Transport like no other: from the shipyard hall to the dock on the megayacht

Centimetre by centimetre, the SPMTs (Self-Propelled Modular Transporters) feel their way forward. Slowly but steadily, the hull of a mega yacht, around 50 metres long and weighing 220 tonnes, is pushed out of the shipyard on three modular transporters. There are just centimetres to spare when it comes to passing through the hall door. The operator of the special transport is highly focussed as he walks alongside the SPMTs. The team skilfully manoeuvres the trailer and its load into the fresh air of the Port of Taranto (Apulia). The steel hull needs to reach the harbour basin, where it will be married to the rest of the aluminium superstructure before the yacht is released into the water. A task for specialists such as heavy goods logistics experts Marraffa S.r.l.. Headquartered in Martina Franca, Taranto, the company specialises in the transport of particularly heavy and large loads and the handling of industrial equipment.

In this transport task Marraffa is using PST-SPMTs made by Goldhofer AG. Three electronically coupled, self-propelled trailers with a total of 14 axle lines are required to carry the load. The heavy goods logistics experts have placed one of these with six axle lines under the bow, and two more with four axle lines parallel to each other at the stern.

Due to the enormous dimensions of the transport, there is also very little space outside the shipyard hall for manoeuvring. This is where the combination of BPW swing axles, rotating pendulum swing arms and hydropneumatic suspension comes into its own. The components from BPW Bergische Achsen KG guarantee balanced axle loads and enable large equalisation distances, variable ride heights and extreme wheel steering angles. Thanks to the electronic multi-way steering, the operator can turn and rotate the combination almost on the spot or even move it sideways – ideal conditions for transporting the FB616.

Pasquale Marraffa, Head of Purchasing at Marraffa, is convinced of the quality of BPW components – as evidenced by the fact that his fleet is equipped with BPW axles: ‘We have more than 100 trailer axle lines from Goldhofer, all of which are fitted with BPW axles.’ The decisive advantage of the swing axles is the large steering angle. ‘This significantly reduces the space required when manoeuvring the combination,’ explains the purchasing manager.

Pasquale Marraffa is impressed by the company’s own workshop, which ensures that the vehicles are in perfect condition, and by the supply of spare parts from BPW. ‘We are mainly supplied by authorised dealers from the region. We are very satisfied with the constant availability of the parts,’ he explains.

The FB616 is the first megayacht to be built exclusively in the Buffoluto shipyards in Taranto. Thanks to Marraffa’s experienced crew and the high-performance transport equipment from Goldhofer and BPW, it arrives safely at the edge of the harbour basin. A mobile crane lifts the superstructure of the yacht into the air so that the hull can slide precisely underneath and the wedding can begin. In the end, a second mobile crane is needed to lower the megayacht into the water. It then sets course for Livorno (Tuscany), where the final touches are made to the ship and the yacht is fitted out and equipped before delivery to the customer.