HMS Victory needs big booms with delicate touch

When the Royal Navy says that the historic HMS Victory must be revamped no cost nor effort is spared. The HMS Victory which originates from the 18th century is the oldest ship in the British naval service. It achieved prominence as Admiral Nelson's flagship in the naval battle of Trafalgar. The Victory can now be visited in Portsmouth in a dry dock at the Historic Dockyards.

The British company BVT Surface Fleet Support Ltd. is commissioned with the inspection and repair work. The maintenance of the rigging and the masts is constantly proving to be a huge challenge due to their great height and difficult access.

To be able to execute this demanding job as perfectly as possible, AA Access, the British access platform hire company commissioned, requested support from Riwal, the Dutch hire company, and McNallys, the Irish hire company, each provided a Wumag Palfinger WT 1000 for the work

The delicacy of the work required the world's largest access platform with a working height of 103 m. In addition to its working height, the large lateral outreach of the WT 1000 was very helpful as was the up-and-over movement for access to the rigging and masts.