Fancy footwork required as nine yachts are discharged

In a high-risk manoeuvre, the Durban-based abnormal load, machine moving, rigging and warehousing specialist, Lovemore Bros, has just discharged a small fleet of multimillion rand yachts from a recently pirated cargo ship. The MV Beluga Nomination, a cargo vessel with nine yachts on deck and 7 800 tons of steel in her holds, was headed for Port Victoria, Seychelles, late last year when she was hijacked by pirates approximately 90 miles offshore. Little detail was released, but once the pirates had overpowered the crew – killing three hands – they sailed to Somalia where they kept the captain and remaining crew hostage until a ransom was paid and the vessel and crew released. According to Joerg Lex, project manager and marine engineer at Southern African Shipyards, the Beluga Nomination was extensively damaged during the hijacking and repairs had to be made in Durban before she could be rated seaworthy again by the Bureau Veritas class society. “Before we could take her to the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) dry dock, the nine yachts had to be discharged – a very delicate operation given their value and weight. We approached Lovemore Bros whom we have worked with before and recommend for this type of project,” said Lex. Discharging the yachts – ranging in weight from nine tons to 78 tons – was a project for experts. Barges were tethered to the vessel’s bow and stern to keep her steady as each yacht was removed using the two on-board Liebherr cranes. But, on deck, the yachts were stowed two abreast with very little space between them – leaving no margin for error. The final yacht, a sleek 78- ton masterpiece of luxury, could only be discharged at high tide, and of them all was the most delicate operation. The biggest challenge was whether the ship’s cranes – rated at a safe working load (SWL) of 40 tons – had the load capacity for the job. The maximum outreach of 24 metres also left very little spare space for the rigging. The vessel’s master and crew, insurers, engineers from Southern African Shipyards and rigging staff from Lovemore Bros looked on anxiously as the cranes took in the slack and hoisted the yacht. But the cranes swung towards the wharf with their valuable cargo hanging securely from the steel-matted slings, as Captain Costa Thurna, a cargo master from Sevenstar, a company that ships yachts around the world, patiently gave the crane drivers their instructions – and, inch-by-inch, the last yacht was settled safely on her cradles on the wharf. When the Beluga Nomination returns from dry docking and receives her seaworthy certification, the yachts will be reloaded, and they will continue on their journey to the Seychelles as the toys of the rich and famous.