BBC Chartering has transported a Damen SPa 4207 vessel to Kingston, Jamaica.
The SPa 4207 is the second in an order of four Damen vessels for the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard. Construction on the vessel had already begun when the global pandemic struck and the rapid spread of the virus meant that upon completion of the vessel, pandemic travel restrictions made it unfeasible to arrange a crew to deliver her on own keel since the crew would not be permitted to return to their home countries once they arrived in Jamaica.
Damen Services’ vessel delivery teams worked to devise an alternative arrangement. The SPa 4207 left Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam onboard the heavy transport vessel BBC Congo.
Covid-19 measures prevented Damen’s heavy lift team from being present to supervise loading, but a local team was called upon to ensure the vessel was carefully loaded and properly secured. Once final checks had been made, BBC Congo sailed east across the South Pacific and through the Panama Canal, before arriving, just under two months later, in Kingston.
Due to changes in travel restrictions mid-trip, Rimmert Berlijn, service coordinator, delivery at Damen Heavy Lift, was able to safely travel to Jamaica to coordinate the logistics and supervise the offload. Berlijn stated: “The successful delivery of this vessel really came down to teamwork, collaboration, and everybody’s willingness to be flexible in finding solutions to the challenges of these times.”
