Inch perfect from the Costa Calida to the River Lune.

Hamar arrives at The Stork

September 2008: When yacht owner Howard Gordon decided to bring his Formosa Eurobanker 42 HAMAR back from Torrevieja for refit at Glasson Dock on the Lancashire coast of the Irish Sea, Transboat driver Gary Cooke had to sling the 4.57m high flybridge cruiser on the beams of a low trailer with a ground clearance of only 30 cm, to clear low bridges outside San Pedro del Pinatar near the Mar Menor, Europe's largest salt water lake.

The Eurobanker cleared the British motorway height limit by five inches. But two notorious humpack bridges lay ahead, on the last kilometre of the 2500 km journey - impassable to an ultra-low trailer.

It took an ingenious transhipping job on the car park of the Stork Inn at Conder Green to get HAMAR into the workshops at the Glasson Basin Yacht Company. The plan depended on the generosity of South African-born restaurateur Tracy Fairbrother, who cleared the car park outside her ancient inn on the salt marshes of the River Lune and allowed Sealand Boat Deliveries to pitch a 50T mobile crane and reload to a second boat trailer, short enough to clear the humpback bridges over the River Conder and the Glasson branch of the Lancaster Canal.


Hamar lifting at The Stork
Gary Cooke [left] tells Glasson Basin manager Richard Byles and yacht owner Howard Gordon that after 2500 km, he will stay with HAMAR on the final kilometre.

Reloaded by Sealand, the top of the yacht's flying bridge was now 5.3m above the road, too high for local telephone wires. As night was falling, Gary climbed aboard HAMAR and told Howard Gordon, 'I've come with her so far, I'll not leave her before she gets home. I'll ride on the flying bridge and lift the wires.'

Hamar crosses the River Conder
Crossing the River Conder.

Hamar on the road
The last mile.

Safe delivery

Sealand Boat Deliveries Limited
Operations Office,
Tockholes,
Darwen.
BB3 0NA
England
Telephone: 01254 705225 International +44 1254 705225
International fax : +44 1254 776582

 e-mail address: ros@poptel.org

 1078992 England     VAT Reg: GB 147 2903 64

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