Thousands of the items we interact with on a daily basis have been shipped to us from all across the globe. From the food we eat to the clothes we wear and even the household electrical products we couldn’t think to live without.
All these items and more have been expertly loaded on to cargo ships to be transported on a cross-continental journey to their final destination.
These shipments are happening everyday almost like clockwork. But not all cargo is as straightforward to transport. Some items are simply too big, or too awkwardly shaped, to pack up in a container. So how do these items reach their intended destination? The answer: clever thinking, ingenious shipping engineering and professional logistics management.
Here are some of the biggest, craziest freight logistics projects to have ever been shipped by sea freight.
The Statue of Liberty
In 1885, the people of France gifted the people of America with The Statue of Liberty, a 93 metre tall, 200-tonne, iron and copper sculpture in honour of U.S independence. This colossal monument was shipped from Paris to New York on French steamer Isère and arrived on June 17, 1885. But how was a structure of this size transported across the Atlantic? Lady Liberty was separated into 350 separate pieces, and packed into 214 wooden crates. She was then painstakingly re-erected atop her pedestal on Liberty Island.
Cleopatra’s Needle
In 1819, the then leader of Egypt and Sudan, Mohammad Ali, gifted Britain with a colossal carved Egyptian Obelisk in honour of Britain’s success in the Battle of the Nile and the Battle of Alexandria. Transportation of the 21 metre high, 224 tonne structure was too expensive to arrange, until over 50 years later when pioneering doctor Sir William James Erasmus Wilson agreed to pay for the obelisk to be shipped over.
Due to the sheer size and weight of the structure, there was no ship capable of transporting the load. Instead, a custom ship was specially made for the Needle. The gift was encased in iron, then fitted with a rudder, a stern and masts, and given the name Cleopatra. It turned out to be a treacherous journey for the crew and cargo, as Cleopatra nearly perished in a storm in the Bay of Biscay. Luckily, the vessel made it to its final destination and the statue can be found in London’s City of Westminster.
Other ocean transport
At first it may seem a little odd, but from time to time large transporting vessels are often used to carry other ships and ocean transport to destinations around the world. The Blue Marlin for example was designed to haul oil rig components, but it is often called upon to ship ships (that’s right, a shipment of ships). This incredible machine has the capacity to carry up to 75,000 tonnes across the oceans, and is also semi-submersible up to 13 metres below the water meaning it is capable of shifting cargo that even the world’s biggest cranes cannot budge.
Worldwide freight forwarding with KG Logistics
Transporting large goods via ocean freight requires dedication, expertise and a lot of know-how, but when using a reliable freight forwarding and logistics company, shipping goods internationally is a breeze.
At KG Logistics we provide a range of professional services using a complex network of international agents that enable us to successfully handle important freight logistics projects all over the world. Contact us for more information.