Heavy lift accident

A photo has emerged on the 'Net of of the heavy lift vessel 'BBC Coral' which has had something go badly wrong during commissioning of her cranes. BBC Coral is one of a series of vessel being built at Jiangzhou Union Shipbuilding for BBC Chartering, a specialist project and heavy lift operator.

The vessel is scheduled to be delivered from the Yard in April and as part of the pre-commissioning as crane test load is applied - typically using a pontoon ballasted with seawater.

What the photo has captured is the grey ballast pontoon lying half on the dock and ship with the equalizing beam, used to spread the weight between the two deck cranes connected to the after crane.

The jib of the forward crane has 'detached' from the pedestal and is lying half submerged on the dock. The Shipyard doesn't make the cranes, installing then to the ship's structure under the direction of the Manufacturer. Some serious questions for the Crane Makers?

Photo credit: Shipping Newsclippings (Piet Sinke)

AM