A towering, floating crane tasked with removing an overturned cargo ship on the Georgia coast arrived Tuesday and could begin cutting the wrecked vessel into giant chunks within a few days.
The crane, called the VB 10,000, was in place straddling the partially submerged shipwreck Tuesday afternoon, after several months in Florida undergoing preparations. Standing 255 feet tall, the crane is taller than the Sidney Lanier Bridge that typically dominates the area’s skyline.
The crane will be used to chop up and remove the South Korean ship Golden Ray. The vessel capsized Sept. 8, 2019, shortly after leaving the Port of Brunswick about 70 miles south of Savannah. More than 4,200 vehicles remain in the ship’s cargo decks.
“We’re looking at a series of tasks that need to be complete” before demolition of the ship begins, said Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Himes, a spokesman for the multi-agency command overseeing the ship’s removal. “Those tasks should take about three to five days, weather permitting.”
Resembling a giant archway of steel girders anchored to a pair of barges, the VB 10,000 is the largest floating crane sailing under a U.S. flag. It can lift loads of up to 7,500 tons.
