Share :
Heavy lift and transportation specialist ALE said it has lifted a replica of the ship commanded by explorer Captain James Cook for his voyage to Australia and New Zealand. It is one of just two full-scale replicas in the world.
The ship, weighing 274 tonnes, needed to be moved from its current berth at Stockton-on-Tees and lifted over a lock. ALE was contracted for the project and said it worked closely with the lock’s owner.
The job took place over two days. To lift the vessel, a team of divers fitted lifting equipment and heavy straps below the hull before ALE hoisted it 5 metres to clear the top of the lock. ALE used a 750 tonne crane with a 63-metre-long boom and 42 metre back mast.
“We are proud to be involved in such a landmark and prestigious project, providing the heavy lifting, ballasting and mooring,” said Jonathan Brown, project engineer for ALE. “This is a technically challenging project, with low bridges and a narrow lock to negotiate. After discussing different methodologies, we engineered a time-efficient solution that meant the ship could pass under the bridges and be lifted over the lock.”
