Buyskes in service with the Latvian Navy as Varonis
Class overview
NameBuyskes class
BuildersBoele's Scheepswerven en Machinefabriek, Bolnes
Operators
Preceded bySnellius class
Succeeded bySnellius class
Built1972–1973
In commission1973-present
Planned2
Completed2
Active1
Scrapped1
General characteristics [1]
TypeHydrographic survey vessel
Displacement967 t (952 long tons)
Length60 m (196 ft 10 in)
Beam11.1 m (36 ft 5 in)
Draft3.7 metres (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion
Speed13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph)
Crew43

The Buyskes class was a class of two hydrographic survey vessels that were part of the Dutch Hydrographic Service of the Royal Netherlands Navy.[2] Together with HNLMS Tydeman the ships of this class were the main ships of the Dutch Hydrographic Service during the last quarter of the 20th century.[3] While the ships of the Buyskes class were built for performing hydrographic research, the Tydeman was focused on oceanography.[4]

Design and construction

Both ships were built at Boele's Scheepwerven en Machinefabriek B.V. in Bolnes and replaced the hydrographic survey vessels of the Snellius class.[1][5] They were equipped with the automated "Hydraut" system that allowed them to perform hydrographic measuring.[6][5] The data this system gathered was used to make detailed maps.[5][7] However, in comparison to Tydeman the Buyskes-class ships were deemed less modern.[8]

The Buyskes undertook her sea trials in January 1973, while the Blommendal did her sea trials in April 1973.[9] In the same year both ships were taken into service of the Royal Netherlands Navy.[3]

Service history

The ships were active in the North Sea.[10][11]

Blommendal was decommissioned on 15 December 1999.[12] She was followed by Buyskes four years later on 11 December 2003.[13]

Blommendal was sold to a maritime foundation, Het Maritiem Kwartier, as a tool to keep the history of older vessels alive and educate people about them.[14] She remained laid up near the NDSM yard in Amsterdam until 2016 when she was scrapped in Haarlem.[12]

In 2004 Buyskes was sold to the Latvian Navy and renamed Varonis.[15]

Ships in class

Buyskes-class construction data[1]
Ship Pennant
number 		Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned Fate
Buyskes A904 31 January 1972 11 July 1972 9 March 1973 11 December 2003 Sold to Latvia in 2004[13][15]
Blommendal A905 1 August 1972 21 November 1972 22 May 1973 15 December 1999 Scrapped in 2016[12]

Notes

Citations

  1. ^ a b c van Amstel, pp. 91-92.
  2. ^ van Amstel, p. 87.
  3. ^ a b Raven, p. 190.
  4. ^ "Tydeman gaat oceaanbodem onderzoeken". Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). 13 January 1977.
  5. ^ a b c Woudstra, p. 162.
  6. ^ "Veel bezoek Scheepvaartdag Delfzijl". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 12 November 1979.
  7. ^ Raven, p. 141.
  8. ^ "„Marine kan meehelpen bij ontwikkelingssamenwerking"". Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). 11 June 1979.
  9. ^ "Te veel water bij stapelloop". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 22 November 1972.
  10. ^ "Van achterkant maan weten we meer dan eigen zeebodem". Het Vrije Volk (in Dutch). 17 July 1974.
  11. ^ Arlette Dwarkasing (26 May 1994). "Als de korporaal zakt, staat hij op straat". Trouw (in Dutch).
  12. ^ a b c "Blommendal" (in Dutch). Scheepvaarthoek. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Dutch survey vessel Hr. Ms. Buyskes (A 904) 1972-2004 and Latvian law enforce vessel Varonis (A90) 2004-". Warships Research. 24 September 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Drijvende objecten" (in Dutch). Zaans Industrieel Erfgoed. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  15. ^ a b "A-90 "Varonis"" (in Latvian).

References


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