Heavy-lift ship

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MV Blue Marlin carrying USS Cole after being holed by an Al-Qaeda explosive.
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MV Dan Lifter returns RFA Sir Tristram to the United Kingdom in 1983 after she was badly damaged during the Falklands War of 1982.
The incomplete Australian landing helicopter dock HMAS Adelaide embarked on Blue Marlin Vigo Soldando el portaaviones HMAS Adelaide sobre el buque-plataforma Blue Marlin (11359189116).jpg
The incomplete Australian landing helicopter dock HMAS Adelaide embarked on Blue Marlin
Cosco Shipping Zhi Yan Kou in Curacao carrying three smaller vessels on board. Zhi Yuan Kou on front of Queen Juliana Bridge in Curacao.jpg
Cosco Shipping Zhi Yan Kou in Curaçao carrying three smaller vessels on board.
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Spliethoff groups yacht transport semi-submersible Super Servant 4 in Curaçao.
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Project cargo ship Happy Diamond berthed at Fremantle, Australia

A heavy-lift ship is a vessel designed to move very large loads that cannot be handled by normal ships. They are of two types:

Contents

Description

There are several types of heavy-lift ships:

Semi-submersible ships

Semi-submersible heavy-lift ships have a long and low well deck between a forward pilot house and an aft machinery space. In superficial appearance, it is somewhat similar to a dry bulk carrier or some forms of oil tanker. Its ballast tanks can be flooded to lower the well deck below the water's surface, allowing oil platforms, other vessels, or other floating cargo to be moved into position for loading (float-on/float-off). The tanks are then pumped out, and the well deck rises to shoulder the load. To balance the cargo, the various tanks can be pumped unevenly. [2]

Float-on/float off vessels transport oil drilling rigs. Such ships can carry the rigs from their construction site to a drilling site at roughly three to four times the speed of a self-deploying rig. Rapid deployment of the rig to the drilling site can translate into major savings. They also transport other out-sized cargo and yachts. [4]

The U.S. Navy has used such ships to bring damaged warships back to the United States for repair. [5] The first was the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts, which was nearly sunk by a naval mine in the central Persian Gulf on 14 April 1988. The frigate was towed to Dubai, then floated home to Newport, Rhode Island, aboard Mighty Servant 2. [6]

Eleven years later, MV Blue Marlin transported the U.S. guided missile destroyer USS Cole from Aden, Yemen, to Pascagoula, Mississippi, after the warship was damaged in a bombing attack on 12 October 2000.

USS Fitzgerald was transported from Japan to Alabama after its 2017 collision with ACX Crystal.

The U.S. Navy has also chartered other heavy lift ships to carry smaller craft, usually mine-countermeasure craft, or other patrol craft. Since there are no US-flagged heavy float-on/float-off ships, the U.S. Navy normally relies on its Military Sealift Command to charter them from the world commercial market. [5]

In 2004, Blue Marlin carried the world's largest semi-submersible oil platform, BP's Thunder Horse PDQ, from the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering shipyard in South Korea to Kiewit Offshore Services in Ingleside, Texas. [7]

Many of the larger ships of this class are owned by the company Dockwise, including Mighty Servant 1, Blue Marlin, and MV Black Marlin. In 2004, Dockwise increased the deck width of Blue Marlin, to make it the then-largest heavy transport carrier in the world until it was surpassed by the launch of Dockwise Vanguard in 2012. One of the company's vessels, Mighty Servant 2, capsized and sank after hitting an uncharted single underwater isolated pinnacle of granite off Indonesia in November 1999.

Cosco Shipping has available a fleet of 16 different size semi-submersible vessels which they claim to be the world's largest semi-submersible heavy lift fleet. [8] [9]

Dutch Spliethoff groups DYT Yacht Transport provides services with this type of vessel to yacht owners enabling to have their yacht "where it needs to be, when it needs to be there". [10]

Project cargo ships

Project cargo ships are non-submersible ships that load large and heavy cargo items with one or more on-board cranes. Such vessels have between 13,000 and 19,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) capacity. Examples of cargo transported includes container cranes, bridge sections, and suction piles. [3]

History

In the 1920s, the Bremen-based shipping company DDG Hansa saw a growing demand of shipments for assembled locomotives to British India. That led to the construction of the world's first heavy lift vessel, SS Lichtenfels with a 120  t (118 long tons ; 132 short tons ) derrick. [11] After World War II, DDG Hansa became the world's largest heavy lift shipping company. In terms of lifting capacity it reached its peak in 1978 with refitting the Japanese-built bulk carrier MV Trifels with two 320- tonne (315- long-ton ; 353- short-ton ) Stülcken derricks. Shortly after that, in 1980, DDG went bankrupt. With that, only the Dutch shipping companies Jumbo, BigLift Shipping (until 2001 named Mammoet Shipping) and SAL Heavy lift [12] were left as heavy lift shipping specialists.

