Case Study
Turnkey Transportation of the Tay Whale for Lee Simmons
OVERVIEW
This unique project involved the turnkey transportation of a Whale Sculpture, The Tay Whale, designed by respected artist and sculptor Lee Simmons, from its fabrication site at Littlehampton Welding, on the south coast of England, to the display site in Dundee, adjacent to the V&A gallery.
Littlehampton Welding are specialists in architectural and structural steelwork and were engaged by Lee Simmons for the fabrication of the tubular steel construction, itself a symbol of Dundee’s past as a historical centre for the whaling industry in Scotland.
The decision to transport the cargo via barge, delivered by Malin, was driven by the strong symbolism of transporting an icon of a maritime industry by maritime methods.
This project was, on the surface, an example of a typical cargo transportation project, however this was complicated by the nature of the cargo and the loading and discharge locations. The whale itself weighed over 13 tonnes, with a further 4 tonnes of support stands, which represents quite a modest weight when pitted against many of Malin’s previous scopes of work. However, weight was not the challenge, but instead the fragility of the sculpture, abnormal shape, restricted loading and discharge locations, and tidal constraints which combined, turned what would have been a routine coastal shipment into a complex and carefully choreographed marine operation.
The extensive operation provided the opportunity for the team to build their expertise, successfully utilising a complex lifting arrangement which needed input from both ends, as well as discussions regarding suitable methods of ensuring a safe lift which could be performed during the more time restricted discharge in Dundee, with only around three hours of tide available alongside.
All of this was also undertaken whilst under press and wider media scrutiny, underlining the need to complete the scope swiftly, successfully and safely. Despite this, the team worked to do so and built lasting relationships with the range of reliable subcontractors involved, with all delivering a memorable project.
Client: Littlehampton Welding Ltd.
Project: Tay Whale Sculpture Transportation
Cargo: Tay Whale – 13.3 tonnes, plus 4.2 tonnes of support stands
Route: Littlehampton to Dundee Waterfront
Services: Marine transportation, seagoing tug and barge supply, support vessel, sea-fastening, lifting engineering, discharge planning, operational storyboards and marine logistics