Towers:
(Satellite)Heavy: (
Satellite)
The peninsula in Manitowoc, WI, initially was used by Manitowoc Shipbuilding. Then Manitowoc moved their shipbuilding operations to Sturgeon Bay. That operation is now owned by
Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. Manitowoc's operation on the peninsula became
Manitowoc Engineering and had transitioned to building cranes and other products such as debarkers. When Manitowoc built a bigger factor south of town, Broadwind acquired the peninsula location to build wind turbine towers. It takes advantage of the river to
ship some of the towers by barge.
I presume this is the inside of a wind turbine tower so it appears Broadwind Towers is part of Broadwind even though their web site doesn't mention it.
Konecranes is using Broadwind's fabrication expertise and Manitowocs access to the St. Lawrence Seaway to building eight shipyard cranes over 10 year period for $410m for the US Navy.
Ben Stalvey commented on a
post:
https://www.seehafernews.com/.../details-on-big-navy.../ |
Bill Pohlmann posted
A pair of 888s working on a massive Konecranes dock crane on the old Manitowoc peninsula.
[Actually, it is across the river from the peninsula.]
Judging by the buildings in the background of Bill's photo, they are using the land of the Burger Boat Company for the erection site. Wrong on both counts, I'm afraid. The river makes a horseshoe around the "peninsula" and Burger and St. Mary's cement are on the same side of the river I was standing on, behind and across the river from the Broadwind/ex-Manitowoc Company site. Bill Pohlmann The hanger-like building in the background, the trees on the hill and the boat gantry in the lower right corner sure looks like Burger Boat Co. to me. It looks to me that you were standing on the peninsula. But you say you were taking a photo of the peninsula. So I'll stand confused. And judging by the photo in the article [see below], they are also using a slip for the St. Marys Cement Terminal. |
It looks like they are building one of these:
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Dennis DeBruler commented on Bill's post
It looks like the base for one of these, [We can see the yellow boom in the foreground of Bill's photo.] |
I published this today because I just learned that Konecranes also makes
container cranes.
Update:
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Ben Stalvey shared
A 170 ton Port Crane going to a naval yard. |
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Broadwind Heavy Fabrications posted
Welcome to the next installment of how we “Think Big” at Broadwind! We are proud to say our Manitowoc team has completed another large, fabricated crane component. This portal structure tops the scale at over 200,000 lbs. and can make anyone look small. The next task is to transport this single component to the crane pad on our campus, which is no small task.
Tune in next week to see our progress, as we will share the event.
Connor Siemers shared |
I passed up how they moved that portal structure out to their assembly area because it was just another example of using
SPMTs. And it left me with the question of how were they going to get it on top of the four "wheeled legs." Fortunately, I came across an answer to that question.
ALL Erection and Crane Rental
posted two photos with the comment: "Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental, a member of the ALL Family of Companies, had not one, but TWO Liebherr LTM1450 all-terrains working together on a dual pick. What you see here being lifted is a "crane portal," a heavy framework for pedestal or track mounted crane, similar to the carbody on a conventional crawler crane. This one piece weighed in at about 350,000 lbs."
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This confirms that those cranes have 8 axles. They are rated for 550 US tons (450 metric tons).]
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Nov 10, 2022: AJ Berkout posted
From this past Thursday (11-10-22) morning: I hadn't been down to see the changes along the river at the end of Chicago and North 11th Streets. It's open again and a great place to watch the cement barges as they make their way up the river. Also, got a photo of the crane under construction across the river. |
I wonder how many cranes they have built so far.
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Aug 28, 2023: 1 of 4 photos posted by Paul Solin
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safe_image for 4:29 video
Hello Everyone, Lots of excitement coming soon for " Big Things" on our "Cool Coast"line. Also, work has been progressing on the River Point boat slip/waterfront area just west of 10th Street Bridge! Broadwind Heavy Fabrications Trans-Link Services City of Manitowoc [This crane is for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Another example of a video with different talking heads repeating some platitudes.] |
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Oct 3, 2023: 1 of 8 photos posted by Paul Solin
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Paul Solin
posted two photos with the comment: "1-6-24 Cranes #3 #4 and #5."
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Helen Cooper
ON GUARD!!! Remember this one??? Kone crane June 2021 |
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Patti Kingswood commented on Helen's post
My photo is far away but we raced out to see it |
Paul Solin
posted two photos with the comment: "5-4-24."
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safe_image for Konecranes lands $15M adjustment to US Navy contract. What does it mean for Manitowoc?
