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HNLMS Snellius AGS hydrographic survey vessel

The Navy has two hydrographic survey vessels. These vessels collect information for the Hydrographic Service of the sea for the production of nautical charts. The ships are efficient to use and operate with a small crew.

The main task of hydrographic survey vessels is to conduct civil-military integration hydrographic work. This means that changes in the waterways and seabed to be mapped. The Navy does so in the waters of the entire Dutch continental shelf and around the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.

The hydrographic survey vessels which the Navy has are the HNLMS Luymes and HNLMS Snellius. The ships were designed and finished in the Netherlands. The hull was built in Romania.

Hr. Ms. Luymes entered into service on 3 June 2004 in Den Helder. The hydrographic survey vessels Hr. Ms. Luymes is named after John Lambert Luymes Hendrikus (July 19, 1869 until December 4, 1943). In the years 1914 - 1934 he gained international fame in hydrographic area as chief of the Hydrographic Department.

Hr. Ms. Snellius entered service on 12 December 2003 in Den Helder. The hydrographic survey vessels Hr. Ms. Snellius is named after Willebrord Snellius. Willebrord Snellius was born in Leiden in 1580. His father was Rudolf Snellius (1546-1614), former professor of medicine (Leuven), philosophy, Hebrew language and mathematics (Netherlands). Willebrord succeeded his father as professor of mathematics and physics at Leiden (1613). At a young age, he tried to restore one of the lost works of Appolonus Pergneus. In 1610 he delivered a lecture on the Algamest of Ptolemy. Shortly afterwards he met at one of his many trips abroad, in Germany the great Danish scientist Tycho Brahe, and Kepler also met with the young mathematician of great importance. Snell became known for his discovery of the law of refraction and by his trigonometricinvestigations.

Buyskes Class Hydrographic Survey Ship (AGS) AGS Blommendal was decommissioned in 2000, leaving one unit of the class in commission. In 2001 the Buyskes was anticipatedto be decommissioned in 2002 as the first unit of the new class commissions.