History was again made in Manitowoc today (Sunday) as the Konecranes #38 Crane left the Port City just after 9:30 Sunday morning.
The $55-million dollar, 170-ton Big Blue left via barge and two tugboats from the Manitowoc Peninsula with numerous onlookers lining the riverbank to watch the historic event. They all expressed a sense of pride to witness what was happening on a beautiful Sunday morning.
“Kind of enjoyable to see manufacturing like this taking place, a remnant of what it used to be but nevertheless, it’s great to see. I remember submarines being launched sideways as a 4-year-old boy. It’s really neat to see the crane and realize the people in Manitowoc have such a skilled labor force at this point in the game. To build something like that is phenomenal for this area and it’s great to see. Absolutely, I’m glad to see something like this come back to the area after losing the other cranes. Hopefully it’ll keep going and we’ll have more of ‘em.”
The firm charged with transporting Big Blue is Ox Bo of Scappoose, Oregon. Seehafer News spoke at the scene with company spokesman, Andy Hulings. “We’ve got a team of engineering that we used between marine and structural engineers, guys that know the equipment and then our operators. So, there’s been a lot of stuff as for actually carrying the crane, integrity and stability of the barge, ballasting operations and all kinds of different avenues.
Also looking on Sunday morning with special appreciation was Joe Walters of Manitowoc, who formerly worked on the peninsula.
“I worked down here in 1966 and at that time they were putting out a crane a day. And as I look at the blue crane now, I would’ve never dreamt they would build something like this. It’s great to have it back isn’t it? Yes, it is.”
The partnership to build the first of several such cranes involved Konecranes, Broadwind Heavy Industries, the state and the city of Manitowoc. The journey to the US Navy Shipyard in Portsmouth, Maine is expected to take 3-to-3-and-a-half weeks as it winds through the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway and finally to its’ shipyard destination. Local developer Alex Allie told us earlier the Big Blue Crane will be used for refitting the Los Angeles Class nuclear submarine, so, it’s picking out the nuclear reactors, putting parts on board, anything related to those subs.