See also

Related Research Articles

MV <i>Blue Marlin</i> Semi-submersible heavy-lift ship

Blue Marlin and her sister ship MV Black Marlin compose the Marlin class of semisubmersible heavy-lift ships operated by Dockwise Shipping of the Netherlands. Designed to transport very large, semisubmersible drilling rigs above the transport ship's deck, she is equipped with 38 cabins to accommodate 60 people, a workout room, sauna and swimming facilities, and a secure citadel for protection against pirate attacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semi-submersible platform</span> Marine vessel used in offshore roles with good stability and seakeeping

A semi-submersible platform is a specialised marine vessel used in offshore roles including as offshore drilling rigs, safety vessels, oil production platforms, and heavy lift cranes. They have good ship stability and seakeeping, better than drillships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Platform supply vessel</span> Ship used to supply offshore platforms

A platform supply vessel (PSV) is a ship specially designed to supply offshore oil and gas platforms and other offshore installations. They typically range from 50 to 100 metres in length and are distinguished by the large open deck area used to store supplies and house equipment and to allow for efficient loading and offloading. The primary function for most of these vessels is logistic support and transportation of goods, tools, equipment, and personnel to and from their destination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roll-on/roll-off</span> Vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels

Roll-on/roll-off ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using a platform vehicle, such as a self-propelled modular transporter. This is in contrast to lift-on/lift-off (LoLo) vessels, which use a crane to load and unload cargo.

<i>Mighty Servant 2</i> Semisubmersible heavy-lift ship (1983–1999)

Mighty Servant 2 was a 29,000-ton semi-submersible, heavy-lift ship operated by Dockwise. The ship drew worldwide attention in 1988 for transporting the mine-damaged USS Samuel B. Roberts from Dubai to Newport, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crane vessel</span> Ship with a crane specialized for lifting heavy loads

A crane vessel, crane ship, crane barge, or floating crane is a ship with a crane specialized in lifting heavy loads, typically exceeding 1,500 t for modern ships. The largest crane vessels are used for offshore construction.

Mighty Servant 3 Semisubmersible heavy-lift ship

Mighty Servant 3 is a 27,000-ton semi-submersible heavy lift ship. Its deck is 40 by 140 m. The vessel was built in 1984 by Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in Ōshima, Japan, for Dutch shipping firm Wijsmuller Transport, which merged in 1993 with Dock Express Shipping to become Breda-based offshore heavy lifting group Dockwise Shipping B.V.

<i>Mighty Servant 1</i> Semisubmersible heavy-lift ship

Mighty Servant 1 is a 29,000-ton heavy-lift ship capable of carrying very large vessels and offshore platforms. Built for Dutch shipping firm Wijsmuller Transport, which merged in 1993 with Dock Express Shipping to become Breda-based offshore heavy lifting group, Dockwise Shipping B.V. Mighty Servant 1 carried structures such as oil rigs and floating drydocks. Originally 40 m (130 ft) wide, she was increased to 50 m (160 ft) in 1999 to lift the production rig Petrobras 36 or P36.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heavy lift</span>

In transportation, heavy lift refers to the handling and installation of heavy items which are indivisible, and of weights generally accepted to be over 100 tons and of widths/heights of more than 100 meters. These oversized items are transported from one place to another, then lifted or installed into place. Characteristic for heavy-lift goods is the absence of standardization, which requires individual transport planning.

Yacht transport is the shipping of a yacht to a destination instead of sailing or motoring it. Yacht transport is an alternative to the traditional passaging to reach desired destinations around the globe. Transport when compared to passaging is cost-effective, safer and improves availability.

MV <i>Target</i>

MV Target is a semi-submersible heavy transport ship, built by Brodosplit in Yugoslavia.

Dockwise was a Netherlands-based holding company in the marine transport industry. It was acquired by Boskalis in 2013 and was merged into the Boskalis brand name in 2018.

<i>Thunder Horse</i> PDQ Offshore oil drilling platform

Thunder HorsePDQ is a BP plc and ExxonMobil joint venture semi-submersible oil platform on location over the Mississippi Canyon Thunder Horse oil field, in deepwater Gulf of Mexico, 150 miles (240 km) southeast of New Orleans, moored in waters of 1,840 metres (6,040 ft). The "PDQ" identifies the platform as being a Production and oil Drilling facility with crew Quarters.

