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As dawn
broke over the Port of Miami, I gazed up at the stacks of 40-foot-long
containers towering above the deck of a 600-foot cargo ship that had just
cleared customs. I had the opportunity to participate in the delivery
of an Italian-built Cranchi 48 Atlantique to her new American owner. I
wanted to learn how the boat had been prepared for transatlantic shipment
and to evaluate the boat herself.
At the
moment all I could see was a cocoon of shrink-wrap plastic that covered
the 48 down to her chines. Like a seagull perched on a piling, she was
atop a cargo container, hunkered down behind higher stacks of containers
that sheltered her from the full fury of the sea. According to the ship’s
captain, Romuald Mieleszczuk, wave heights were upwards of 20 to 25 feet
during the trip, not unusual for the North Atlantic in March.
Once
aboard the ship, our priority was making the 48 ready for launch. Cranchi
had delivered her to the ship on a custom-built steel cradle with rubber
pads at all points of contact, to which she had been secured by heavy
nylon straps. After being loaded aboard, the cradle had been lashed to
a heavy steel foundation that mated with the tops of two adjacent containers.
We had less than two hours before a huge overhead gantry crane was due
to pick the 48 off her cradle and splash her.
Up close,
I began to appreciate the meticulous care Cranchi had taken in readying
the boat for shipment. As it happened, she had been positioned between
two vessels from another European yard, one covered by a heavy, loose-fitting
tarpaulin, free to flap in the wind and possibly damage the very boat
it was intended to protect. The other was shipped uncovered and had become
so coated with salt and grime that it would take days of scrubbing to
bring back the luster of her finish.
To keep
the shrink-wrap from blowing off in heavy weather, Cranchi had wrapped
a layer of nylon webbing (like the netting used in a soccer goal) over
her entire length, while beneath, plastic sheeting prevented the shrink-wrap
from scuffing the fiberglass. Even stainless steel deck rails and fittings
had been covered with plastic tape to prevent scratches and scuff marks.
Despite
the extraordinary wrapping and packaging, the launch went quickly. A box
knife was used to cut away the shrink-wrap, nylon webbing, and the straps
that bound the hull to its cradle. Removal of plastic wrap proceeded in
parallel with a check of the mechanical and electrical systems, batteries,
and through-hull fittings.
The
level of care was equally meticulous inside. All cushions and pillows
were wrapped in plastic covers, and sun shades for the flying bridge and
aft deck were inside custom-made plastic bags. Even the stairs to the
flying bridge were covered with plastic and the rudders and propellers
had been removed and shipped inside, to be installed after the yacht had
been lifted clear of the ship but before she was to be launched.
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