Scope of Works
A lighting and production company supplying the lighting and power for Christmas events at Hever Castle wanted to add a floating platform to the castle’s lake to carry lights and enhance the lake show. The platform needed to stay in place for around eight weeks through the Christmas period, so it had to be anchored securely on open water. The lake is around four to five feet deep with a layer of silt, and the water level can move by up to a metre depending on the weather, so the platform needs to rise and fall without losing its position. The lighting team also needed a clear window on site to fit their kit once the pontoon was in place.
Solution
Floating Pontoon Hire supplied a 20m by 3m modular pontoon, 60m² in total, for the duration of the Christmas event period. To hold it in position on the lake, we anchored it with sunken ballast. The weights sit below the waterline and keep the pontoon in place while letting it rise and fall freely with the water level, without anything needing to be fixed into the lakebed.
Installation and anchoring were planned to take around two to three hours, leaving the lighting team a window to fit their equipment before the pontoon was moved into its final position, with an additional crew member available for a second day if the fit-out ran long. The result is a stable platform on the lake that forms part of the light show, without any permanent structure in the water.
