger and cargo roll‐on/roll‐off ship in service with P&O

North Sea Ferries on the Hull ‐ Rotterdam route (204 nautical miles/378km), which is delivered on 2nd

December 2001. She is 215.05 m long with a beam of 31.85 m and a draught of 6.04 m. She is

powered by four Wärtsilä 9L46C diesel engines which have a total power output of 37,800 kilowatts

which can propel her at 22 knots (41 km/h).

Vulcanus members had a brief visit of the center control room and engine room under the guide of

chief engineer and third engineer. All operating conditions (temperature, pressure etc.) can be

monitored in the center control room by an ABB monitoring system.

Hu Yeufeng and Zelan Lyu

Figure 1: Main Engine Figure 2: PTO

Figure 3: Monitoring System Figure 4: Chief Engineer


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Journey forth and back again

This year the Vulcanus study association set of on a journey together with students of the Royal

Institute of marine (KIM) to explore the world of marine engineering. The transport was sponsored by

the Royal Dutch Navy who provided a coach and two coach drivers for the whole trip. This was an

excellent form of transport which ensured a safe and companionable way of traveling.

Day 1: The beginning of an adventure

This was the starting day of the study tour. Everyone was

expected to gather on 09:30 hrs at the TU Delft site. Before the

coach arrived the students and staff of the TU‐Delft and KIM

became acquainted with each other.

When the coach arrived we all got on board for the drive to

Vlissingen where Damen Schelde Naval shipbuilding is situated.

From Vlissingen the journey went on to Gent in Belgium. This

drive led to the center of Gent where the group checked in to

the KaBa hostel for the first night of sleep. In the morning there

was a nice self‐made breakfast with a splendid self‐grinding

coffee maker! This was a real treat for the most.

Day 2: Almost get robbed in broad daylight

At 08:30 hrs the journey continued with a short drive to the excursion at the Anglo Belgium

Cooperation. After the excursion the group prepared for a long journey towards Bristol via the ferry

in Calais.

First we drove to Calais with one stop at a gas station to grab some lunch. Before we could enter the

ferry loading site, there was a small traffic jam. A strange thing was going on here, the side of the road

was literally loaded with people from some country of the African continent. Those people tried to

force their way into Lorries or other vehicles. The tried to smuggle themselves or stole from

unprotected vehicles but most of the time they were stopped by the customs. The hatches of our

coach were also tried but luckily they were all locked. So be aware if you ever plan to go on a ferry in

Calais.

Before we could enter the ferry there was a long wait but it was worth it. The crossing of the channel

by this ferry went very smooth and took about 90 minutes. In one of the restaurants on board the


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group enjoyed a dinner. Most of them took a nice plate with fish and chips to prepare for further

English gastronomic marvels.

Once arrived in Dover the coach took the group to Bristol where we checked in to the YHA hostel. This

was also a nice hostel the only downside was that the beds were not made for tall Dutch people. But

on the upside the hostel had a great breakfast where the majority of the group enjoyed its first typical

English breakfast of the journey.

Day 3: Just in time for football

At 8:30 hrs the coach started the drive to the small town of Gloucester where Rolls‐Royce is situated.

Not everything was going according to plan. The satnav had chosen a beautiful route through the

English countryside, the view was magnificent but the roads were very small as if they were built for

the size of an old mini car. You can imagine that the size of a full‐grown coach is a bit of a problem

there… so unintendedly we prevented the local community from going to their work. After some

intense precision driving from our coach drivers the group arrived 40 minutes late at the Rolls‐Royce

site.

This day the Dutch soccer team had a chance to qualify themselves for the semifinals of the world

cup. The idea was to watch the match in a sports bar in Liverpool. The match started at 21:00 hrs and

the excursion at Roll‐Roys ended at 13:30 hrs so plenty of time to get there you will think. But not in

this case…

Because of an accident on the highway towards Liverpool the coach stranded in a traffic jam. Due to

the closing of the highway we were forced to take an alternative route, again through the countrysite

and some small villages. In one of these villages named Knutsford we passed the local McLaren dealer

which was of some interest for some people. The opportunity to stop for a toilet break vanished with

time, this leaded to some hilarious moments in which students or staff tried to take a leak along the

roadside. Later on they had to catch up with the coach which had moved on in the meantime.

At 20:30 hrs the group arrived at the Everton hostel in Liverpool and everybody was anxious to see

the match in time. There was just half an hour left until kickoff and a twenty minute walk through the

center of town. After a way too long conversation with the hostel manager it was clear who stayed in

which room and finally everybody walked into Liverpool just in time to grab the first pint before the

kickoff.


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Day 4: Liverpool

Like the days before the couch left the hostel at 08:30 hrs and drove towards Cammell Laird

Shipyards. This was a small drive with nothing exiting about it. After the excursion everybody was

dropped at the Everton hostel and had the rest of the day off. This hostel was very basic and not

everybody was pleased with this hostel because it was a bit shabby and had a lousy breakfast. But for

the majority of the group the alcohol/blood ratio was at such a level that sleeping was not a problem

and a breakfast was too heavy on the stomach.

Day 5: The journey back again

this morning, like every other, the coach left at 08:30 hrs everybody had packed their stuff because

there was no coming back to the hostel anymore. The first stop was for an excursion at MST still in

Liverpool. After the excursion, the ride towards Hull started where the ferry towards Rotterdam left.

A few stops were made on the way and at one of them there was another coach loaded with

desperate house wives who tried to look attractive by wearing as minimal as possible and putty their

faces to the max. The taste of the majority of these English ladies was a bit slutty according to Dutch

standards but some of the guys didn’t mind and hooked up with them. In theory this should be the

only and one time that we would see these ladies but faith decided that they also took the same ferry

towards Rotterdam.

The ferry back was fantastic. The chief engineer was kind enough to show some of his domain which

included the control room and one of the engine compartments. Most of the people shared a cabin

for four persons which was close to the aft sundeck of the ferry. At 20:30 there was supper which

was enjoyed by everyone. Al the food was flushed by a couple pints of lager to prepare for a good

night’s out with the English ladies.

At 8:00 hrs there was breakfast and soon the ferry made port at Rotterdam.

From Rotterdam the coach drove the group back to Delft where this great adventure ended…

Jim Otjens


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