Dutch Houseflags of Shipping Companies [b]

Last modified: 2010-01-30 by jarig bakker
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• Baars shipyard
• Beck's Scheepvaartkantoor
• Berghuys
• Binnenlloyd
• De Boer Baggerbedrijf
• Bolsman
• BPM
• Scheepswerf de Breedendam
• den Breejen
• Brinkman
• Broekhoven, Zeist, Broekhoven blues
• Gebr. Broere, Dordrecht
• Bruinsma Freriks Transport
• Brijder Harlingen
• Bijma, Zuidbroek

• Bestevaer
• W. de Beijer
• Bodewes, Millingen
• BosKalis
• Broedertrouw

• The Netherlands
• The Netherlands - Index of all pages
• Houseflags of Dutch Shipping Companies
• Houseflags of Shipping Companies

Baars shipyard

Baars BV at Sliedrecht was a  Dutch shipyard on the Nieuwe Merwede River to the SE of Rotterdam. Website, English version: Founded in 1920 by Arie Baars, the shipyard specialized in barges many of which served the dredging industry: Baars Charter, formerly named ‘A.Baars Exploitatie van Baggermaterieel BV’ (i.e. A.Baars Exploitation of Dredging Equipment) was established to help market these vessels (1925).
1996 however saw the end of shipbuilding when the owners decided to concentrate on leasing and selling whereas Baars Confloat BV was founded to exploit coupling pontoons and other equipment. More on them is found via left menu.

Original image was found in a Marktplaats (Dutch auction site) offer: no. 176391071 by “skipvlag” of Maastricht, accessed 19 Jun 2008, dimensions given as 0.45 [cm] x 0.70 [cm]: White, bearing the logo next to the hoist accompanied by dark blue company name “baars” (lower case letters, no serifs) above light blue place name “SLIEDRECHT” (left aligned, smaller and shorter but upper case, no serifs either).
This logo is a highly stylized anchor, placed diagonally, stock at upper left - relief is suggested by dark blue and light blue design elements. It looms large on this Confloat page (in Dutch – the “flags” on the pontoon at end of page are really panels).
No rectangular flag spotted yet. Above company must not be confused with Baars Engineering, also at Sliedrecht.
Jan Mertens, 8 Jun 2009

Beck's Scheepvaartkantoor

Beck's Scheepvaartkantoor B.V., Groningen - blue flag, white italic "B".
(Scheepvaartkantoor = Shipping Office).
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995.
Jarig Bakker, 21 Dec 2005

Berghuys

W.H. Berghuys, Amsterdam - white flag; top and bottom narrow red stripe, bordered black; on white interconnected black "WHB".
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26].
Jarig Bakker, 17 Jan 2005

Binnenlloyd

Situated at Maastricht, on the River Maas, Binnenlloyd is a Dutch firm – part of the Peterson (logistics) Group -  specialized in transporting and stocking granular bulk goods such as gypsum, chalk, and cement.  Founded in 1985, the company takes care of the entire transportation chain including paperwork and freighting.
Homepage, followed by that of the ‘Vloot’ (i.e. fleet) section: Fourteen vessels between 500 and 1300 metric tonnes are operated; freights (bulk goods in powder form) are delivered pneumatically or via an ingenious technique called fluidisation (using compressed air). Closed transport reduces dust and is, of course, not subject to bad weather conditions.
Shown on the site, the company logo is a solid blue initial ‘B’ containing an italic, stylized initial ‘L’ in white, recalling the firm’s name (meaning, by the way, “inland lloyd”).
The ‘Vloot’ section shows a specialized vessel – the mage is clickable – flying a blue flag having the logo on a white disk in the centre and the company name (running counter) in white letters near the lower edge of the flag.
Direct link: This house flag is not an imaginary one as evidenced by the current issue of the on-line ‘Binnenvaartkrant’ No. 14 of 2007 (dated 31 July).  See p. 18 of
this pdf file: showing the vessel ‘Orient’ flying just such a flag (this is in fact the newest, fifteenth ship).
That is not all – halfway the following page, recounting the refitting of the ‘Mirage’, a Binnenlloyd pennant is shown (photo no. 35): Blue pennant, logo in white disk, no company name.
Jan Mertens, 3 Jul 2007

De Boer Baggerbedrijf

One of many Dutch dredging companies, Baggerbedrijf (“dredging company”) De Boer is situated at Sliedrecht on the Beneden Merwede River which, if followed downstream, will lead you to Rotterdam.  Founded “some 40 years ago”, the firm was mainly active on the Dutch market for many years but kept growing leading to the adoption of the name ‘Dutch Dredging’ for use internationally.   All this and more on the company site.

