Hikitia
Encyclopedia
Hikitia is a working self-propelled floating steam crane in Wellington
, New Zealand
. She is thought to be the only working steam crane of her type in the world. She is also the sister ship to the Rapaki, formerly of the Port of Lyttelton
, which is now at the New Zealand Maritime Museum.
with two furnaces. A similar but oil-fired boiler replaced the original boiler in 1963. In 1980 this was also removed and the present two locally made small modern package boilers were installed. These new boilers produce less steam than the original ones.
and the crane was built by Sir William Arrol & Co.
of Glasgow. The crane alone weighs 310 tonnes, and was built to lift 80 tonnes. However, while dismantling the wreck of the Wahine
it is thought that she lifted 140 tonnes. In 2004 she lifted 100 tonnes to maintain her lifting license of 80 tonnes. Her most recent lift was a 20 tonne ice plant in Lyttelton.
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. She is thought to be the only working steam crane of her type in the world. She is also the sister ship to the Rapaki, formerly of the Port of Lyttelton
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
, which is now at the New Zealand Maritime Museum.
Engines
Twin screws are driven by surface condensing direct drive compound engines which were supplied with steam by a coal fired Scotch boilerScotch marine boiler
A "Scotch" marine boiler is a design of steam boiler best known for its used on ships.The general layout is that of a squat horizontal cylinder. One or more large cylindrical furnaces are in the lower part of the boiler shell. Above this is a large number of small-diameter fire-tubes...
with two furnaces. A similar but oil-fired boiler replaced the original boiler in 1963. In 1980 this was also removed and the present two locally made small modern package boilers were installed. These new boilers produce less steam than the original ones.
Crane
The hull of the vessel was built by Fleming & FergusonFleming & Ferguson
Fleming and Ferguson was a Scottish marine engineering and shipbuilding company that traded between 1877 and 1969.-1877–1914:W.Y. Fleming and P. Ferguson founded the company in Paisley, Scotland in 1877, making marine steam engines. In 1885 they expanded into shipbuilding by taking over the...
and the crane was built by Sir William Arrol & Co.
Sir William Arrol & Co.
Sir William Arrol & Co. was a leading Scottish civil engineering business founded by William Arrol and based in Glasgow. It built some of the most famous bridges in the United Kingdom including the Forth Bridge and Tower Bridge in London.-Early history:...
of Glasgow. The crane alone weighs 310 tonnes, and was built to lift 80 tonnes. However, while dismantling the wreck of the Wahine
Wahine disaster
The Wahine disaster occurred on 10 April 1968 when the TEV Wahine, a New Zealand inter-island ferry of the Union Company, foundered on Barrett Reef at the entrance to Wellington Harbour and capsized near Steeple Rock...
it is thought that she lifted 140 tonnes. In 2004 she lifted 100 tonnes to maintain her lifting license of 80 tonnes. Her most recent lift was a 20 tonne ice plant in Lyttelton.
Refurbishment
Hikitia travelled to Lyttelton in June 2009 for hull, tail shaft and various other underwater repairs. While in Lyttelton, she moved an ice plant between wharves to repay part of her refurbishment at the port's dry dock. The venture south was the ship's first time out of Wellington since 1926.External links
- Hikitia Heavy Lift Ltd
- Crane Event from Heritage New Zealand, Autumn 2005
- Maritime Archaeological Association of New Zealand
- Official website