The story of our barge

Before we took over the Robbedoes and changed it into a houseboat it served as a freighter. Below you can read the story of our barge.

1960-2002 Spes et Cura – 1st owner Honkoop –

Home port Sliksloot Krimpen a/d IJssel

Jan Pieter Honkoop ordered Shipyard Joh. v Duyvendijk in Krimpen a/d IJssel to build a steel motor vessel and completed the construction in 1960.

Length 43m - Width 6,60 m - Draught 2,40 m - Tonnage 529

The barge was named Spes et Cura (it means Hope and Care, named after the barge of Jan Pieter’s father). Together with his wife and a couple of their kids Jan Pieter Honkoop sailed this barge for three years. In 1961, the Spes et Cura sailed to Texel a couple of times when the new ferry port was constructed over there.

 
 

Son Arie Honkoop marries Gre in 1963 and takes over the Spes et Cura from his father. They mainly transport sand and gravel with their barge and sailed to various destinations, such as Diemen, Delft, The Hague and Amersfoort. Their two daughters were also born and raised on the Spes et Cura. In 1984/1985 Arie decided to extend the barge by 12m, by the shipyard that originally built their barge. One of their daughters married on this barge just before it was sold.

2003-2009 La Guarda – 2nd owner Boere Hoogmoed –  

Home port Maas-Waalkanaal Nijmegen

In December 2002 Daniël Boere and his parents purchased the barge from Honkoop. They changed its name into La Guarda. First of all, a car crane and autopilot were installed and the steering was renovated. Until the end of 2006 they sailed with sand, gravel, split and granite for Cotrano. From the Maas (Limburg) and Amsterdam to many places throughout the Netherlands.

Later on they started sailing on the free market. Their first assignment was to transport concrete parts from Hardenberg to Rotterdam and then coal from Rotterdam to Givet. Later on they transported construction materials to many places through the Netherlands and Belgium. From May 2007 they focused on dry bulk cargoes, mainly feed from the seaports in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Ghent and Spyck to many destinations in the Netherlands and Belgium. In April 2009 they sold La Guardia after seven years.


2009 – 2015 Senang – 3rd owner Van Wijgerden – 

Home port Lekkanaal Nieuwegein

The Senang, owned by Ad and Griedy van Wijgerden, transported feed for six years. If they were not sailing, their barge was lying near the Prinses Beatrixsluis in the Lek channel along the Schipperspad in Nieuwegein. In 2015 we bought this barge from them. Before Wim acquired the necessary qualifications skipper Ad sailed the barge for us from yard to yard.

Renaming

As we had absolutely no click with the last name of our barge, the Senang, we wanted to find a new suitable name. Finally we came up with Robbedoes, a name that refers to our last name Robbertsen. In addition, Robbedoes is the name of a nice comic hero who experiences all kinds of adventures.


On 16th November 2016 (one year after having signed the purchase contract) I surprised Wim by inviting the three former skippers/owners (with children and grandchildren) to join the renaming of our barge in Amersfoort. Together with Arie Honkoop, the first owner, Wim officially renamed it with a bottle of Champaign.