To understand what this port is, we must go back a few decades. It is the Second World War and the German army decides to build a base for its submarines. When the war ended, the French Navy took possession of the site, before leaving it to Lorient Agglomeration in 1997. In 2001, this community began the reconversion of the site: among the projects that will see the light of day, this very first covered and semi-automated dry port in France.
Two ports for Sellor
It is Sylvain Morel who is today "main harbour master" for this mixed economy company which manages the ports of the Lorient area. He is responsible for two structures. The one, in the water, called "Lorient la Base", dedicated to the professionals of the sea, and composed of two pontoons located in front of the former military base. And the one called "Lorient Port à sec", dedicated to yachtsmen, and located inside the base. Thus, in two naves that once housed 20th century submarines, no less than 278 civilian boats are now stored on racks.
The genesis of a port
Before these ships became a port, they were a storage place for the nautical equipment company Plastimo. However, in order to rationalize its management, the company has decided to dispose of some of its vessels. Sylvain Morel and his team have already identified these spaces that are becoming available and that could make an efficient dry port. The idea is, first of all, to use a classic forklift to handle the boats that will be stored on high racks. But the racks are only 15 meters wide. Taking into account the dimensions of the racks and the space needed for the forklift to circulate, the equation is not good. The number of spaces is not sufficient to make the project viable... We have to look for another solution. Impossible to push concrete walls built to withstand bombardments So, with the Normandy company ACG, specialized in automation, Sellor is developing a specific robot. Two will be delivered, one for each cell. On July 1, 2014, this unique dry port opens its racks!
Welcome to the boaters
In each nave, on four floors, 139 places have been created. An additional one is dedicated to safety devices, especially fire protection. On the racks, only motorboats can take place: semi-rigid, tiller, open hull. And of a maximum length of 7.50 meters, with an overall width not exceeding 2.70 meters, and a maximum weight of 2 tons. The lightest boats are logically placed in the upper floors and the heaviest ones, at the bottom.
From water to air and water!
The boat is first mounted on a hydraulic trailer. This one is towed to the proximity of the cell in which it has a place, and next to the robot. It is then placed on a transitional beam. It is there that the robot comes to seek it. The two robots are controlled by an ergonomic terminal: it allows to follow a well determined protocol. The same operations are followed for the return to the water. we had envisaged the project of a fully automated route with transport of the boat by translation on a rail," explains Sylvain Morel, "but this solution had a consequent cost that weighed down the project. We therefore opted for a semi-automatic solution, integrating robot and handler. And we don't regret it, because this system has allowed us to create jobs, and also to ensure a human link with the customers".
The man to the rescue of the roboteuros
Although the robots are so secure that in 60,000 manipulations, no notable incident has occurred, small bugs do occur. all the robots' movements are very precisely calculated, of course," says Sylvain Morel. But over time, minor shifts can occur. Some time ago, the robots were constantly going to the alarm position at the bottom of their cell. We looked for the reason: although the wheels of the robots are made of steel, they had ended up being eliminated a little, which modified their path by a millimeter compared to the computerized path. Hence the alert".
Manage the comings and goings!
To organize the handling, customers must call to reserve a time to make their boat available. An advantage for customers, but which, in the high tourist season, can be complicated to manage for the port team at seceuros "The boaters are on vacation and therefore not always very punctual," says Sylvain Morel. "As a result, there was sometimes a real bottleneck at the time of the launch in particular. And possible tensions between customers. We now offer them an additional step: before being launched, their boat is placed on a berturos, which allows them to take all the time they need to prepare themselves before actually leaving. This way, we make the access to our services more fluid".
Unique and practical
To obtain a place in this particular dry port, you have to register on a waiting list. but it's not very long," assures Sylvain Morel, "because we have a renewal rate of about 10% of our clientele each year, due, in particular, to the fact that some clients buy larger boats. The reasons that push others to stay are logical: storage sheltered from bad weather, cleaning and antifouling reduced to zero, overall maintenance reduced, security ensured since the port is closed by monumental gates ... And it is not only the yachtsmen who appreciate this harbour: the media for its extraordinary side, and professionals of the harbour sector who are interested in the evolution of techniques such as the semi-automatic functioning of a dry harbour!
