A crane vessel, crane ship, crane barge, or floating crane is a ship with a crane specialized in lifting heavy loads, typically exceeding 1,500 t for modern ships. The largest crane vessels are used for offshore construction.
Lodbrok is a floating crane, here in the harbor of Ystad 2020.
Seagoing monohull with heavy lift luffing and slewing crane
Taklift 4 Sheer-leg barge
Catamaran HLV Svanen with hammerhead crane
A crane is a machine used to move materials both vertically and horizontally, utilizing a system of a boom, hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves for lifting and relocating heavy objects within the swing of its boom. The device uses one or more simple machines, such as the lever and pulley, to create mechanical advantage to do its work. Cranes are commonly employed in transportation for the loading and unloading of freight, in construction for the movement of materials, and in manufacturing for the assembling of heavy equipment.
Manual crane from the late 19th century used for unloading small loads from ships at the Port of Barcelona, Spain
Reconstruction of a 10.4 m high Roman Polyspastos powered by a treadwheel at Bonn, Germany
Medieval (15th century) port crane for mounting masts and lifting cargo in Gdańsk
Double treadwheel crane in Pieter Bruegel's The Tower of Babel
