By Beth David, Editor
The 300-metric ton Marine Travelift at Fairhaven Shipyard gave everyone a good scare this week when one of the tires sank into the ground as it was moving across a dirt parking lot on Union Street. Workers on scene said that the lift was being moved onto the lot to test it and pack down the dirt to make sure it would be safe to haul boats. The incident happened on Monday, 10/21/19.
A crane was not available until the next day so workers stabilized the Travelift by digging around the huge tires, placing gravel and then a metal plate, and then placing metal posts under the bar of the Travelift so it could not move.
On Tuesday, a large crane lifted the Travelift high enough for the tire to clear the hole, which was then filled with crushed stone and covered with a metal plate. Then the Travelift was on its way.
The 300-ton Marine Travelift is one of three that the Shipyard owns; the others are 30-ton and 440 ton. The tonnage amount is the amount the Travelift can carry in metric tons, i.e., the 300-ton Travelift can carry 660,000 pounds. It was unclear by press time how much the 300-ton Travelift itself weighs, but according to the Marine Travelift website the 1000-ton travelift weighs 400 tons itself. So, maybe you mathematicians/engineers out there can figure it out.
A Travelift has two large tires on each of its four corners. The Travelift straddles a docking area and lowers straps down into the water. A boat pulls in over the straps, which are then lifted to pull the boat out of the water. The Travelift is then remotely controlled to move the boat where it needs to go in the boatyard. Fairhaven Shipyard has one of the largest Travelifts on the east coast, allowing it to service large vessels from around the world.
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- Workers shovel a load of crushed stone into the hole after the tires are lifted by the crane, to free the 300-ton Marine Travelift stuck in a hole in the parking lot on Union Street in Fairhaven on 10/22/19. Photo by Jim Mahaney.
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- Two workers direct the crane operator as they wrap the straps to the cross section of the 300-ton Marine Travelift stuck in a hole in the parking lot on Union Street in Fairhaven on 10/22/19. Photo by Jim Mahaney.
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- A crane removes one of the straps from the 300-ton Marine Travelift that is stuck in a hole on Union Street near Union Wharf in Fairhaven on 10/22/19. Photo by Jim Mahaney.
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- Workers attach two very large “lifting shackles” to the crane hook. Workers then attached a strap and the hook was raised to the top of the crane where workers in a bucket up top would attach the strap to the 300-ton Marine Travelift that is stuck in a hole in the parking lot on Union Street in Fairhaven on 10/22/19. Photo by Jim Mahaney.
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- Workers try to position a metal post under the frame of the 300-ton Travelift stuck in a hole in the parking lot on Union Street in Fairhaven on 10/2/19. Photo by Beth David.
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- The 300-ton Marine Travelift at Fairhaven Shipyard is stuck in a hole in the lot on Union Street near Union Wharf on Monday, 10/21/19, as workers dig to stabilize the unit. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
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- The 300-ton Marine Travelift at Fairhaven Shipyard is stuck in a hole in the lot on Union Street near Union Wharf on Monday, 10/21/19, as workers dig to stabilize the unit. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
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- The 300-ton Marine Travelift at Fairhaven Shipyard is stuck in a hole in the lot on Union Street near Union Wharf on Monday, 10/21/19.. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
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