On March 1, the towering Big Blue #70 was spotted moving through Elliott Bay aboard barge OG 723, towed by the tug Ocean Tower. The massive, blue heavy-lift portal crane, which stands approximately 200 feet tall, is destined for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) in Bremerton, but is making a critical intermediate stop at Vigor Shipyard for final preparations.
Built in 2023 by Manitowoc and designed by the Finnish company Konecranes, the $55 million crane is part of a major U.S. Navy modernization contract. Its arrival follows an epic 7,000-mile journey that began in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and traversed the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Panama Canal. This high-profile transport route has made the crane a recurring subject in maritime and local news over the several months it took to complete its transit.
While its ultimate home is PSNS, Big Blue #70 was moved to Vigor Shipyard because the facility offers the unique combination of pier space and heavy-lift capability required for final assembly, inspection, and commissioning work. At Vigor, crews will perform load testing, structural integrity checks, and safety system verification. They will also reinstall structural components and reconnect electrical and hydraulic systems that were removed or secured for the long ocean transit. This intermediate stop ensures that these complex tasks do not disrupt active Navy traffic at PSNS operational piers.…