Floating crane Titan
Encyclopedia
Titan was a floating crane that operated in Sydney Harbour from 1919 until 1991. She was fabricated in Carlisle
in the United Kingdom, then sent to Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney for assembly, before entering service with the Royal Australian Navy
(RAN).
After being declared surplus to requirements, the crane became the property of Cockatoo Island Dockyard, which operated it until the dockyard's closure in 1991. Although heritage-listed, Titan was sold to a Singaporean company, and authorisation was given to tow her to Singapore in 1992. During the tow, the crane's barge inverted on 24 December, and the crane was scuttled five days later.
, then transported to in parts Australia for assembly at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney
. Ordered on 5 October 1916, construction at Cockatoo commenced on 7 March 1917. The crane was launched on 5 December 1917. However, during construction, the 40-ton lead screws for the crane's jib arm were lost when the merchant ship Afric was torpedoed. The crane could be used in a limited capability, although it was not until 1919 that replacement screws of sufficient quality were acquired. Titan was completed on 3 December 1919. On completion, the crane was handed over to the RAN.
Titans cantilever-jib arm could reach 190 feet (57.9 m) above the surface at maximum extension. The crane could lift up to 150 tonnes (147.6 LT) at an arm radius of 90 feet (27.4 m), or 125 tonnes (123 LT) at 125 feet (38.1 m). Two 75 tonnes (73.8 LT) counterweights were used to ballast the load; water ballast tanks could also be used, but this rarely occurred. The crane was supported by a lattice mast fitted to a riveted-steel pontoon barge that was 176 feet (53.6448 m) long, 79 in 8 in (24.28 m) wide, and had a depth of 13 feet (4 m). The crane was not self-propelled, and required two or three tugboats to manoeuvre her around. Power for lifting and rotating was supplied by a coal-fired boiler supplying three steam generators (two 220 kilowatt generators and a 44 kilowatt auxiliary). The only connection between the crane arm and the lattice mast were drive shafts for the slewing (rotational) motors. Titan had a maximum displacement
of 2125 tonnes (2,091.4 LT).
, and was occasionally used for the salvage of vessels sunk in the harbour. Early in her career, the crane was used throughout the entire harbour, but the barge's poor seakeeping
ability made it dangerous to tow the crane across Sydney Heads
, and she was later banned from operating north and east of Bradleys Head.
A modernisation of Titan began in the late 1960s. During the modernisation, the RAN decided that the crane was surplus to requirements, and suspended the upgrade in 1975. Cockatoo Island Dockyard saw the value of keeping Titan in service, and continued the upgrades, including replacement of the steam-powered system with diesel generators.
In 1989, surveyors refused to renew the crane's port craft licence because of the age of the vessel; in particular, rivets used during the pontoon's construction were showing signs of wear-and-tear. The dwindling need for the crane's services and the cost of completely refurbishing the craft saw the dockyard remove Titan from commercial service in 1991. Approval for short-term projects was granted over the following two years, including the unloading and reloading of the locomotive Flying Scotsman during its visit to Australia, and the dismantling of a shore-based crane at Cockatoo Island.
Ten minutes before 23:00 on 24 December, observers aboard Rapuhia felt the ship jerk, and noticed that the navigational lights on Titan were no longer visible; further inspection found that the tow-line had snapped, and the barge was found nearby, having rolled over. The official report states that Rapuhia towed the barge south to a suitable area for scuttling
, but several people involved in the salvage and scuttling operation claim that the towing cable wrapped around the propeller shafts, and both Rapuhia and Titan drifted without control until divers cut the cable free. The crane arm fell off while the pontoon was inverted.
The barge was manoeuvred to a point 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) south-east of Camden Head. After several days inspection, it was determined that the remains could not be salvaged, and plans were made to scuttle
her. A combination of a lift balloon and the cutting of holes in the bilges allowed the barge to brought from an inverted position to roughly 90 degrees from vertical, before she was scuttled on 29 December 1t 09:00, sinking on 33 metres (108.3 ft) of water. Subsequent investigation by the Department of Transport and Communication found that several rivets had failed on the starboard side of the pontoon, causing it to take large volumes of water. This loss of stability, combined with ocean and water conditions, plus the stresses of the tow resulted in Titan rolling over and capsizing.
City of Carlisle
The City of Carlisle is a local government district of Cumbria, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Carlisle, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown, as well as outlying villages...
in the United Kingdom, then sent to Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney for assembly, before entering service with the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
(RAN).
After being declared surplus to requirements, the crane became the property of Cockatoo Island Dockyard, which operated it until the dockyard's closure in 1991. Although heritage-listed, Titan was sold to a Singaporean company, and authorisation was given to tow her to Singapore in 1992. During the tow, the crane's barge inverted on 24 December, and the crane was scuttled five days later.
Design and construction
Titan was fabricated in the United Kingdom during World War I by Cowans, Sheldon & Company of CarlisleCity of Carlisle
The City of Carlisle is a local government district of Cumbria, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Carlisle, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown, as well as outlying villages...
