Florida USA-based maritime salvaging company, Titan Maritime, has started construction of what it claims to be the world’s first disassembling portable sheerleg crane. The Heavy Lift Salvage Tool (HLST) consists of two portable, 1,000t capacity sheerleg cranes and corresponding 1,000t deck tackle. When used in tandem and with Titan’s linear chain pullers, the HLST will have a maximum lifting capacity of 4,000t.

It is being built in Malaysia to Germanisher Lloyd class and the certification from this will cover all structural elements, hoisting appliances and auxiliary equipment required for the installation and operation of the crane. Titan plans to use the finished HLST for offshore salvage, construction and oil field work.

Titan claims that the HLST is capable of being set up on any available 91.44m by 27.432m barge or either of the two cranes can be individually set up on a 76.2m by 21.9456m barge.

Each of the two sheerlegs are designed to be dismantled and stored in standard size intermodal shipping containers. Some parts are the actual size and shape of shipping containers to make storage and transport easier. This design also reduces the total volume of crane components for shipping. Once dismantled and stored in containers, the HLST can be either shipped or airlifted to destinations around the world.

This quick deployment, explains Titan president David Parrot, was one of the main reasons behind the idea for the HLST: “Over the years, we experienced frustration in being able to quickly obtain the services of heavy lift sheerlegs in some locations. The concept of the portable sheerlegs is an extension of the rapid response service we currently provide.”

The cranes were designed by German company Overdick & Partners and are being built in Malaysia by Muhibbah Maritime Engineering. Titan had looked at designs from several Dutch and German companies before choosing the Overdick blueprint and chose Muhibbah because Titan has been contracted by the Malaysian company to remove the wreck of the 14,000t ship the An Tai from the dock in Port Klang in Malaysia. Raising this ship will be the first contract for the HLST when it is fully built. Once finished, the crane will also have its sea trial in this region.

Each of the giant sheerlegs cranes have been named, Response and Results, from the Titan corporate motto. Titan has already been in the news this year for salvaging an American Civil War submarine from the coast of South Carolina. The H.L Hunley was part of the Confederate fleet during the war and had been responsible for sinking the United States Navy’s largest warship, the Huosatonic during the war.

The submarine was sunk in 1864 and Titan used its jack up barge, the Karlissa B, to install two suction piles into the sea bed and lower a truss over the submarine.

With the vessel suspended on the truss, the Karlissa B was used to lift the submarine out of the ocean where it had lain for 136 years.