Huisman has won a contract for the Happy S mast cranes from Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore Co., Ltd. (DSOC). The order covers two units for BigLift Shipping’s heavy lift newbuild, each rated at 1,100 tonnes at 23 metres outreach, the supplier announced on 19 October 2026.
Happy S is a sister ship of Happy Star. The cranes will be built at Huisman’s Zhangzhou plant in China.
The booms can be secured in an upright position for sea transport. This leaves deck space available for oversized cargo that would otherwise be restricted by a boom stowed horizontally.
Electric drives will power both units, with an integrated power management system sharing the electricity available from the ship’s grid between the cranes.
In its description of the mast crane design, Huisman lists wireless remote control, power regeneration and tandem operation, under which one operator can control the pair. The design also uses a small foundation and has limited tail swing, low structural weight and a low centre of gravity. The company says the layout improves the operator’s view.
A Super Fly-jib is listed as an optional feature of the crane design.
The partnership between Huisman and BigLift Shipping began in 1984, when Happy Buccaneer received the supplier’s first mast crane of this type. The supplier says that crane served for more than 40 years and that its worldwide deliveries of mast cranes now exceed 100 units.
