Arabian Boat Project

Charles Kendall Procurement and Charles Kendall Packing recently collaborated on a project to procure and ship a number of Arabian boats to Oman. The boats were purchased for the new museum, 'Oman Across All Ages', in Nizwa, Oman.

The Challenge

A formal request was made to purchase six boats (Huri-Pearling Dhow, Umla, Shahoof, Sambuk and two Guffas) from an auction house, with the help of an expert in Maritime Archaeology.

The buyer was successful in acquiring five out of the six vessels and was then informed that they must be moved out of their current storage place in Eyemouth. Eyemouth is an incredibly small but busy fishing town, making it a challenge to move big vehicles in and out of the town with ease.

Our Approach

A trip was made by a member of our Procurement team to view the boats in Eyemouth to better establish the best logistical procedure to take when removing the boats from the shed and shipping them safely to Oman.

The four smaller boats were first removed from the shed before being loaded into two 40 foot containers, ensuring they were secured and packed suitably for a smooth transition by sea freight to Oman. The largest of the five boats was Umla, measuring 52 feet long. Using its iron cradle, the boat was lifted by crane and secured onto a flatbed lorry in order to be shipped down to packing HQ.

The Outcome

All boats were successfully shipped to Oman early in 2018, in readiness for their debut in the 'Across All Ages' Museum. The safe transition was established by meticulous communication and teamwork between the two Charles Kendall teams.