Boat Mover Tug Replaces Brute Force During Production Of Super Yachts

An issue faced by the majority of boat builders is the lack of space within a traditional boat yard; a problem compounded by the size of the modern luxury super yacht and the equipment needed for its production.

A boat-load of problems

In one particular case, MasterMover was approached by a company that builds modern, composite super yachts, from the keel upwards, in huge moveable boat cradles.

The yachts were being built, step-by-step, through a number of production stages, getting heavier as they progressed down the line. The 40 ft move between each of the seven stages was accomplished using sheer brute-force manpower with the odd intervention by a forklift truck – a situation that was far from ideal considering the restricted space, manual handling issues, and time taken.

The yacht builder's end-of-line hull transitions, where the hulls moved from production to a test and despatch area, were achieved with a forklift towing the cradle and two operators manually steering at the rear. This process was fraught with issues, due primarily to the confined space and the weight of the finished hull.

Steering production to a better solution

In order to address these challenges, the yacht builder reached out to MasterMover to help deliver a solution that could minimise the manual handling and force element of moving boats, as well as swapping to a safer and more sustainable option. The manufacturer also needed us to address the end-of-line hull transitions specifically.

As industry experts and engineering masters, we have extensive in-house experience in navigating the challenges this industry faces; from the precision required to ensure that high-value, sensitive loads can be moved accurately, to the challenge of moving extremely large assemblies with ease.

We worked with the client to understand these specific challenges in more detail in order to prescribe a MasterMover MT1500+ tug that would be able to improve their production site efficiency and safety.

Supercharged super yacht movement

Since the introduction of our 15,000kg capacity MT1500+ tugs to the boat manufacturer's site, it now takes far less manpower to move the cradles, no matter what stage of production they are at.

The moves can also be achieved in a fraction of the time. Congestion is no longer an issue and positioning accuracy, to line the semi-completed hulls up with the respective workstations and tools, has been greatly improved.

By also adding two MasterTugs, one at either end of the cradle as part of the end-of-line transitions, it now takes two men just five minutes to complete what used to be a 45-minute, multiple-person job – with far less opportunity for damage to such high-value assemblies.