Ideal Crane Rental Rotates Heavy Ship Hull
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May 7, 2014 - In March, the Burger Boat Co. contracted with Ideal Crane Rental to rotate the hull of The Fisheries Research Vessel ARTICUS. The 136,000-lb. hull was built by Burger Boat Co. upside down, and it needed to be rotated 180 degrees to build the rest of the ship.
Ideal Crane Rental lifts
hull of the Articus.
The lift was carried out initially with two cranes on one side and one on the other. After the hull reached a vertical position, the single crane released the load and moved to the other side to reposition between the other cranes. The three cranes then continued the rotation, and the vessel was set on its keel. The vessel was braced and released by the three cranes. The hull measured 26 ft. wide by 78 ft. long. The rotation was completed in under four hours.
The cranes involved with the rotation were a 100-ton Grove, 200-ton Liebherr, and 350-ton Grove. There were three operators, two oilers, and multiple lifting specialists with Ideal Crane Rental supporting the logistics of the lift. This is the third boat hull that Ideal Crane Rental has assisted Burger Boat Company in rotating.
The Fisheries Research Vessel arcticus will replace the existing R/V GRAYLING and will be a member of a five vessel fleet owned and operated by the U.S. Geological Survey's, Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. The primary mission of the center's fleet is to provide offshore work platforms for the support of fisheries related research projects.
The primary area of operation for the vessel will be Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The vessel will be based at the Cheboygan Vessel Base and will operate across three state boundaries, Canadian waters and treaty waters. In addition, the vessel may occasionally operate or transit on Lake Superior. The vessel will typically operate from April through November but should be capable of year round operations.
