Tools & Resources
Boat Lift Boosts Cairns' Business
More than 200 tonnes of XLERPLATE® steel will make up the 400 tonne boat lifter commissioned by Norship Marine.
| Location: | Cairns, Queensland |
| Country: | Australia |
| Project Size: | 200 tonnes of grade 250 XLERPLATE® |
| Client: | Norship Marine |
| Fabricator: | Aimtek |
| Distributor: | Tonkin Steel |
| Products Used: |
AS/NZS 3678 - 250 XLERPLATE® |
The latest addition to a Far North Queensland ship building company is a 400 tonne, three storey high mobile boat lift which will benefit at least three local businesses.
The boat lift commissioned by Cairns based Norship Marine will generate significant work for steel distributor and profiler Tonkin Steel, steel fabricator Aimtek, and Norship Marine's own workforce. More than 200 tonnes of Grade 250 XLERPLATE® steel will go into the construction of the 27 metre long, 16 metre wide, 12 metre high lift, which resembles a huge version of the straddle cranes used to move shipping containers around docks.
"I could have purchased what I wanted from a specialist manufacturer in the US, but I decided to design and build it here," said Norship Marine Managing Director Ray Fry.
"We've dealt with Tonkin Steel for a very long time and they've never let us down. For this project we supplied them with a set of drawings, and they profiled and delivered nearly 200 tonnes of XLERPLATE® steel."
That delivery was to neighbouring company Aimtek, a highly experienced ship builder and marine industry steel fabricator owned by Mr Fry's brother, Don.
Cairns has a strong marine services industry. Each year Norship Marine pulls out over 400 trawlers, tuna and game boats, ferries and yachts for repair, refits or storage. "We'll pull everything that floats out of the water, from as small as you like to up to 400 tonnes," Ray Fry said. "With 18 acres of waterfront land, we've got the capacity to bring up to 50 boats ashore at any one time."
Businesses in Cairns have a history of supporting each other to ensure projects remain local.
"When the required quality is available locally, it makes good sense to do it locally," said Tonkin Steel proprietor, Wayne Tonkin. "There are some highly skilled engineering businesses in Cairns and we'd like to see them succeed."
