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The Haas Bros.Inc.

Rotterdam 1952-1973

On the 17th of October 1952 N.V. Gebr. de Haas Tankvaartbedrijf was founded at Bergen op Zoom, in the Nethetlands.

In the first years they were only active on the inland waters with a steadily growing inland tankerfleet. In the late fifties the company moves to Rotterdam. In that same era the first seagoing coastal tanker Mare Novum is put into service, although it is owned, by the Yard Noord Nederlandse Scheepswerven at Groningen. Gebr. de Haas is broker and participates in the vessel.

In 1961 the first newly build, fully owned by de Haas, is put into service a 1000 tons dwt dry cargo coaster, called Mare Altum. A few months later in 1962 Gebr. de Haas takes over the partly owned Mare Novum from the Shipyard, that same year the newly build m.t Mare Magnum is put into service. Things are going well and in 1963 the m.v. Mare Bonum (ex Annie-F) again a dry cargo coaster, is joining the fleet. Plans are made for a serie of new tankers. The dry cargo coaster Mare Altum is chartered for quit a while by the Dutch Goverment  during the New Guinee Crisis in 1962, to do her duty on the New Guinee coast.

The fleet is again growing in 1964 and 1965 when resp. the Mare Liberum, Mare Iratum and Mare Silentum are delivered by Noord Nederlandse Scheepswerven.

Gebr. de Haas will specialize in the chem. tanker business, the Mare Altum and Mare Bonum are sold in resp. 1965 and 1969. The two first generation tankers Mare Novum and Mare Magnum are sold in 1966.

In 1966 the Gebr. de Haas with her residence at the Oude Hoofdplein 4A Rotterdam was runned by the following persons:

Pres. Com: P. Koch, Pres. Dir. G.J. de Haas, Techn. Dir. A.B. de Haas. Admin. Dir W.N.C. de Haas. Dir Operations J. de Haas. T.D. J. v.d. Munnik.

W.K.F. Meyer was leading the freight dep.

Sub companies: R.B.S.M.  Glashaven  Rotterdam

Underwatercleaning Holland bv.  Oude Hoofdplein Rotterdam.

The fleet at that time consisted of 6 seagoing tankers with a total of 2994 grt and 30 inland tankers with a total dwt of 20.300 m. tons.

After selling the three mentioned ships, the company decides to modify the three remaining ships. After modifications, lenhtening and deepening their dwt increased  60 % to 1600 dwt each. In 1970 the Mare Altum (2), ex Rollo, is bought from Swedish Owners

In 1973 the Haas Brothers sold the company to Nedlloyd inlusive the inland tankerfleet. Untill 1977 the companies name however did not change, that year the star vanished from bow and funnel and the companies name was changed in Nedlloyd Bulkchem. 1977 Also brought three new vessels into operation, the three were built in Norway and had a dwt of 3170 m. tons. The names Mare Novum, Magnum and Bonum, fitted with a 2 stroke SW 4cil Smit Bolnes 2500 hp, speed 13kn.

To get a better market position Pan Ocean and Nedlloyd Bulkchem formed a pool, consisting of 7 tankers from both companies.

In the eighties freights were on a very low level, Panocean stops there shipping activities and Nedlloyd decides to sell the four oldest vessels, however they take over two Pan Ocean ships the Pass of Drumochter and Pass of Dirriemore as resp. Mare Iratum and Mare Altum.

The old Altum, Iratum, Liberum and Silentum are already sold by then.

In the ninties the coastal tankertrade was not interesting enough anymore for the Mother Company and Nedlloyd sells the remaining ships to Reederei Rickmers GMBH-St Johns.

For the Crew little changed, untill Rickmers sold the ships, which was the end for the Dutch Crews.

 With thanks to: Huug Pieterse

 For additional information please contact Huug