Modular yacht cradle

Modulift Design & Consulting (MDC), of Dorset, UK, has delivered a new, modular shipping cradle for large yachts. Complete Freight is a specialist yacht, motorboat and marine cargo transportation service in Southampton.

The cradle, designed to fit on one truck, comprises eight steel base units with interchangeable tower modules to support the yacht hull and to distribute any dynamic forces generated during transport. Timber blocks in the towers ensure exact fit to hull shapes.

Complete Freight first used the unit to transport the performance ketch Twirlybird V from Genoa, Italy to Singapore late last year. The 40.5 m performance ketch, displacing 232 tonnes, had the mast removed and was loaded onto Rickmers Dalian, a Rickmers Linie heavy lift ship for the journey. “Though designed initially for the Twirlybird V transportation, the modular nature of the cradle means that Complete Freight can re-use it for other boats. This re-yacht cradles, making it extremely cost-effective for the customer,” said Nick Latham, MDC director.

For more see www.modulift.co.uk