N.V. Bureau Wijsmuller, IJmuiden

"Help" 

During the latter part of 1960 Wijsmuller has augmented its fleet by purchasing the wreck dispersal and salvage vessel "Help" 751 tons gross. In acquiring the "Help" - one of a small series of wreck-dispersal-and-salvage-vessels originally designed by and built to the order of the British Admiralty - the Netherlands have joined the small number of countries having similair vessels available for salvage.
The "Help" was built in 1943 by Smith's Dock Corporation at Middleborough, U.K., for the British Admiralty and was launched during December of that year. The vessel is of the so-called "Kin"-class and had a displacement of 950 tons standard (fully loaded 1050 tons). The dimensions were length o.a. 179.2 ft., length b.p.p. 150 ft.,breadth 35.6 ft. and depth 16 ft. The propulsion installation consisted of two oil burned Scottish boilers with an 3 cyl. triple expansion machinery of 1000 IHP. coupled to a single shaft propeller.
The "Help" was equipped with horns and havey rollers and could lift 250 tons over the bow. There were two winches on the upper deck. The vessel also had sheerlegs with a lifting capacity of 50 tons on the main hook, and had a lift of 50 ft. above the waterline and a range of 35 ft. free of the bow of the "Help". She had one mast with a 10 tons steel derrick and is fully equipped with everything necessary for the salvage of stranded or sunken vessel. In addition "Help" has very heavy stream anchors for refloating stranded ships, steam and motor salvage pumps and air compressors to lift sunken ships. The standard equipment consists of underwater-cutting apparatus, fire extinguishing apparatus and several diving and frogmen suits and equipment. Ten divers can be in action under water at the same time. Fitters, carpenters and welders are also catered for on board the vessel, a carpenter's workshop and fitter's shop being installed below the maindeck. The "Help" is a salvage vessel in every sense of the word. In addition to the above she has two towing winches aft and full complement of heavy towing wires which can be used for carrying out of sets of stream anchors or for the actual towage of disabled vessels.