Erhardt is back to being a shipowner

"Down through the years, ERHARDT has operated as a shipping company through three companies: Naviera Eco, Tráficos Navieros and Off-Shore-España. Which is, simply, a short summary of its history".

These are the opening words of the chapter of our book to mark our 125th anniversary, entitled "Erhardt Naviera: the Sea, our Passion", on the company’s shipowning tradition.

Well, fifty odd years later, the company has returned to its shipowning roots with ERZOFF, the company providing offshore supply services in the Bay of Biscay, where it serves La Gaviota maritime platform, the Naturgy operation.

For many years, we have provided ancillary services in port of Bermeo to the vessels serving the gas platform. However, it would not be until 2019 when we began to also manage the services of the vessel while chartering it as well.

A further step has now been taken and the company has completed the purchase of the BERTHA B, a 60-metre offshore/supply vessel, this week. It will be used to supply the platform with material and fuels, along with "guard services". Guard services provide surveillance for a 500-metre radius around the platform 24 hours a day, 7 days a week all year round. They keep the area free of non-authorised boats or provide support for the helicopter ferrying the workers back and forth in the case of an incident.

ERZOFF is a company in which ERHARDT holds a stake together with ZUMAIA OFFSHORE. To a certain extent, it is successor of the Off-Shore-España shipping company set up with Hapag Lloyd in the 1970s. That company owned three vessels - Off-Bilbao, Off-Vigo and Off-Barcelona – and also provided towing and supply service to oil platforms.

It seems it is time to add a new page to ERHARDT’s book and include the new venture onboard the COD PHOENIX.