Гигантский кран «Биг Блю» из Манитовока переждал ураган в пути на военно-морскую базу в Гавайях

Manitowoc Big Blue crane waits out hurricane on way to Pearl Harbor MANITOWOC – A 200-foot "Big Blue" crane made in Manitowoc is almost at its new home at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Crane P-82, assisted by the Ocean Tower tugboat, arrived at a commercial harbor on Oahu ahead of Hurricane Lala, which passed near Hawaii in mid-August, according to the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program, a U.S. Navy organization. Read more news: Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels draws line after comment about son The Navy program said in a Facebook post that the crane rode out the hurricane in the harbor thanks to extra efforts by the tug crew, including securing it with additional mooring lines and keeping the barge pushed against the pier throughout the storm. Crews are now preparing the crane for its short final leg to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oahu. Crane P-82, assisted by the Ocean Tower tugboat, left Manitowoc on May 29 and passed through the Panama Canal from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean on July 22. Read more news: Police say Flock cameras solve crimes. Residents worry about privacy First Manitowoc Big Blue crane completed its journey The Ocean Tower tug returned to Wisconsin after towing Crane 70 from Manitowoc to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington state. That crane left Manitowoc Nov. 18, 2025, and arrived on the West Coast a few months later. The tug traveled through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean during the first few weeks of the trip, then moved down the coastline. The Ocean Tower stopped at the Port of Norfolk in Virginia before leaving for the Panama Canal on Dec. 19, according to the MarineTraffic app. According to the app, the tug then made its way up the West Coast, arriving in San Diego Feb. 6 before heading to the Port of San Francisco on Feb. 9. The second crane followed a similar journey. The Ocean Tower traveled through the Great Lakes and was at a port off the coast of New York on June 19. It continued down the eastern coastline of the U.S. before navigating through the Panama Canal. Officials from Wisconsin Heavy Fabrication estimated in November that the overall trip would take about 120 days, depending on weather. The U.S. Navy decides when the cranes ship. The cranes were finished in late 2023 and parked in the Wisconsin Heavy Fabrication docking area while they waited to travel by barge to U.S. Navy shipyards. They are part of a Navy contract and will be used to service submarines. The cranes had been expected to ship in 2024, but their departure was delayed. Why the cranes matter in Manitowoc At 200 feet tall, the cranes stand about 20 stories high and have been nicknamed "Manitowoc's skyscrapers." The cranes were designed and contracted by Finnish company Konecranes, and components were made by Broadwind, now renamed Wisconsin Heavy Fabrication. The two cranes are the third and fourth built in Manitowoc after the first, Big Blue, was constructed in 2021. The original Big Blue crane won the 2021 Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest, adding to local interest in the towering cranes as they waited along Manitowoc's lakefront. The second was a gray crane shipped in 2022 for the Army Corps of Engineers in Louisiana. It was disassembled, loaded onto a barge and taken south to Chicago, where it connected to the Mississippi River for the trip to its final destination. The massive cranes reflect Manitowoc's long shipbuilding history. During World War II, the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. built 28 submarines for the U.S. Navy. Contact reporter Patti Zarling at [email protected] or call 920-606-2575. This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc Big Blue crane waits out hurricane on way to Pearl Harbor