A client we provided a protest pontoon for at the COP26 summit a few years ago came to us a few weeks ago and asked us to help with a campaign on the Thames.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO),where meetings at their offices on the banks of the Thames to discuss the reduction of greenhouse gas and emissions from ships, and our client wanted to raise awareness of the issue.
On very short notice, we mobilised a self-propelled 8m x 6.4m ScaffFloat with 2 x 100hp outboards at Greenwich and made the passage up the river to central London after the ScaffFloat was surveyed and licensed by the PLA. We supplied a very comprehensive set of RAMS covering the floating operations and how we would manage the various risks involved including the windage from the banner and the potential risks associated with protesting.
On deck, we assembled an 8m x 3m scaffold A-Frame to display the banner.
With the police and PLA in attendance, we floated about with the banner for photographs before the winds increased and we returned to our berth and took the banner down.
Certainly not a straightforward job but a credit to the team and skipper for getting the job done safely.
