NICOLAS vehicles bring the “Jolie France” safely to the water - Boat transport in Normandy

Granville is situated in the Normandy region and is the home of the Marine Concept shipbuilding company. For transporting the new high-speed passenger ferry, "Jolie France", heavy-duty hauliers Lecoq used a vehicle combination from the French manufacturer NICOLAS Industrie SAS.

The Jolie France on the way to Granville on the coast.

The 55-tonne boat was transported on a NICOLAS MDEL platform trailer, with 3 + 5 axle lines + flat bed deck.

The 60° steering angle of the NICOLAS platform trailer guarantees the highest possible manoeuvrability.

During the journey, street signs had to be dismantled and a number of tree branches sawn off.

Granville is a small town located in the south-west of the Cotantin peninsula. The resort is a magnet for many tourists every year who also reach the nearby Chausey islands by boat. These vessels are built by Marine Concept which is likewise based in Granville. From the production facility to the shoreline is a distance of 5 km and the 55-tonne passenger ship was moved using a vehicle transporter combination from the French manufacturer NICOLAS - a modular MDEL-TP platform trailer, 3 + 5 axle lines together with a flat bed deck. The transport was carried out by the Lecoq haulage contracting firm which is based in La Crique.

The new passenger boat is 29 metres long, 7.5 metres wide and 7.5 metres high and has been designed carry up to 280 passengers from Granville along the coast up to the Chausey Islands. The bows of the ship were lifted upwards by crane so that the NICOLAS vehicle combination could be driven underneath it. Thanks to the low platform trailer height of 875 mm together with the hydraulic axle compensation of +465 / -215 mm, the boat was safely accommodated on the transporter.

In order to move the vessel out of the production hall, not only were the main doors dismantled but the exit area of the facility also had to be extended. The entire 35-metre long combination then had to carefully negotiate the twists and turns of the 4.5 km route through small villages and narrow tree-lined avenues. In the process, the platform trailer was steered by means of remote control for 90% of the journey. The 60° steering angle of the axles guaranteed maximum manoeuvrability when tackling tight corners, driving round traffic islands, and passing through the villages. Nevertheless, numerous traffic signs and tree branches had to make way for the gigantic convoy.

Additional information on NICOLAS Industrie SAS:
Founded in 1855, NICOLAS develops and produces heavy-duty transporters for moving incredibly large and heavy loads by road and on-site at industrial companies. Heavy construction equipment, gigantic components for wind-power plants as well as complete industrial installations with weights ranging from 60 to 16,000 tonnes and more are not a problem for the innovative vehicle concepts of the French vehicle manufacturer. NICOLAS has already set numerous records. This includes the NICOLAS "Tractomas“ which is recognized as the largest tractor in the world and is featured in the Guinness Book of Records.

NICOLAS combines tradition and innovation and together with SCHEUERLE Fahrzeugfabrik GmbH in Pfedelbach and KAMAG Transporttechnik in Ulm, belongs to the company group of Heilbronn entrepreneur Otto Rettenmaier. Within the group is the TII heavy load division - Transporter Industry International - which is world market leader in the development and production of heavy-duty transporters and special vehicles, and is recognized for its advanced technology and special product quality.

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