Innovative thinking to ship out-of-gauge unit

Lifting a unit of this length high into the air and placing it on board a vessel would be dangerous and put the high-value cargo at risk. With RoRo vessels, cargo is instead driven on and off the vessel, which dramatically reduces the risks associated with lifting cargo high in the air. For this specific shipment, Höegh Autoliners also provided modified rolltrailer equipment and planned the load operation in detail before it took place.

Vijay Surve, Sales Manager, Höegh Autoliners India says,

“Höegh Autoliners has extensive experience in shipping long breakbulk cargo and consequently have a range of equipment and experienced cargo handling personnel to meet these challenges. Furthermore, Höegh Autoliners’ direct ocean service from India to Egypt guarantees a direct sailing schedule and a timely service.”

Höegh Autoliners’ direct ocean service from India to Egypt guarantees a direct sailing schedule and a timely service

The length of the breakbulk unit on the 80-foot Höegh rolltrailer was the main challenge as there was close to a two-metre overhang.

“Because of the overhang the risk for damage was rather high and quite a number of RoRo vessels were dismissed because of the angle the ramp made dependent on the tide, both in Mumbai and at the port of destination; Alexandria,” a representative for Orchid Shipping said.

This put Höegh Autoliners’ team to the test, and they quickly came up with a solution to ensure that the cargo could be safely loaded on board.

Port Captain Lester Fernandes says, “Since the cargo had to have an optimal angle of approach, the ground clearance of the overhang had to be increased. We added extra dunnage beneath the cargo to increase its height by four metres.”

With the ramp at the smallest angle possible, and the main deck clear to load the cargo, the unit was rolled on board Höegh Yokohama. Once on board, it was lashed by the experienced cargo handling team, by a carefully calculated plan ensuring the cargo remained secured during the entire transportation process.

Vijay continues,

The success of this operation comes down to the innovative thinking of our experienced cargo handling team and the detailed supervision provided during the entire loading process.