Fortuna

The Groen company from Scheveningen has decommissioned and sold the 'Fortuna' for further use as a houseboat with a mooring in Slikkerveer. The vessel was built in 1954 as 'Geestroom' by the Shipyard A. Apol in Wirdum, Groningen, for the company Waling van Geest & Zonen in 's-Gravenzande. The ship transported fruit and vegetables from Maassluis to England, and livestock was carried as return cargo. On Aug 28, 1961, she was ballasting en route to Boston, England, when she was struck amidships on the Nieuwe Waterweg between Maassluis and Hoek van Holland by the incoming Norwegian tanker 'Juranda' and sank. All 11 crew members were rescued. On Sep 4, the wreck was raised by a crane by the Van den Tak salvage company and repaired at the De Groot en Van Vliet shipyard in Slikkerveer.. In 1971, the transport of vegetables, fruit, and livestock came to an end. amd the ship changed owners twice. The last one changed its name to 'Fortuna'. In 1972, she was converted for recreational fishing and came under the management of Groen. The FORTUNA also served as a passenger ship, making trips in the early 1970s to the pirate radio ships Radio Veronica and Radio Noordzee, which were moored off the coast of Scheveningen. In 1998, the ship was chartered and served as a tender for goods and passengers on the east coast of Scotland, but was mainly deployed as an offshore support vessel. One of her last assignments involved serving as a guard vessel at the K13-A platform in the Dutch North Sea. The offshore work has now come to an end, andvessel left her home port of Scheveningen for the last time on July 10, 2025.

On Jan 21, 2012, at 10 p.m. the KNRM Stations Egmont and Ijumiden were alarmed after the "Fortuna" which was serving as a guard ship for the Amalia Offshore Windfarm off the coast of Egmond had suffered engine failure. From IJmuiden, the lifeboat "Koos van Messel" and from Egmond the "Adrian Henri" proceeded responding to an alert of theCoastguard Centre Den Helder On scene was a west-north-west gale with nine bf. When the lifeboats were halfway, they got the message that the "Fortuna" had been able to restore power, and the boats returned to their stations.