BATTERMANN & TILLERY GMBH
Transporting Yachts – Highly Risky or Doable?
Sachverständige
Internationales Havariekommissariat
Lloydstr. 1
28217 Bremen
Telefon: +49 (0) 421 / 3 89 86-0
Telefax: +49 (0) 421 / 3 89 86-66
[email protected]
www.ba-ty.com
Bremen (Zentrale)
Berlin
Bremerhaven
Dresden
Duisburg
Erfurt
Frankfurt
Freiburg
Hannover
Hamburg
Kassel
Kiel
Köln
Leipzig
Magdeburg
In spite of the fragile nature of yachts and their very high value as well
as their construction-related preference for floating in water rather than
flying through the air – safe lifting onto or from ocean vessels for transportation purposes is not impossible, if performed correctly. However,
skilled professionals are definitely required in order to evaluate any possible lifting-related risks. Furthermore, competent heavy-lift vessel crews
and equipment suitable for the job are required, as is proper planning on
shore. The following two major marine deficiencies have been noted in
the past for transportation of yachts:
Memmingen
München
Nürnberg
Osnabrück
Regensburg
Mannheim
Stuttgart
Bari
Bukarest
Genua
Istanbul
• The designated lifting areas on today’s super-yachts, mega-yachts or
even any used yachts in the aftermarket often are not indicated anymore as this could ruin the appearance of the yacht for the owner.
Madrid
Rom
In addition to the best possible planning with AutoCAD or similar
software, yacht transport companies have to rely on information
provided by the owner placing the transport order. Determining the
exact frame as to where the yacht is to be lifted is vital to a successful
lift and in order to avoid an expensive claim and, not rarely, a constructive total loss. Local surveyors carrying out loading, discharging or
damage surveys of yachts on our behalf all over the world, often find
that the submitted docking plans of the yacht were altered at some
stage prior to transport when a refit was carried out, new equipment
was installed or generators were swapped. As a result, the required
determination of the exact lifting positions delay the operation and
pose the risk that the vessel’s crew and/or local stevedoring longshoremen may oversee other things in their desire to make up time.
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BATTERMANN & TILLERY GMBH
• Once a yacht, of whatever type, size or rigging, has safely arrived in
her designated stowage position it is to be sea-fastened in order to
avoid the three major risks in yacht transportation, shifting, tilting and
the buoyancy effect in case sea-sloshing is encountered during the
voyage.
Securing is carried out by keel blocking, with standard web lashing
belts and lever-arm ratchets. Chains or steel wire ropes may not be
used in light of the sensitive nature of yachts. However, it is difficult
to properly secure a yacht if the actual cleat or bollard strength and
retention force is not known; not even to the owner of the yacht. Attempts are made throughout the entire industry to gather and collect
details, values and figures from well-known yacht shipyards all around
the world. But for some unknown reason, even shipyards often cannot (or do not want to) state the exact figures needed. A yacht should
always be secured at 100% of her weight to either side. However, this
often leads to overloading of the yacht’s attachment points which
may result in expensive claims on account of misalignment or even
ripped-off cleats and bollards.
Sachverständige
Internationales Havariekommissariat
Lloydstr. 1
28217 Bremen
Telefon: +49 (0) 421 / 3 89 86-0
Telefax: +49 (0) 421 / 3 89 86-66
[email protected]
www.ba-ty.com
Bremen (Zentrale)
Berlin
Bremerhaven
Dresden
Duisburg
Erfurt
Frankfurt
Freiburg
Hannover
Hamburg
Kassel
Kiel
Köln
Leipzig
Magdeburg
Memmingen
München
Nürnberg
Osnabrück
Regensburg
Ultimately, it should be noted that marine-related risks for yacht shipping
can be controlled if proper planning is carried out and all necessary information is gathered at the very beginning of the transportation process;
thus preventing fallen yachts, flooded yachts, shifted yachts, tilted yachts,
crash-damaged yachts as well as submerged yachts.
Mannheim
Jan Stapenhorst, Master Mariner, Section Head Marine & Project Cargo
Battermann & Tillery, IUMI Professional Partner, www.ba-ty.com
Madrid
Stuttgart
Bari
Bukarest
Genua
Istanbul
Rom
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