Marine Magnets as Mooring Points
One of the most exciting parts of what we do is learning about all the different use cases that our clients find for our magnets, and it continues to fascinate us to explore how this technology can be such a natural fit into industries of all kinds. One application – perhaps lesser-known than others - is as mooring points for work boats. We recently chatted with one of our clients to understand more about why the magnets are so useful and thought we’d share some of those insights as they might be broadly applicable.
Introducing Ciappini Trasporti Marittimi
The hero of this story is a long-standing maritime pilot company in Ravenna, northern Italy. Ciappini Trasporti Marittimi plays a very crucial role in the port of Ravenna, helping all ships that stop there to port safely and efficiently. Most commonly these ships are transporting materials of various kinds (food, machines, oil drums, pipes, sheets, cables, etc.) as well as the technicians, inspectors, port authorities, and any other personnel that are along for the ride.
As a company, they assist within the port itself, but also up to 20 miles outside the breakwater in the case of emergencies. The sheer scale of their duties is hard for most of us to fathom and it’s safe to say that no two days are alike. Running an operation like this is an all-consuming role and one that they’ve done tirelessly for around 40 years now.
How Are the Magnets Used?
The marine magnets are used to moor their boats to the ships that come in, a procedure that requires precision, agility, and a focus on safety due to the high stakes that are involved in these maneuvers. According to the company founder, these magnets have significantly improved their operations for a variety of reasons:
- The magnets allow for complete independence in terms of mooring and unmooring from ships which saves a considerable amount of time and diesel.
- The magnets attach and detach very easily, giving you the agility that you need in difficult conditions.
- You can apply the mooring points wherever you want, rather than being limited to the pre-built mooring locations on the ship itself.
- The ship’s crew doesn’t have to waste time on your mooring because the process is quick and painless – accelerating their journey into the port.
- The magnets are able to hold on even in rough seas
- They don’t corrode, giving them a vastly extended useful life.
It’s for these reasons that magnets represent such a viable alternative to the other forms of mooring equipment and in fact, they turn the entire process on its head.
Paolo Ciappini, the CEO of Ciappini Trasporti Marittimi, gives his own testimony: "Using two 800-kg magnets by Blumags, we were able to moor a 17-metre boat in 3-4 knots without any problems. With our 13-metre boat, we had waves of up to 1,5 metre, and with a little with of slack in the mooring ropes, the magnets stayed in place. So you could say that we really put them to the test, and we are very satisfied. Above all, there is no sign of corrosion. I have already recommended Blumags to others."
