From a single houseboat to a fully loaded cargo ship. Robert van Hulst is at the helm himself, with four boats from small to large, across the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Services
No job is too small and little is too big. Tell us what has to happen and where it lies, and you will hear straight away whether it can be done and what it costs.
A tugboat with skipper, for a single move or a whole project. We collect your vessel, bring it where it needs to be and moor it up properly.
Pontoons, barges and floating plant we push to the work site steadily and under control. Also with a crane or building materials on board.
From a broken-down tender to a fully loaded cargo ship through the canal. Barge towing and small jobs alike, over inland water across the Netherlands.
Moving houseboats, floating homes and water villas to a new mooring or to the yard. Careful manoeuvring between jetties and bridges is daily work.
Got a boat of your own but no crew? Robert van Hulst will then skipper your vessel. Handy if you cannot make it yourself, or if you would rather leave busy water to someone else.
With a shallow draught we get to places where bigger tugs run aground. Small boats for narrow channels, ditches and moorings that are hard to reach.
Boat or ship gone under? Marine salvage is part of the work: we lift it, recover it and bring it to the bank. In an emergency we move fast — call straight away.
Does the hull below the waterline need checking or repairing? Vessels up to 40 tonnes we lift out at our site in Noordwijk.
The fleet
Every job gets the boat that suits it. That saves time, fuel and risk — and you do not pay for more boat than you need.
Our biggest boat. Tows and pushes cargo ships, pontoons and houseboats, and lies steady enough to keep going for hours. You know her by the blue hull and the red name board.
Compact and quickly on the spot, strong enough for houseboats and pontoons. Slips easily into the city, along tight quays and under low bridges.
Two smaller boats for narrow channels, shallow water and moorings that are barely reachable from the water. Often exactly what gets a job moving.
Work
Houseboats, pontoons with a mobile crane on them, prefab homes, saloon boats and cargo ships. A cross-section of the work.
Working area
The home harbour is in Warmond, on the Kagerplassen. From there we work the whole of the Dutch inland waterways — and on to Belgium and Germany where needed. Is your job off the route? Give us a call, there is usually more possible than you think.
Frequently asked questions
That depends on the distance, the sailing time, the dimensions of what has to be towed and whether there are bridges or locks on the way. Call or email what you want moved and from where to where — then you get a price with no obligation.
Nearly always. We regularly move houseboats, floating homes and water villas to a new mooring or to the yard. Let us know how big it is and where it lies, and we will look at the route, the bridges and the headroom.
For a move to another mooring, usually yes: permission from the council the houseboat is leaving and from the council it is going to, plus an exemption from the waterway authority. That takes weeks, so start in good time. If it only goes away for maintenance and comes back afterwards, less is often needed. Always check with your own council — the permit is in your name. I am glad to think along about the route and the planning.
Not automatically. Transport often falls outside an ordinary houseboat policy, and insurers usually want to know beforehand in writing. So call your insurer before you fix a date, and get the approval on paper.
When towing, the load hangs on a line behind the boat; that runs nicely on open water. When pushing, the barge is coupled firmly to the bow, and that gives much more control in a narrow channel, along a jetty or between the piles. Which it will be, I decide from the route and from what has to come along.
In an emergency we move as fast as we can. Call in that case rather than emailing, then you know straight away where you stand.
Yes. Two of our boats have a shallow draught and get to places where bigger tugs run aground: narrow channels, shallow ditches and moorings that are hard to reach.
You can. If you have a vessel of your own but no crew, Robert van Hulst sails as skipper on your boat. Handy for a move by water, a crossing or a survey at the yard.
Certainly. Pontoons with building materials or a mobile crane, floats, prefab homes and plant to a work site over water — that is a big part of the work.
Yes, up to 40 tonnes. At our site in Noordwijk we dry dock vessels, so the hull below the waterline can be checked, cleaned or repaired.
Across the whole of the Netherlands, and on request to Belgium and Germany as well. The home harbour is Warmond.
Contact
Calling works quickest. You get Robert himself on the line — no call centre, no form that sits somewhere unread.