20.10.2009

83 year old crane called into service

An 83 year old floating crane, the Hikitia, believed to be the only floating steam crane in the Southern hemisphere, recently helped pay for its upkeep by moving a large Ice plant between wharves at the port of Lyttelton.

Based in Wellington the Hakitia made the trip to Lyttelton, where its sister ship Rapaki was once based, for a repaint in its dry dock. The trip was the first time that the Hikitia had left her home harbour since her arrival there in 1926.
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A photo of the 83 year old Hikitia prior to its recent repaint

“We would have had to have taken the ice plant to pieces, so it saved us a lot of time and effort,” said Lyttelton Port’s chief executive Peter Davies.

Lyttelton, like many ports no longer operates a floating crane having moved entirely to dock based cranes.

Hikitia was built in 1926 by Sir William Arrol & Co. of Glasgow. It weighs 310 tonnes and was rated to lift 80 tonnes. However, she is reported to have lifted 140 tonnes while dismantling the wreck of the Wahine that capsized in Wellington Harbour in 1968.
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The Hikitia in her prime

In 2004 she lifted a 100 tonne test weight in order to maintain her lifting license at 80 tonnes.

The Hikitia originally sailed all the way from Glasgow with its jib up, one of the longest voyages every completed by such a crane. These days it is towed around, and will be towed back to Wellington later this month.