Skip to main content

yacht

TNL GAC Pindar had to think of a safe and secure way of protecting a new yacht tender for a long ocean and land journey from New Zealand to Germany, with shrink wrap film providing the answer!

With the tender weighing in at a whopping 10 tonnes, measuring 12 metres long and 4.4 metres wide, the tender proved to be a bit of conundrum for the minds trying to solve the puzzle of getting it to Germany safe and with no damage.

Starting in Auckland, direct contact with the boat was kept to a minimum to avoid any scratches and dents on the 220km journey to the Port of Tauranga, where it would start its sea voyage to Europe. Due to its width, transporting it on a flat rack was not a viable option and would have to travel as ‘break bulk’. This meant it would not be able to ship in a container with other items, but would have to be transported on its own.

Once it was at the builders’ yard it was carefully placed onto its cradle and polymer plastic film, known for its ability to shrink tightly over any object, was used to shrink wrap the yacht tender, before it was very carefully loaded onto a truck before leaving Auckland for the three and a half hour journey to the Port of Tauranga.

TNL GAC Pindar’s Australasian Manager Richard Thorpe was ready and waiting in Tauranga, on tightropes! He needn’t have worried as upon arrival he checked the yacht tender with a marine surveyor and gave the green light. Early the next morning the tender was carefully lifted out and very carefully placed below deck with centimetres to spare for the 41 day sea journey to Rotterdam, Holland. Once it arrived at the port in Rotterdam it was then offloaded ready to undertake the final phase of its incredible journey by road to Germany.

Richard Thorpe, TNL GAC Pindar’s Australasian Manager, greeted the boat in Tauranga and checked her condition upon arrival with a marine surveyor. At dawn the next day, it was gently lifted and placed below deck with centimetres to spare for the 41-day sea voyage to Rotterdam. After arriving at the Dutch port, the tender was offloaded and completed the final leg of its journey by road.

GAC Pindar’s unnamed client said:

“I was very impressed with the care and attention the entire team put into getting the tender aboard the ship safely and in perfect condition! Each movement was well planned and executed perfectly. I was very happy.”