Gibraltar – Portugal – Spain.
It has to be admitted that, particularly with the larger consignments, we have always opted to take one of the direct ferries from the UK to Spain. Not only does it avoid the complication of permits and escorts through France, but also makes the transit time more predictable – both to the customers and STGs benefit.
Having said that, with the overhead gantry cranes for the wet hall to Sellafield, originating in Zaragoza, the only solution was a direct charter vessel from Bilbao to Workington. Furthermore, given the limited facilities at Workington, a heavy duty crane had to be brought in to discharge from the vessel. Thankfully, even though the wind speed was gusting, it was within the cranes safety limits, discharge and delivery to within the nuclear facility went smoothly and on time.
If your have studied the Industries listing, you will have picked up that one of STGs speciality areas is the movement of oversize sculptures. After we had delivered the Anish Kapoor “globes”sculpture into The Royal Academy, the next exhibition was at the Guggenheim in Bilbao – entrusted, once again, to the care of STG.
With Portugal, there was the press from Belgium, utilising a charter RoRo ferry to Aveiro – the redundant tram cars from Lisbon to the Isle of Man etc. As an aside, some months later, a customer in the USA asked if we could deliver some of the tram cars to California – where they were converted for use as theme restaurants.
