Reference
Heavy-Lift
Cranes rated in hundreds of tonnes. What it carries, how it is built and the limits that define the class.
- Cargo gear
- Heavy-lift derricks or cranes, often twin
- Capacity measured in
- Lift capacity in tonnes; deck area in square metres
- Typical size
- Single lifts from 100 to over 1,000 tonnes
- Cargo type
- Indivisible heavy pieces
About heavy-lift ships
Ships built to load, carry and discharge single pieces far too heavy for ordinary ship's gear — transformers, refinery modules, port cranes, turbine assemblies, yachts and other floating plant.
Two cranes working in tandem can lift more than either alone, and the largest ships handle single pieces well over a thousand tonnes. Decks are strengthened for extreme point loads and are usually left open and unobstructed.
Some are semi-submersible: the ship ballasts down until its deck is beneath the surface, the cargo is floated into position over it, and the ship deballasts to lift the cargo out of the water. That is how drilling rigs and other vessels are moved.
What it carries
How it is built
- Beyond port and process plant, these ships carry the components of major construction and energy projects — bridge and dam sections, drilling rigs and wind turbines.
- A hull and equipment fit built around one cargo type rather than general trade.
- Purpose-built handling gear — heavy-lift derricks, stern and side ramps, ventilation systems or refrigeration plant, depending on the trade.
- Structure reinforced where that specific cargo demands it, whether for point loads, vehicle decks or multiple tween decks.
Why it is used
- Handles cargo that no general-purpose ship can take safely or economically.
- Purpose-built handling equipment keeps port time short in trades where shore facilities are limited.
- Often the only practical option for the trade it serves.
What to check before fixing
- A narrow trade means limited availability and less competitive pricing than open-market tonnage.
- Ballast legs are common, because the specialised fit often has no return cargo.
- Many of these trades carry their own regulatory regime on top of normal cargo rules.
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