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.