LINKS 3
RADIO DELMARE 1978/1979
ALL PHOTOS LEENDERT VINGERLING FRANCE
During 1978/1979 three attempts were made to launch a new offshore radiostation off the Dutch coast.
Radio Delmare, which means Radio From the Sea, was the brainchild of Dutch freeradio enthousiast
Gerard van Dam along with an ever changing group of people from the offshore and landbased pirate
radioscene. The first ship to be used was the mv Aegir, former Express, built in Groningen by Koster
shipyard. A 250 ton Wad and Sontvaarder, small cargoships taking cargo from port to port, even when
a port was deep inland. These type of ships took cargo from Holland to Denmark, Sweden and Germany.
The were not designed as ships for the high seas but for coastal waters. So , although fitted out with
3 mw transmitters and 2 fm tansmitters, a fine studio and two 25 meter aerialmasts her stay at sea was
rather short. The first Delmare was on air between 21 August 1978 and 11 September 1978.
Announced wavelength was 192 metres, often the station was off channel. So, after just three weeks
on air it was all over, the ship's anchorchain broke, she drifted into Dutch waters and was boarded by
the police. The aegir went to the scrapyard. End of part one!
The Aegir in 1952< my year of birth> in Groningen harbour.
1 kw mediumwave transmitter onboard Aegir.
Close up of one of Delmare's transmitters. Top right there's a sticker from Epivan ,,kunstgebitten".
Epivan was a company owned by a dentist from Rotterdam, Bert van Wijk. Bert wanted to boost
his sales in false teeth so he invested in Delmare resulting in the purchase of yet another ship.
A hektrawler Scheveningen 54 from indeed Skeveningen was purchased in late 1978 and made
several tendertrips to the MV Mi Amigo in December 78 and January 79. Infact, the SCH 54 delivered
a new generator for the Mi Amigo. On one of those trips she caused damage to the bridge of the
Old Lady. On January 14 the 54 was off the coast of Scheveningen but within Dutch waters. On the
15th of January the vessel was boarded by Dutch police and taken into port, awaiting a last trip
to the scrap yard. Apart from CB no tranmissions were heard from the SCH 54.
Engine room onboard SCH 54.
The SCH 54 was built in 1957, 500 ton, also known as Oceaan 9.
There were no transmitters onboard the 54 in Jan 79, a start was made building a studio.
During spring 1979 a third ship was bought, the Martina, Gerard van Dam<l> and Leendert Vingerling <r>
working on the conversion into a radio ship.
At sea again, on air on 192 mtrs medium wave, power 500 Watts, the Martina, 270 ton, 130 foot
built in 1923. Third time lucky? No, this time Delmare was on air between June 2 1979 and September
28 1979. In those 4 months on air the organisation behind Delmare fell apart and they were forced to
close down in September 79, the Martina sailed into port on Oktober 21 1979. The police once again
chained the ship up, in the end she went to the scrap yard too.
Like the Aegir, the Martina was anchored 4 miles of Goeree in Zeeland, Holland. A small boat
was used as tender.
Tender alongside the Martina.
Dinertime in the galley, from left to right : Astrid de Jager<deejay>, Johan Roth< transmitter engineer>,
Ronald Bakker<deejay>, Kees Mulder<deejay>, Leo Vreugedenhil<engineer> and Hans, skipper
of the Martina.
Situation on deck.
Generator.
the messroom
Great relaxing chair, carpeting on the floor and wall.
Cabin for four in the forecastle of the Martina.
Studio onboard, wall also carpeted to make it soundproof. The deejays jeans could do with a wash.
He must have heard that, of to the washing machine.
Oktober 1979, The Martina in Stellendam, no more Delmare. In retrospect the people behind Delmare
had put a lot of money and effort into the project, but in the end they lost three ships. The firtst one, Aegir
was the best equiped, but to small for the job. The SCH54 the best ship of the three, but they didn't get
the time to convert her into a radioship, Ship number three, Martina, too small and very poorly equiped.
This is the Morgenster, 1982 in Maassluis, two aerial masts and a complete studio onboard! In May 82
the ship was confiscated by Dutch authorities. It's not shure if this was going to be vessel number four
to be used for Radio Delmare.
More Delmare got to:
www.geocities.com/theovanhalsema/radiodossierdelmare.html
Overzicht Radio Delmare Top 33