P-Trap® » About Us » Westmark BV
Contact Us
Disclaimer


Westmark BV
Phone +31 (0)33 461 48 44
Email: info@westmarkbv.com



 
Westmark BV


Since 2005 Westmark BV has been active in the development of safeguards against piracy. Westmark strives to be innovative by introducing studies and solutions for non-lethal safeguards against the escalation of piracy at sea. Lodewijk Westerbeek van Eerten, inventor of the P-Trap® system and managing director of Westmark BV, has been fascinated by the piracy problem for years. “It’s ridiculous that these criminals are able to board defenseless merchant ships on the high seas,” says Westerbeek van Eerten. 
 

Westmark has commissioned studies from companies such as: TNO the Netherlands Research Institute: and DNV, to experiment with the application and performance of new anti-piracy equipment. Some experiments were performed with maritime slippery soap, which can be applied to the hull of a ship to prevent pirates from climbing aboard. Most recently, experiments were conducted for the development of the P-Trap® system. The P-Trap system is simple. It uses a boom to tow thin lines through the water forming an impenetrable and almost invisible zone alongside and behind a ship. A high-speed boat making an approach to the ship will inevitably run into the lines and jam its propeller. Once a line becomes entangled it will automatically release, leaving the remaining lines intact to protect against other pirate vessels. 

The maritime slippery soap has not been developed further since the product development was unable to achieve the level of quality Westmark is looking for. The P-Trap® is a patented product under development.

more info: westmarkbv.com