Cowes Harbour

A quick turnaround was needed to replace a lost navigation mark in Cowes Harbour. Working within a short tidal window due to a low water springs vernal equinox, from being awarded the contract to completion was a mere thirty hours!

This was to replace a navigation mark that for years had sat on top of a pole at the end of a concrete and stone jetty in Cowes Harbour. A new mark had to be fabricated from steel and painted, along with a new metal, galvanised pole and a metal box section at the foot to secure it to the jetty. Once constructed our team prepped and painted it ready for installation.

The site was situated close to a popular part of town and access was not only limited but difficult. The new mark was loaded on our crane trailer and additional plant on our Iveco flatbed truck. The lowest tide was predicted to be at 18:30 so this meant getting everything needed into Cowes town centre ready for when the exact location was exposed by the tide. As the jetty was long, narrow and gradually stepped down towards the water it was decided to build a temporary ramp using non-slip grating down to where the mark was to be placed. This enabled our team to use our Hoeflon TC1 track carrier to transport the heavy mark down along the jetty. Once at the end it was over to our Hoeflon C1e tracked crane to lift it and lower into place. It was then bolted firmly on to it’s concrete base. As the light was fading we used our SMC TL55 solar light tower to fully illuminate the scene allowing the team to work in the dark.

The Hoeflon TC1 and C1e are fully electric and remote controlled meaning they are quiet with zero CO2 emissions, ideal for using in a confined space or residential areas out of working hours. The SMC TL55 can be mains charged giving up to 500 hours or run off solar power only, giving up to 8 hours, again meaning no noisy generators.

Once the new mark was safely installed the team quickly recovered the temporary ramp and packed down the site leaving the newly placed navigation mark to aid boaters for many years to come.

Our extensive range of plant can assist in the most difficult to access sites. Get in touch to see how we can help you.