GAC weighs in on for TransAtlantic heavy lift delivery
Dec 18, 2014
GAC’s project logistics experts have safely steered the loading, transportation and delivery of an 18-metre workboat from Sweden to Uruguay.
The technical engineering expertise of the dedicated GAC team led by Group Project Logistics Manager Per Thörnblom ensured that the 25MT boat was safely and securely loaded onto a heavy lift vessel for the trip across the Atlantic.
They worked with the boat’s owner Magrau S.A in Uruguay to obtain technical drawings and provide project management support for the movement of the 1982-built workboat Distributor from Esbjerg in Sweden, to Montevideo, Uruguay.
Utilising tailored CAD-CAM software, they were then able to work out the technical specifications, lifting and lashing solutions for the cargo, and design bespoke supporting blocks for the workboat on the transporting vessel. Thörnblom also provided on-the-ground support during the lifting in Esbjerg.
“We had no original drawings to work from, so this move presented us with a challenge,” he says. ”But we overcame it by tracking down the person who built the boat in the early 1980s, who was able to provide us with the structural and design details we needed to engineer a lifting solution that would ensure safe transportation to its destination. Locating the centre of gravity of the boat and its strongest frames dictates where lifting slings are placed and supporting keel blocks positioned, so this detective work was an important part of this project.”
GAC Sweden’s ship agency team were tasked with loading a spare engine for transit, discharging fuel and sludge, inventory-taking and handling all of the required documentation.
Marco Zinnato, Director of Magrau S.A, says: “The professional support, technical skills and knowledge of the GAC team involved with this operation gave us the peace of mind that our cargo was in good hands. We were kept informed throughout each stage of the project in the port of Esbjerg and we look forward to the arrival of our cargo in Montevideo.”
The cargo is currently in transit to Montevideo, Uruguay, where it is expected to arrive on 30 December, 2014.
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