July 8 - As part of a naval exercise, the multipurpose vessel Jumbo Jubilee has transported two 600-tonne minehunters from Brest, France to Abu Dhabi in the UAE before returning both vessels to their naval base in France, writes Isabel Freedman.
Marfret's special projects department SMIS contracted Jumbo to transport this delicate and valuable property of the French Navy. The two minehunters had a glass composite hull which made them challenging to lift and transport; therefore Jumbo engineered cradles to facilitate lifting, and serve as sea fastening devices.
Due to the fragile nature of the cargo, Jumbo also contracted divers to ensure that the cradles were properly placed under the hull of the two boats.
Jumbo's project manager, Boudewijn van der Garden stated: "The challenges that occurred during preparation were solved together and enabled a smooth execution of the project. Loading navy ships onto a heavy lift vessel and dealing with a national defence entity made the project different and interesting to do."
