Historic ship transported to museum

Heavy transport companies, Wynns and ALE, have delivered a second world war rescue ship over land and sea in the United Kingdom.

The vessel, Rescue Motor Launch 497 (RML), was transported by barge from Southampton to Hartlepool in the United Kingdom. The 34 metre long RML is owned by the Royal Navy’s National Museum and weighs 92 tonnes.

Transportation engineers, Wynns, used a specialist barge called Terra Mariques to collect the RML. Designed to carry abnormal loads, the seafaring barge can be partially submerged allowing it to function as a mobile dry dock.

The 80 m vessel delivered the RML to Hartlepool docks where it was collected by ALE. Sixteen bespoke brackets and 16 climbing jacks with a 50 tonne capacity were used to lift the vessel. The RML was then secured on 16 axle lines of self propelled transporter and driven one mile to the museum.

The RML, which rescued fallen airmen in the Second World War before being used a passenger vessel, will undergo restoration works in a temporary building before going on display in the museum.