A yacht is a wonderful thing to be able to use off the coast of Australia. The time spent on a yacht is amazing, but sometimes owners do not have the time to transport their yachts themselves from one berth to the next. Sometimes owners need to fly quickly to their vacation spots, and they want their yachts waiting for them when they arrive.
When this happens, the owners hire a company to transport their yachts from one destination to another. Occasionally this occurs by rail, but more often yachts are moved via water. This is a fascinating process that requires a lot of high technology and a well-trained crew.
A yacht can weigh hundreds of tons, so it takes some big equipment to move it around. A crew that has years of experience will use a sling to haul up the yacht and deposit in on deck of the ship. The yacht is then secured in a device known as a universal cradle.
These cradles are designed to hold yachts with weights of up to 250 tons and lengths of up to 180 feet. With vessels this large it is important that they be securely stowed in their cradles. This is done through the use of high tension straps that have tensile strength equal to steel. These polyester-woven straps are made from the most durable fabric in the world.
It takes an expert crew to load these expensive yachts onto a ship for transport, and the man overseeing them is the most important. He is known as the loadmaster. He guides the crew in gently maneuvering an enormous object into its cradle as gently as any sleeping baby.
Watching this operation work may look simple, but it is in reality a well-choreographed ballet for which those in the now will find a vast appreciation.