BigLift Shipping B.V.’s m/v Happy Sky is departing Taicang with Seabridge cargo bound for Ketchikan, Alaska. The shipment includes a 756.5-tonne pontoon measuring 86 x 15 x 4 m and an 881.3-tonne ramp barge measuring 73 x 17.7 x 5 m.
According to the company, both units were carefully loaded and securely fastened on board before departure. The shipment again points to the engineering, planning and onboard execution required for this type of heavy marine transport.
Happy Sky is one of the flagships of the BigLift Shipping B.V. fleet. The vessel is fitted with two Huisman-built 900-tonne heavy lift mast cranes. In response to market demand, the crane pedestals were raised by 4 m from the original design, giving the vessel a lifting height described as unmatched in the world fleet of heavy lift vessels.
The vessel is 155 m long and has 18,680 dwt. Its length and the forward position of the superstructure provide a single large cargo hold and a wide open deck area. The ship also has folding hatch covers, a large poop deck and cargo rails, allowing the full deck area to be used for cargo stowage.
Its tween deck is adjustable in height, and the vessel is permitted to sail with open weather deck hatches at a draught of up to 7.5 m. Happy Sky also has Finnish/Swedish 1A Ice Class notation. During sea trials, the vessel achieved a service speed of 17 kn.
