This was a highly complex operation but one we have accomplished before.  We towed our 30m x 11m pontoon barge JML30 to Southampton to coincide with the high tide using our powerful multicat Buffalo and twin screw tugboat Polmear. Once at the designated site the mould was loaded onto the pontoon barge from its road transport by a large, shore based giant hydraulic lifting crane. The crane itself required pre-planned road closures to reach the site and wind speeds were monitored so as not to exceed a lower safety limit for the crane’s safe operation due to its extended operating height.

Our versatile multicat Buffalo was chosen for the transport due to its shallow draft, spud legs to hold position, and large cargo deck. It was able to position pontoon barge JML30 close into the beach, directly in front of the crane at the optimum tidal moment. JML30 has a minimal draft of just 40cm, and buffalo just 120cm at the bow, meaning both vessels  are ideally suited for getting very close to the shore for this type of operation.

The crane lifted the 28 ton mould carefully on to the pontoon, where it was quickly derigged and safely sea-fastened by our team. Once clear of the shore our tugboat Polmear refastened to the barge and led the way for the tow along the south coast to Plymouth.

This was a multifaceted operation which was successfully completed within a single day. The many different parties involved worked together to achieve a smooth and successful operation.

 

^{Top video edited from original video footage courtesy of Rich Patterson}

If you have a requirement for marine operations in shallow or near shore projects, please feel free to get in touch to see where we can help.