mast and it’s a three-to-four-day process to get it from stripped to ready to step. You need a good weather window, you need the right crane – it would have added a lot of time to the schedule and the whole reason for shipping is to gain time.’ This meant that the yachts’
cradles needed modifying or replacing, as Speet explains. ‘The cradles are roughly 5.5m tall, the yacht on top of that and the mast sticking up another 44m so it’s quite a tall package overall. That’s why two boats needed new cradles because the taller the package, the more loads and forces it will endure during the transport. Add in some headwinds and seaway, it all adds up pretty quickly.’ ‘The cradle has to be certified,’
adds Novi. ‘Sevenstar gives you some details of the forces and strength the cradle has to endure. So the engineer who designed the cradle went through those specifications and he drew themodifications needed to reinforce it. Then a fabricator in Italy made the reinforcements and we got the approval.’ The only aspect Sevenstar can’t
take on for the client is the customs documentation, for which it recommends known agencies. ‘We used their local agent in Genoa,’ says Novi. ‘He gave us a list of documents that we needed so again there was a lot of help and support as there is a lot to cover.We have to have the approval of the owner, the leasing, the bank, then the VAT declaration. The boat has two containers, one for the sails, one for themachine shop, so you have to provide a list of all the items inside the containers so when you come back you can show that you don’t havemore stuff than you went out with.’ As the loading window
approaches, the boats need to be prepared. ‘We removed asmuch deck hardware as we could,’ says Bouttell, ‘wrapped winches, took out
Above: as part of the Spliethoff Group, Sevenstar has access to over 140 company- owned vessels, ensuring full control over yacht transport with in-house experts and industry leading safety standards
all the halyards bar one, lashed down everything inside the boat, did some extra waterproofing around themast, forestay and backstays.We planned how to lash the boat to the cradle with some ratchet straps andmade some protection plates where the straps go over the gunwale so there wasn’t any chafe or pinpoint loading.’ Loading presented the ship’s loadmaster with a further challenge. ‘These yachts have a lot of mast rake so if you use one crane, you could damage the mast,’ explains Speet. ‘So we used two cranes, one for the stern, one for the bow. Due to the deep draught of these yachts we had to lift them super high to get over, then into, the cradle.’ ‘It’s stressful lifting a €15-20m
yacht into the air with two different cranes,’ Bouttell recalls. ‘Sevenstar was very accommodating of my concerns. They proposed a lift plan they felt would work well, there was a bit of back and forth until we were both happy and I got that checked by our structural engineer. The lift itself went really well and there were no issues at all.’ ‘This was quite a technical lift
plan but we only use ships in our fleet,’ Speet adds, ‘which is around 140 vessels, and some of our loadmasters have been with us for over 20 years. Most of the crane crews have been with us at least 10 years and some their entire careers. They do around 40 operations a year so they have a lot of experience.’ ‘I was very confident about the
support I would get from Sevenstar,’ says Novi. ‘They knew exactly what they were doing. The ship arrived in Genoa in the evening, we started loading the next morning and the ship was off again after 36 hours having loaded two of the racers, four 40ft containers, a couple of tenders, all very efficient. They listened to us. Every requirement we had, they had a positive answer, so I’m happy.’ Speet’s previous life as a
professional sailor gives him a unique understanding of the client experience. ‘You understand that timelines, deadlines and pick-up dates are extremely important. You understand all the race team logistics: packing the containers, making sure the inventory list is up to date, because it changes during the season. This gives you a better understanding of the day-to-day workings of a race team. I can be like a checklist for them: “I’m sure you’ve got it all under control but have you considered this? Double- checked that? Is this updated? Where are you with the customs papers for the cradle?” and so on.’ ‘We listen as much as we can,’
Speet adds. ‘We’re transporting their precious cargo. If we say “Stand back and let us do our thing,” that sends out the wrong message – and it’s a missed opportunity because they know their boats a lot better than we do. We have multiple conversations beforehand about how we’re going to deal with things: “We have an idea about how we should lift the boat, do you guys agree? Do you see it differently? What would you recommend?” It’s more like a dialogue than a one-way communication.’ Bouttell appreciates that openness. ‘I went through a bit of a debrief with Sander after the load and he was very receptive to that. It wasn’t “This is how we do it, deal with it”, he appreciated the feedback, agreed with the points I made. It’s always nice to be able to discuss constructive feedback without it being a negative point.’ ‘When everything works out,
that’s very rewarding for me,’ Speet concludes. ‘Most of these clients have been around for a long time so they know what they’re talking about. If they give me positive feedback, that means I’ve done a good job.’
www.sevenstar-yacht-transport.com❑
SEAHORSE 61
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110
