An automated system for mooring ships that replaces ropes with vacuum and hydraulics has caught the eye of some of the biggest players in the shipping world.

New Zealander Peter Montgomery came up with The MoorMaster system in the 1990s, bringing benefits in both time and safety. It can dock a ship in an average of 12 seconds, compared to the 15 minutes it takes to use ropes, and removes the risk of stressed mooring lines breaking free and injuring or killing dock workers.

The first version of the system — for the 150 metre New Zealand ferry Aratere — was installed in 1999. In 2003, Australia’s Patrick Shipping bought eight units for nearly $3 million and, also in that year, the technology caught the eye of Netherlands-based Cavotec.

In 2004, Cavotec, a multinational group of engineering companies, approached Montgomery’s company, Mooring Systems Ltd, and was granted European distribution rights.

Cavotec had no delusions that the technology would be quickly accepted: with 30 years in the port business, it knew shipping was a conservative sector. “We saw that the technology was valid, but not easy to implement. We knew from day one it would take some time to change the standards and the mentality of the industry,” says Cavotec chief executive Ottonel Popesco.

After two years of showing the MoorMaster system to ports around the world, Cavotec and MSL found interest was building; by October 2006, approximately 20 operating units were in place worldwide and the shareholders of MSL unanimously agreed to a merger with Cavotec, which was completed early in 2007.

While Cavotec’s corporate office has since moved to Switzerland, the company, now known as Cavotec MSL Holdings, remains listed on the New Zealand Exchange and based in Christchurch. Cavotec has installed systems for Maersk, the huge Danish shipping company, and continues to chase opportunities for the innovative technology around the world.

 

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