Van Ommeren Shipping
Van Ommeren Shipping BV was a wholly-owned daughter of the Dutch Royal Van Ommeren (now Vopak) in Rotterdam (Netherlands). As from 1996 Vopak gradually sold all non-tankstorage related business units and sea-going vessels. In 2003 the remaining dry-cargo business unit in Rotterdam, including the four remaing bulkcarriers, was sold to to the Danish Clipper Group. The commercial activities continued as Van Ommeren Clipper Shipping (VOC) LLC in Stamford, CT,USA. Some vessels were renamed with VOC preceding their name. In 2006 the VOC business unit was renamed Clipper Bulk (USA) LLC. See the Clipper Group Fleet OverviewThis website contains a summary of the seagoing vessels which were owned, on bare-boat charter, managed or otherwise related to Van Ommeren Shipping BV and her predecessors since 1891; the so-called 'drecht' ships, named after Dutch and Flemish cities, towns and villages with names ending on 'drecht'.
Apart from demolishing or otherwise becoming unusable, a vessels is considered being a "Van Ommeren" vessel untill the sale to third parties ending all Van Ommeren' operational and commercial interests. The Ship Names menu links to information and some pictures of each vessel that sailed or is mentioned under the applicable name.
The names: Deltadrecht (2), Dordrecht (7), Duivendrecht (5) , Katendrecht (2) en Zwijndrecht (4) have only been used for administrative purposes within the Van Ommeren organisation. The respective vessels never sailed with the mentioned names.
The names: Deltadrecht (2), Dordrecht (7), Duivendrecht (5) , Katendrecht (2) en Zwijndrecht (4) have only been used for administrative purposes within the Van Ommeren organisation. The respective vessels never sailed with the mentioned names.
The Photo Gallery contains all available pictures and other documentation of the vessels which sailed or are mentioned under the applicable ship name.
Former Van Ommeren vessels which are still active are mentioned under their present name in the menu 'Still in Service'.
Resources for pictures, documentation and other information on this site:
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Various VO-magazines.
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Private collection R.D.H.Bebelaar, Alkmaar
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Private collection R.van Leeuwen, Echteld.
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Stegro CD-Rom: Phs.van Ommeren tot Koninklijke Van Ommeren 1891 - 2000.
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Stegro-Reeks nr.9 Phs. van Ommeren NV.
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Various private websites and forums on shipping matters.
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Various Company site of Shipping Companies worlwide.
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Anniversary booklets Phs.van Ommeren NV.
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'Nederlandse koopvaardijschepen in beeld', Wilde Vaart, Dick Gorter.
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'Nederlandse koopvaardijschepen in beeld', VNS, Dick Gorter.
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'Vaart Arne Zuidhoek.
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'Vrachtschepen van de Wilde Vaart', Arne Zuidhoek.
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Reviews Paris MOU, Tokyo MOU, US Coast Guard etc.
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'Blauwe Wimpel' magazines since 1962.
Furthermore various remarks, pictures and other (copies of) documents which have been (and still are) send by former VO employees.
Short history review
On May 21, 1839 mr. Philippus van Ommeren established a shipbroker and shipping office at the Bierhaven in Rotterdam. On July 8th 1839 the office was appointed agent for a regular liner service between Rotterdam and London, which was maintained by four British sailing vessels of about 130 Ton each. In 1847 the sailing vessels were replaced by a steamship.
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Bierhaven anno 1840 Office building Wijnhaven (1855 - 1889)
Bierhaven anno 1840 Office building Wijnhaven (1855 - 1889)
In 1855 Phs. van Ommeren became shareholder/manager of the 241 ton seagoing sailing vessel Minerva Untill 1867 another 6 sailing vessels were added to the fleet. With the sale of the last sailing vessel the shipmanagement activity was terminated in 1873.
Brik Adriana Johanna (same as Minerva)
Office building Willemsplein (1889 - 1899) Office building Westerlaan (1899 - 1961)
In 1889 Phs. van Ommeren established a Shipping Company (NV Stoomvaart Maatschappij 'De Maas') to participate in the transportation of forest products from the Baltic to Western Europe. The first vessel, the steamship Dordrecht, was delivered by the Wood, Skinner & Co Yard in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, in September 1891. The vessel was named after the city Dordrecht, being the homeport of the principal forest products importer (Van der Silk).
In 1894 Phs. van Ommeren ordered a second vessel at the same yard in Newcastle-on-Tyne, which was named Sliedrecht and was delivered in 1895.
In 1899 ordered two new vessels at a Dutch Yard, to be named Katendrecht and Dordrecht. The first Dordrecht was sold.
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In 1907 the first sea-going tanker, the 1882 build steamship Turquoise, was bought and renamed Zwijndrecht. She was employed in the molasses trade between Cuba and England. In 1912 the 4.600 ton tanker Mijdrecht was delivered from the RDM yard in Rotterdam.
The 1891 build Dordrecht was the first of 89 different sea-going vessels, sailing under a drecht-name. Including the five Van Ommeren vessels that never carried such a name, the division in type of ships over 113 years was as follows:
| 27 | Tankers |
| 37 | Tweendeckers |
| 12 | Bulkcarriers |
| 7 | Bulkcarriers (geared) |
| 8 | Container/Bulkcarriers |
| 3 | Containercarriers |
In 2004 the 'Drecht' vessel era ended with the sale of Papendrecht (4) and Pendrecht (5)
Office Building Westerlaan 10, Rotterdam, Netherlands 1961 - 2003