De Boer operates an impressive variety of vessels and machinery the names of which are too nice not to quote: “cutter suction dredgers, bucket dredgers, spud leg pontoons with grabs, barges, ploughing and survey vessels etc.”

Projects of all kinds are carried out in a number of countries ranging from home to Austria, Morocco, and Ireland (see the ‘Projects’ section for details, descriptions, and photos).

The house flag – one more in the national colours – is red with a white diamond (really a square resting on one point) bearing a blue figure standing for ‘B’.  (I do not know what this figure is, really.  Could be part of a scoop or some other dredging utensil.)  As the diamond is square and put on a rectangular field, it fills up the centre; its upper and lower corners almost touch the flag’s horizontal edges.
Jan Mertens, 23 Jun 2006

Bolsman

A great source, Marktplaats (Dutch auction site) currently offers the house flag of Dutch freighting company Bolsman of Rotterdam – just type “bolsman” in the search box: This is offer no. 218972646 put up by “skipflag” of Maastricht, adding dimensions:  0.67 m x 0.97 m. Simple in design, the house flag is divided by a descending diagonal: white in the hoist and green in the fly recall the colours of Rotterdam.  Over all, in black letters without serifs, is written the company name “BOLSMAN” (large) and seat of operations “ROTTERDAM” (smaller, left aligned).
The Scheepvaartforum (i.e. Shipping Forum) site shows the flag in action (6 Dec 2008 message showing barge ‘Corma’ - half way down page).
The complete company name is ‘J.P.H. Bolsman Bevrachtingskantoor BV’ whereas a holding company also named after Bolsman is located at the same address.   From comments found here and there on the ‘net I gather that sand is a very important commodity for their business. (and *not* jenever).
Jan Mertens, 12 Jan 2009

BPM

Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij (Batavian Petrol Co), The Hague - vertical triband VWV, on white black "B".
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26]
Jarig Bakker, 28 January 2005

Scheepswerf de Breedendam

This Dutch shipyard, situated at Loosdrecht (a lakeside village near Hilversum, to the SW of Amsterdam) is specialized in building motor boats of various kinds.  Company homepage: Check out ‘Sloepen’ (litt. “sloops”) to have an idea of what is on offer, not only boats (including custom-built ones) but also winter storage.
According to the site, Everhard van Burkom founded the firm in 1976, turning his hobby into a profession.
The ‘Ontwerper & bouwer’ (i.e. designer and builder) section shows how a hull-in-progress looks like: wooden-built or polyester-built with wooden finishing but in any case with carefully installed diesel motor.
The website prominently features a red swallowtail bearing a white diamond with a black initial ‘B’.

However the various ‘Sloepen’ fly a small rectangular flag on the bow and moreover there is a black border around the diamond.
A large flag on the first photo of ‘Evenementen’ (i.e. events: boat show in Monaco) shows a large flag with a black-bordered diamond, but the swallow-tail cutout is not visible.

Conclusion: the swallowtail is used as a logo, possibly also as a flag, and the rectangular one certainly is.  The diamond border is really used… which seems to stamp it a flagoid (too short and with a diamond rather too small).
Jan Mertens, 29 Oct 2006

den Breejen

Jan Mertens reported this link. Den Breejen, Zierikzee - red flag, white 4-pointed star, blue "B".
This company specializes in showing tourists the "Deltawerken", while you're eating an unlimited amount of (no, not mussels) pancakes!
Jarig Bakker, 8 Mar 2005

The flag belongs to the den Breejen family and was designed early 1970's by the youngest brother Leo den Breejen. The family den Breejen has 6 small ships (format Spits, 39,5 x 5.05 meters) with on every ship an member of the den Breejen family. Most of the family members stopped their activities or changed it. The oldest brother Teun started in 1981 a day passenger ship company in Zierikzee. In 1986 it expanded with an second ship Christiaan B. In 1989 the oldest (smallest) ship was sold and an new build ship Stad Zierikzee has taken over the trips in the Southwestern Netherlands. In 1995 this ship was sold due to problems with the environment in the Oosterschelde to Family Paulsen, owners of the Adler Company in Sylt (Denmark) for making trips between (Formerly easten) Germany and Poland. The name of the ship is now "Adler Prinses".

