Securing a 150 t spare cable reel from Germany to France
A loaded cable reel is one of the most demanding cargoes to carry on deck. It is heavy, tall and round, so it wants to roll, slide and tip as the vessel moves. Les Abeilles was moving a 150 t reel of spare inter-array cable for an offshore wind project from Nordenham in Germany to Dunkirk in France, on the open aft deck of one of its vessels. Morek was asked to design the seafastening.
Morek derived the transport loads for unrestricted sea conditions and checked the reel against the IMO CSS Code for sliding, overturning and deck pressure, up to an operational sea state of Hs 5 m. To keep a margin in hand, Morek recommended limiting the transit to Hs 3 m wherever weather windows allowed.
The spread was designed to be robust and quick to mobilise. Crossed lashing straps, five on each side, run from the reel to D-links welded onto T-bars, and four longitudinal stopper brackets stop the reel sliding fore and aft. The T-bars were lined up with the structure below deck, so every load has a direct path into the hull, and the reel was shifted slightly aft to suit.
Morek delivered a fabrication and layout drawing, the IMO CSS Code utilisation check and a strength check of the brackets. DNV reviewed the package as marine warranty surveyor, Morek answered its comments the next day, and the design was approved.
The reel was loaded in mid-May 2025 and reached Dunkirk within the week. The vessel's master reported a maximum heel of 8 to 9 degrees during the transit, and mostly 4 to 5 degrees.
