Wilhelmsen Ships Service moves 11 tonne rudder across the world for Pacifica Shipping

Wilhelmsen Ships Service helped Pacifica Shipping, a New Zealand company, move a new eleven tonne rudder and stock literally across the world when one of their vessels had its rudder damaged.

Pacifica Shipping had to source the replacement equipment from The Netherlands, almost the opposite side of the world to Christchurch, New Zealand, where the vessel was awaiting these parts. Wilhelmsen Ships Service used its unique Ships Spares Logistics service working from its central European Freight Forwarding Centre (FFC), the company's single point of contact whose specialist knowledge manages the delivery of spare parts from manufacturer to vessel.

The units were too large and heavy for hold cargo in passenger aircraft so they were restricted to freighter aircraft which could only land at Auckland. Wilhelmsen Ships Service then had to move the units some 1100kms from Auckland to Christchurch with a choppy ferry crossing between the North and South Island in between.

On arrival, the units were quickly cleared by Customs and Quarantine due to Wilhelmsen Ships Service's thorough preparation of paperwork. They were first loaded onto a heavy lift truck at the airport then loaded onto a line haul truck for the journey south. Wilhelmsen Ships Service photographed and measured the equipment to make sure it was correctly supplied before the overland shipment began.

The units, which totalled 11400kgs, were transported to Christchurch without incident, being delivered in a little over 24hrs after arrival in Auckland.

Steve Chapman, General Manager Operations for Pacifica Shipping, praised the effort. "Wilhelmsen Ships Service undertook the logistics task of moving some 11 tonnes of fabricated steel from the Netherlands through to New Zealand with an absolute minimum of fuss, yet with maximum efficiency," he said. "The rudder and the rudder stock each represented a challenge in itself in terms of sheer weight and size."

He continued, "The timeline that Wilhelmsen Ships Service operated to exceeded all our expectations. In an industry in which we at Pacifica Shipping also have a lot of experience, this is what all clients expect from logistics specialists, such as ourselves. Therefore it was particularly pleasing to deal with a transport operator with the same ethos as our own, with one person co-ordinating both the movement and the communications with the client from door to door."

Pacifica Shipping has been in business for 25 years operating a fleet of coastal vessels.