With the imminent (I think) arrival in the sixth boro of a large shearleg crane for the Tappan Zee project, here’s a chance to look at one of these floating cranes. I believe the crane known as Left Coast Lifter has a lift capacity of just under 2000 tons. This one–Pelicano 1 (ex-Kaisei) has capacity over 2000 tons. I’ve not found much info about Kaisei.
The largest floating crane I’ve seen prior to this is Donjon’s Chesapeake 1000, which lifted segments of WTC antenna from barge to land back a half year ago.
Here’s Pelicano 1‘s tender.
Since a floating shearleg crane doesn’t rotate on a frame, it uses thrusters like these to position a lift.
The first time I had an opportunity to look at a Thrustmaster was here.
For an image of a US battleship converted to a floating crane about a century ago, click here.
More as soon as I can.
tugster: a waterblog 
5 comments
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July 27, 2013 at 1:57 pm
Chris Williams (once and former ASR driver)
I suspect the Wikipedia article on Crane Ship 1 is not correct with respect to raising the Squalus. The Squalus was raised using pontoons, and it took a couple of tries to get it right. One can read about it here:
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq99-1.htm
The breakthrough was the use of control pontoons above the lifting pontoons. When the control pontoons reached the surface, the lift stopped – thus keeping the wreck’s hull more or less level. Then the wreck, suspended below the pontoons, was towed to shallower water, all the cables shortened up and another lift commenced. When I went through an overhaul at Boston in the Winter of ’69-70 the pontoons were still there, high and dry down near drydock 4.
Another relevant consideration is that Crane Ship 1 could lift 250 tons, a mighty load in those days to be sure, but a flooded fleet boat submarine weight a mite more than that. Neat reference, though.
July 29, 2013 at 12:26 pm
David Hindin
No joy for NY yet.
Local research reveals:
“Left Coast Lifter has been moving about the San Francisco Bay area recently but is now back in the Oakland Outer Harbor (OOH 7) till an undetermined date of departure”
http://goo.gl/c5ly9L
Latest image 7/10 2013
Location reference is to SFO Pier 70
http://goo.gl/CSmQAw
Latest news 5/28/2013
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_23320626/left-coast-lifter-set-leave-bay-area-after
“OAKLAND — Say adios to the celebrated Left Coast Lifter, the gigantic red-white-and-blue crane barge that hoisted some of the new Bay Bridge’s heaviest pieces into place.
It will leave its Oakland Pier 7 berth under tow in the summer and head to New York where it will help build the 3.1-mile replacement Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River.”
Earlier image dated 3/21/2013
http://goo.gl/XhvWI1
July 30, 2013 at 8:40 pm
tugster
see some even bigger cranes here: http://allyouneedislists.com/technology/buildings-machinery/top-10-largest-cranes-in-the-world/
July 31, 2013 at 12:41 am
David Hindin
“See some even bigger cranes here”?
Your link;
http://allyouneedislists.com/technology/buildings-machinery/top-10-largest-cranes-in-the-world/
10 cranes listed,only 2 photos.
Am I missing something?
;>))
July 31, 2013 at 8:46 am
tugster
i did say “some” … not “ten” 🙂