The ship’s CO2 firefighting system is a very important safety system and it has to be checked thoroughly every year to make sure it is ready for use in case of a fire in the engine spaces.

This service has been performed on all HAL vessels by one man, Joop Peitsman. Working for subcontractor Ajax, Joop has been doing these inspections for years on an enormous amount of Dutch vessels and the last 15 years or so on HAL vessels. This was his last trip on the Zuiderdam before his retirement, so we dressed Joop up and took him out to see the rest of the ship.

In the picture are from left to right; Chief Officer Nick Sunderland, Joop Peitsman, Joop’s replacement, Menno de Poel, and myself holding the CO2 fire extinguisher.

Best Regards,

Captain Werner Timmers
Master ms Zuiderdam