ScaffFloat has won two awards at Seawork 2026 in Southampton for a hoisted access system designed for a jetty project in Tanzania.
The Cornwall-based company won the Vessel Design & Construction category in the event’s Innovations Showcase, alongside the Marine Civils Best Project Award.
Both awards related to ScaffFloat’s work on a coastal project in Tanzania, where the client required access to more than 100 piles installed to support a new jetty.
The company designed two self-propelled pontoons that could float beneath the jetty before being hoisted clear of the water. Once suspended beneath the structure, staging boards were installed between the pontoons to provide access around the pile caps.
ScaffFloat said the arrangement gave operatives 360-degree access while avoiding the need for a conventional fixed scaffold installation from the seabed or shore.
Preparation took place at the company’s base in Penryn, Cornwall. The system underwent a trial build, a test of the hoisting method using a simulated deck load, and sea trials that included an inclination test.
The pontoons and associated equipment were then dismantled and packed into a shipping container for transport to Tanzania.
After the shipment arrived, a ScaffFloat team member travelled to site to oversee the pontoon build, complete final trials and train the client’s team before handover.
Toby Budd, founder and managing director of ScaffFloat, said: “These awards are a great recognition of the hard work that has gone into making the hoisted ScaffFloat a reality, and I am really proud of the team that made this happen.
“It’s great to see this kind of problem-solving being exported from Cornwall. We look forward to utilising this additional capability on future projects.”
Seawork, held from 9 to 11 June in Southampton, is a major commercial marine and workboat exhibition. The event’s awards recognised ScaffFloat in the Vessel Design & Construction innovation category and for its marine civils project work.
