Groynes repair in De Waal

From Gorinchem to the German border... Browema was allowed to assist in repairing groynes in De Waal. A job lasting more than three months. The landing vessel Sam came in handy to transport the crane that had to carry out the repair work to all groynes.

That meant creating stability with the spud poles, positioning the landing craft's valve as straight as possible on the groyne and driving the crane off. The stones for the repair work were already in place, so the crane could start work immediately. After the work was completed, the crane was driven back on board, the flap and spud poles were raised and on to the next groyne!

Groynes are stone 'sleepers' in the river that control the flow of water, thus keeping the river and the bank in place. This makes the river navigable for shipping even at low tide.

When work started, the most urgent items from the multi-year maintenance programme were carried out first, along the entire stretch from Gorinchem to the German border. As the water levels remained good for a long time in the autumn and the fog was also not too bad, the less critical parts could then be tackled on the way back.