Marine crane specialist Hook Marine has helped ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne ensure the efficient operation of its Fast Rescue Boat Launch and Recovery System. Calmac had found that under certain conditions the craft to be recovered could be overloaded and the davit operator had no indication of this. Recognising the need for the installation of some kind of load indicator system, Calmac approached Hook Marine for a solution.
The East Kilbride, Scotland-based company quickly devised a system that could be fitted onto the davit, providing information on the load before the boat entered the water and giving warning of any potential problems during recovery.
Hook Marine’s system measures the load on the winch while a display panel provides the davit operator with overload warning lamp and an audible warning.
Ken Smith, managing director of Hook Marine, says: ‘The device adds to the safety of the whole operation, giving information on the load that is being lifted. The system was installed and calibrated by our associate company, William Hook Ltd. Load testing was carried out in the presence of an MCA surveyor, and the system has been accepted by Lloyds Register.’
The system has already been fitted on the Scottish ferries MV Isle of Arran, MV Lochnevis and MV Hebridean Isles and will soon be installed on the MV Isle of Mull and the MV Isle of Lewis. John Salton, Calmac project engineer, says: ‘Hook Marine provided us with a complete turnkey solution and did an excellent job.’
Hook Marine specialises in crane systems and recently developed the Kranskan safety indicator for work boats which provides a visible and audible warning of dangerous conditions during lifting operations.
