Leach & Turner is the latest in a series of recent Cosalt acquisitions which also includes rope and rigging specialists W & R Lewis; lifting, testing and rigging company Marine and Lifting Services Limited, and fire fighting specialists Kenmore Technical Services.

Cosalt has also found time to supply the largest diameter rope it has ever delivered in its 130 year history. The 92 mm diameter rope is a specially commissioned 12 X 2 strand construction Dyneema model with a breaking load of over 500 tonnes. It was ordered by marine projects and consulting engineers FES Engineering of Northumberland UK, which dispatched three 70m lengths to the South China seas where it will be used with heavy drilling equipment on a floating offshore oil platform.

FES required a bespoke product manufactured to stringent specifications for lowering heavy engineering equipment to the seabed. The rope was designed to be finished with special heavy duty thimbles for linking onto the rest of the winching gear.

Dyneema's low stretch characteristic is important when handling very heavy loads and its durable 12 X 2 construction combats crushing on the winch drum. It is also very light compared to the type of rope normally used in such an application.

MJ Information No: 18125