<i>Hermod</i> (ship)

SSCV Hermod was a semi-submersible crane vessel operated by Heerema Marine Contractors.

BOKA Vanguard Semisubmersible heavy-lift ship

BOKA Vanguard is a semisubmersible heavy-lift ship owned and operated by Dockwise B.V. Dockwise Vanguard is the largest vessel of her type ever built, and is able to carry cargoes up to 110,000 tonnes. Dockwise Vanguard was designed to move offshore oil and gas facilities, but can also carry other ships and act as an offshore dry-dock facility.

A semi-submersible naval vessel is a hybrid warship, that combines the properties of a surface ship and submarine by using water ballast to partially immerse and minimize its above-waterline profile, thereby improving its stealth characteristics when in hostile waters. The USS Monitor was an antecedent to such craft with its low-profile deck and gun turret. Russian and North Korean semi-submersible naval vessels evolved from torpedo boats and special forces boats that could partially submerge to perform their missions. The US Navy SEALs use such vessels for clandestine special forces actions. Efforts to embody advantageous surface-ship characteristics into submarines have not been widely adopted.

The Chinese float-on/float-off ship Donghai Island is the first unit of a class of very little known naval auxiliary ship currently in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The exact type remains unknown, and only a single unit of this class have been confirmed in active service as of 2020s, with pennant number 868. The float-on/float-off capability of the Donghai class is achieved via its semi-submersible hull design. This ship has received NATO reporting name Modified Hansa Sonderberg class, because it is derived from the Hans Sonderberg-class anchor handling tug supply vessel designed specifically for heavy-lifting and transporting large and heavy equipment such as oil rigs, and Donghai Island performs similar functions.

USS <i>ABSD-5</i> WWII American floating drydock

USS ABSD-5, later redesignated as AFDB-5, was a nine-section, non-self-propelled, large auxiliary floating drydock of the US Navy. Advance Base Sectional Dock-5 was constructed in sections during 1943 and 1944 by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company in Morgan City, Louisiana for World War II. With all nine sections joined, she was 825 feet long, 28 feet tall, and with an inside clear width of 133 feet 7 inches. ABSD-5 had two traveling 15-ton capacity crane with an 85-foot radius and two or more support barges. The two side walls were folded down under tow to reduce wind resistance and lower the center of gravity. ABSD-5 had 6 capstans for pulling, each rated at 24,000 lbf (110,000 N) at 30 ft/min (0.15 m/s), 4 of the capstans were reversible. There were also 4 ballast compartments in each section.

MV <i>Xin Guang Hua</i>

MV Xin Guang Hua is a semi-submersible heavy-lift ship operated by COSCO Shipping. She is the largest Chinese vessel of her type and the second-largest in the world, exceeded only by BOKA Vanguard.

Ocean development refers to the establishing of human activities at sea and use of the ocean, as well as its governance.

References

  1. ↑ "Zhi Yuan Kou". COSCO Heavy Transport. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  2. 1 2 Wijnolst, N.; Wergeland, Tor (2009), Shipping Innovation, IOS Press, p. 831, ISBN   9781586039431
  3. 1 2 van Hoorn, Frank (2008), "Heavy-lift transport ships—Overview of existing fleet and future developments", in Choo, Yoo Sang; Edelson, David N. (eds.), Marine Operations Specialty Symposium, Singapore: Research Publishing Services, pp. 83–99, ISBN   9789810802264
  4. ↑ Golson, Jordan (July 8, 2014). "The Enormous Ship That Submerges Itself to Carry Entire Oil Rigs". WIRED. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  5. 1 2 D'Costa, Ian (August 13, 2017). "These are the massive ships the Navy uses to carry other ships around". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  6. ↑ "No Higher Honor: USS Roberts Aboard Mighty Servant II". Navybook. 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  7. ↑ "Projects: Thunder Horse PDQ". Dockwise. 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  8. ↑ "Semi-Submersible Fleet". COSCO Heavy Transport. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  9. ↑ "COSCO SHIPPING Specialized's XIANG TAI KOU Delivered". COSCO Heavy Transport. 16 January 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  10. ↑ "DYT Yacht Transport". DYT Yacht Transport. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  11. ↑ "Lichtenfels". DDG Hansa. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  12. ↑ "SAL Heavy Lift – We Innovate Solutions - Home". sal-heavylift.com.
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