Tight turnaround for navigational mark replacement
Isle of Wight based workboat and special vehicle and plant charter company Rebel Marine recently completed a critical and time-sensitive project in Cowes Harbour: replacing a lost navigation mark.
The entire process, from contract award to project completion, spanned just 30 hours.
The task involved replacing a navigation mark that had been positioned on top of a pole at the end of a concrete and stone jetty for many years. Given the low water in spring’s vernal equinox, the tidal window for executing the project was extremely short. The site, in a busy part of Cowes town, presented access challenges due to its proximity to a popular area.
A new navigation mark had to be fabricated from steel and painted. This included a new galvanized metal pole and a metal box section to secure it to the jetty. The Rebel Marine team constructed, prepped and painted the mark, ensuring it was ready for immediate installation.
Because of the site’s limited access, the navigation mark was loaded onto Rebel’s crane trailer, with additional equipment transported on its Iveco flatbed truck. The lowest tide, predicted at 18:30, dictated the timing of the operation. The company positioned everything needed in Cowes town centre, ready for when the tide exposed the exact location on the jetty.
The jetty itself was long, narrow, and gradually sloped towards the water. To facilitate the transportation of the new mark, Rebel Marine constructed a temporary ramp using non-slip grating. This ramp allowed a team to utilize the Hoeflon TC1 track carrier to move the heavy mark along the jetty. Once positioned at the end of the jetty, Rebel’s Hoeflon C1e tracked crane was employed to lift and lower the mark into place, securing it firmly onto its concrete base.
As daylight waned, the team relied on the SMC TL55 solar light tower to illuminate the work site, enabling safe and efficient operations after dark. Both the Hoeflon TC1 and C1e are fully electric and remote-controlled, offering quiet operation and zero CO2 emissions. This makes them ideal for use in confined spaces and residential areas, particularly during non-standard working hours. The SMC TL55, capable of running up to 500 hours on mains charge or 8 hours on solar power alone, ensured no noisy generators were required.
After the new navigation mark was securely installed, the Rebel Marine team swiftly dismantled the temporary ramp and cleared the site. The new mark now stands ready to guide boaters safely for many years to come.
Seawork stand: VA29