, then transported to in parts Australia for assembly at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Ordered on 5 October 1916, construction at Cockatoo commenced on 7 March 1917. The crane was launched on 5 December 1917. However, during construction, the 40-ton lead screws for the crane's jib arm were lost when the merchant ship Afric was torpedoed. The crane could be used in a limited capability, although it was not until 1919 that replacement screws of sufficient quality were acquired. Titan was completed on 3 December 1919. On completion, the crane was handed over to the RAN.
Titans cantilever-jib arm could reach 190 feet (57.9 m) above the surface at maximum extension. The crane could lift up to 150 tonnes (147.6 LT) at an arm radius of 90 feet (27.4 m), or 125 tonnes (123 LT) at 125 feet (38.1 m). Two 75 tonnes (73.8 LT) counterweights were used to ballast the load; water ballast tanks could also be used, but this rarely occurred. The crane was supported by a lattice mast fitted to a riveted-steel pontoon barge that was 176 feet (53.6448 m) long, 79 in 8 in (24.28 m) wide, and had a depth of 13 feet (4 m). The crane was not self-propelled, and required two or three tugboats to manoeuvre her around. Power for lifting and rotating was supplied by a coal-fired boiler supplying three steam generators (two 220 kilowatt generators and a 44 kilowatt auxiliary). The only connection between the crane arm and the lattice mast were drive shafts for the slewing (rotational) motors. Titan had a maximum displacement
Displacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
of 2125 tonnes (2,091.4 LT).
Operational history
Titans main purpose was to provide heavy lifting services for Cockatoo Island Dockyard; installing ships' boilers and propulsion equipment, transporting heavy machinery to and from the island, and launching small craft. The crane also saw use unloading heavy deck cargo from ships, assisted in the construction of power plants, bridges, and other structures around Sydney Harbour and the attached tributariesTributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
, and was occasionally used for the salvage of vessels sunk in the harbour. Early in her career, the crane was used throughout the entire harbour, but the barge's poor seakeeping
Seakeeping
Seakeeping ability is a measure of how well-suited a watercraft is to conditions when underway. A ship or boat which has good seakeeping ability is said to be very seaworthy and is able to operate effectively even in high sea states....
ability made it dangerous to tow the crane across Sydney Heads
Sydney Heads
Sydney Heads , is the entrance to Port Jackson in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.North Head and Quarantine Head are to the north, South Head and Dunbar Head are to the south. Middle Head, Georges Head and Chowder Head are to the west and within the bay...
, and she was later banned from operating north and east of Bradleys Head.
In 1989, surveyors refused to renew the crane's port craft licence because of the age of the vessel; in particular, rivets used during the pontoon's construction were showing signs of wear-and-tear. The dwindling need for the crane's services and the cost of completely refurbishing the craft saw the dockyard remove Titan from commercial service in 1991. Approval for short-term projects was granted over the following two years, including the unloading and reloading of the locomotive Flying Scotsman during its visit to Australia, and the dismantling of a shore-based crane at Cockatoo Island.
Sinking
After the closure of Cockatoo Island Dockyard, the Australian government decided to sell Titan. She was initially sold in April 1992 to a New Zealand company, which originally intended to return her to service. However, there was no longer any demand for the crane's services in Sydney, and Titan was on-sold to the Singapore-based Wirana Shipping Corporation in December 1992. Although Titan was listed for protection under the Protection of Moveable Cultural Heritage Act 1986, permission to export the crane to Singapore was approved on the condition that she return to Sydney by July 1995. The crane left Sydney Harbour on 23 December 1992, towed by Wirana's Rapuhia, a former research vessel. Although Rapuhia was physically capable of towing the crane, she was unregistered, and several safety certifications had expired or lapsed.Ten minutes before 23:00 on 24 December, observers aboard Rapuhia felt the ship jerk, and noticed that the navigational lights on Titan were no longer visible; further inspection found that the tow-line had snapped, and the barge was found nearby, having rolled over. The official report states that Rapuhia towed the barge south to a suitable area for scuttling
Scuttling
Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
, but several people involved in the salvage and scuttling operation claim that the towing cable wrapped around the propeller shafts, and both Rapuhia and Titan drifted without control until divers cut the cable free. The crane arm fell off while the pontoon was inverted.
The barge was manoeuvred to a point 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) south-east of Camden Head. After several days inspection, it was determined that the remains could not be salvaged, and plans were made to scuttle
Scuttle
Scuttle may refer to:*Scuttling, the deliberate sinking of one's own ship*Coal scuttle, a bucket-like container for coal*Shaving scuttle, a teapot-like container for hot water*Scuttle, a fictional character in Disney's The Little Mermaid...
her. A combination of a lift balloon and the cutting of holes in the bilges allowed the barge to brought from an inverted position to roughly 90 degrees from vertical, before she was scuttled on 29 December 1t 09:00, sinking on 33 metres (108.3 ft) of water. Subsequent investigation by the Department of Transport and Communication found that several rivets had failed on the starboard side of the pontoon, causing it to take large volumes of water. This loss of stability, combined with ocean and water conditions, plus the stresses of the tow resulted in Titan rolling over and capsizing.
External links
- Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Website - History of Titan and information regarding scuba diving at the wreck
- National Archives of Australia - List of archived records relating to Cockatoo Island Dockyard, including some related to Titan