Lifting and haulage is a crucial part of our operations. One of the big advantages CRC have over other commercial workboat suppliers is that the vast majority of our fleet can be mobilised by road, dramatically reducing time and costs in getting a vessel started on a project.
We’re lucky to hold excellent relationships with a small number of haulage firms, who are specialist boat transporters and local boatyards who can respond at a moment’s notice. Over the years they’ve all become pretty accustomed to a last minute call for one of our Cabin Ribs to be transported hundreds of miles away!
There are other benefits when mobilising by road too, most notably it avoids clocking up extra machinery running hours and reduces the frequency we need to carry out scheduled servicing. By avoiding a slow and expensive mob/demob by sea we also reduce the risk of encountering bad weather or unexpected damage to vessels such as prop fouls.
There are however extra considerations for our commercial team to work through when moving vessels by road, especially when it comes to lifting and launching. In some marinas or ports, the boat hoist may be too small to lift our vessel or the port could be severely restrained by the tides. In these situations we may have to launch the vessel elsewhere and complete the final mobilisation by sea. This is where our vessel masters and project managers come into play, ensuring vessels get to their intended destination safely, securely and are clean and ready to start the project.
In recent years and due to Brexit, we have also had to keep up to speed with a regulatory changes. Each vessel that now enters the EU needs an ‘ATA Carnet’ which is an international customs document that permits the tax-free import of goods. These days we have to apply for these documents in advance of a vessel moving, pay a fee and then get the paperwork stamped when we enter and leave the EU. Luckily our commercial team are pretty used to this process now and despite it, the benefits of sending a vessel to Europe and widening our potential market still outweigh the costs.
To find out more about our road transportable Cabin Ribs and Open Ribs, check out our website and vessel spec sheets here. In many cases we can often mobilise our vessels within 48 hours of getting a call.
