Left: 1979: opening 1st exhibition

This year the National Dutch Towage Museum in Maassluis, the Netherlands, still the only dedicated towage museum in the world, exists 40 years.

To celebrate this milestone, the National Dutch Towage Museum has organized a special exhibition on the interesting history of the Museum, titled ‘Towage in Rapids’. In addition the Museum has published a beautifully executed anniversary book, with the same title.

The exhibition displays who from the Municipality of Maassluis and the Dutch towage firms have contributed in the early stages to the founding the museum. Also changes among the many volunteers, the expansion of the Museum building and highlights of the numerous exchange exhibitions are extensively presented. Examples of the most celebrated exploits by famous steam tugs up to highly versatile and powerful modern vessels of today can be seen on photo, film or as large scale model.

The exhibition halls have been renovated recently in an attractive modern style and equipped with new simulators, video screens and digital tug information systems.

On the photograph displays many familiar faces can be recognized, like as Ir. G. Langelaar Gzn.  who, nearing his pension, became one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the Museum and who was the first to be appointed chairman.

Right: One of the modernised exhibition halls of the museum

‘Towage in Rapids’ or ‘Sleepvaart in Stroomversnelling’ in Dutch, is the newest book by volunteer and former board member Nico Ouwehand of which  the first copy will be handed to Robert-Jan van Acker, Group Director Towage and Salvage of Boskalis during the opening of the new exhibition.  This new volume reviews and updates the histories of 40 years exchange exhibitions and contains many exclusive photographs from the Museum’s large own collection and many other contributors. The book can therefore be seen as an anthology of all aspects of ‘Dutch Glory’, as the industry is proudly called by Dutch enthusiasts, and of the many companies that made the Dutch Towage industry world famous over some 175 years.

The book can be purchased locally from June 8th, the ‘Day of Ocean Towage’ in Maassluis in the Museum or can be ordered through the Website of the Museum: www.nationaalsleepvaartmuseum.nl. 

The exchange exhibition ’40 years Towage Museum’ can be seen from June 8th until October 19th 2019.

For further information please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or +31 (0)10 – 5912474.

For more information about the exhibition, please click and open "exhibition manual" beneath (in Dutch).