The other boat,  Christiaan B, is making trips around the Stormvloedkering in the Oosterschelde. From 2001 till 2005 the trips were combined with unlimited pancake eating. Unfortunality due to several reasons I have sold the boat to Deltapark Neeltje Jans and that should be the end of the typical den Breejen flag.  But...

From December 2007 I started a Maritime Technical company specialized in marine elektronics under my own name den Breejen and as flag I was allowed to use the family flag so it started a new life. The full name is Maritiem Technisch Bureau den Breejen (MTBB), in Zierikzee, Holland.

The flag presented on the website is not an good copy of the den Breejen flag. Enclosed is a picture of the flag theat we are using.
Ton den Breejen, 2 Mar 2008

New image based on Mr. den Breejen's picture: red flag, white star reaching all edges, blue "B".
Jarig Bakker, 2 Mar 2008

Brinkman

Jan Mertens reported this link with mainly Dutch houseflags. Brinkman - square blue flag; intertwined yellow "UB".
Jarig Bakker, 3 Mar 2005

Broekhoven, Zeist

Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95].
Broekhoven B.V., Zeist - white flag, the firm's logo in center.
(The book has "Ziest", which I assume is a printing error. This seems to be a dredging firm working in third-world countries.)
Jarig Bakker, 3 Sep 2005

Broekhoven blues

Gebr. Broere, Dordrecht

Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95].
Gebr. Broere B.V., Dordrecht - horizontal RWR, blue diamond, white "GB".
Jarig Bakker, 23 Sep 2005

Bruinsma Freriks Transport

Bruinsma Freriks Transport or BFT is a Dutch inland shipping company established at Zwijndrecht on the Oude Maas River, opposite Dordrecht.
Homepage (in English), showing the house flag as a drawing: We learn that the firm was founded in 2000 and transports mineral oils in the Antwerp-Rotterdam-Amsterdam area an on the Rhine; freighting and logistic projects are related activities.  Ten barges are listed on the site.

The house flag is a rather dark green bearing a large burgundy-rimmed white oval containing burgundy initials ‘BFT’, italic (which font?). Link to picture showing
that flag in action (the third one on the Binnenvaart site, with flag drawing).
I should explain that Bamalite is a customer of BFT’s.
Jan Mertens, 27 May 2007

Brijder Harlingen

Found in the link list of Water-Land Bevrachtingen, a Dutch firm called Brijder Harlingen BV and house flag: Yellow with small blue horizontal edges, a black initial ‘B’ surrounded by a  blue ring (shifted to the hoist or meant to be in the centre?).  As Jarig has pointed out, this is really a variant of the municipal flag of Harlingen, a town on the Frisian coast.
Brijder Harlingen does not have an (active) web presence yet but is found to be dealing in (and dredging for) sand and gravel bearing, I gather, the full name of ‘B.V. Exploitatie Maatschappij G.J. Brijder’.

There are traces of barge ownership on the ‘net and the firm briefly owned a tug named ‘Sneekermeer’.  Furthermore there seems to have existed a prior firm called Feenstra & Brijder.
Jan Mertens, 27 May 2007

Bijma, Zuidbroek

Three related Bijma companies are established at Zuidbroek, a village between the town of Groningen, Netherlands, and the border with Germany.
They are: Internationale Sleepdienst v.h. F.Bijma (i.e. Internatonial Tugservice formerly F.Bijma),  Bijma BV Internationale Transporten over water (i.e. Bijma International Waterborne Transportation Co.) and Scheepsbevrachtingskantoor Bijma (Bijma Shipping and Freighting Office).

Their names describe their activities well, of course.  Here is the common webpage.

The Bijma tugs’ geographical range concerns inland as wel as coastal traffic in Dutch and German waters (specifically, the Wadden area) whereas the heavy traffic division operates, and rents, pontoons.  In all, Bijma now has four tugs and four pontoons.

Starting out with a veteran steam tug in 1938, Bijma profited from the expanding shipbuilding business beginning in the ‘fifties.  Nowadays vessels or at least the hulls are mostly made abroad – where salaries are lower – but tugging and transport are still going strong.  In addition, there is the freighting activity.

The house flag, shown as an animated gif on the website, can been seen on some photos (‘Foto Galerij’) but a clearer picture is here.

On a yellow field is placed a funnel, slanting away from the hoist; this funnel is also yellow and bears a stylized initial ‘B’ (serifed) between two blue horizontal edges.  The funnel shape is rendered visible by blue holding lines.

More Bijma tug photos on this page (top) i.e. the brand-new 'Gruno IV'.
Jan Mertens, 3 May 2006