"Two cranes in Manitowoc are still awaiting shipment to Washington state and Hawaii....Currently, two cranes, around 200 feet tall, are completed and waiting at the Broadwind site waiting for warmer weather to make their own journeys. These cranes can lift 157 tons, compared with Big Blue’s 140-ton capacity. These machines weight more than 2 million pounds....Hartman said at the time the goal was to produce and ship two cranes per year for the next five to 10 years, and that work on another crane was already underway."
[The webpage contains a 1:14 video the Big Blue's trip through town.] |
May 2025:
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Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter posted
The cranes were finished in late 2023 and were first thought to move in late 2024.
bit.ly/4jrCPKU
Matt Manthe: I hope the navy is paying storage rental. Thanks for the update. Connor Siemers shared
Update about Broadwind Heavy Fabrications and shipment of Blue Cranes |
This is the crane that they made in 2021 leaving town. The two currently in the docking area have been waiting since 2023 for the Navy to get their act together. The 2021 crane went to the
Portsmouth Naval Yard. The other two have to go through the Panama Canal because they are going to Washington and Hawaii States.
Oct 2025: Connor Siemers
posted the comment:
Hey Folks!
Wisconsin Heavy Fabrications is now the new operator at the Former Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company location on the Peninsula on 16th St.
Also, be on the lookout for official word on when one of the Konecranes are to leave this season.
All of this may be moved to its own notes. We will see how many photos get posted along the way.
Eileen Worman posted three photos with the comment: "To my completely untrained eyes it sure looks like 70 is on the barge 😁👀😮🤓 and there was only one Bald Eagle soaring around today but I couldn't snag a pic of it, you'll just have to believe me 😁🦅 11/12/25"
Eileen Worman: going through the Great Lakes, seaway to the Atlantic, down to the Panama Canal and over to the Pacific and up to Puget Sound WA, three month journey!
Ben Stalvey: Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Steven J Griesbach: Welland max mast height is 116.5 ft [35.5m]
Nate Price: Just remember… the bottom of Big Mac is approximately 150’ [45.7m]off the water.
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Laurie K. Mosher-Paulin commented on Eileen's post
I checked it out today and agree. |
Eileen Worman posted three photos with the comment: "Yep, another day, another set of crane pix 😁 P-82 gets the spotlight bc of the reflection and crane 70 is now due to depart on Monday morning [Nov 17, 2025], as you all know by now 🤓 11/14/25"
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Ben Stalvey
posted 12 photos of Crane 70 loaded on the barge.
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Janey Anderson posted
UPDATE ON KONNECRANE #70 DEPARTURE Delayed by weather yesterday, tug OCEAN TOWER with #70 crane on barge, will leave Manitowoc, Wisconsin tomorrow - Tuesday, Nov.18, 2025, at approximately 7AM, destination the Naval Shipyard, Washington. The estimated travel time is around 3 months to the naval yard in Washington state - traveling through the Lakes, canal, and Seaway, down the East Coast, across the Panama Canal, and up the West Coast. The crane will be used to service submarine fleets. The 200' [61m] tall crane was designed and contracted by the Finnish company Konecranes, and built in Manitowoc, at Wisconsin Heavy Fabrication. Photo Credit - Herald Times Reporter Nov. 17, 2025 |
Nov 18, 2025, 5pm. It is the double circle on the west side of Lake Michigan. It left at 8:24
Seehafer News
posted three photos with the comment:
Did you get the chance to watch the Big Blue Crane get shipped off this morning?
Let's see your photos!
[There are a bunch of photos in the comments of it leaving Manitowoc.]
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Of all of the photos in the comments, I selected this one because I added it to
10th Street Bridge. I copy it here because I didn't notice all of the side bracing that was added until I took another look at this view.
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| Biff Oddball commented on the above post |
Nov 20, 10am
I saw over a half-dozen posts concerning the leg of the trip on the 20th. I picked this photo because it not only shows the
Blue Water Bridges, it has a good view of the "helper" tugboat.
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Simon Hutchinson posted
Ocean Tower and Jarrett M towing the barge OG 723, which is hauling Big Blue 70, in Port Huron, MI. Ocean Tower was in a happy mood and gave a captains salute passing under the Bridges. (11/20/2025)
Manitowoc, WI - Bremerton, WA
Jayne Mullins: Background on the crane which was built in my hometown of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. [The gantry is riding to the left of the crane to reduce the required clearance.] Simon Hutchinson posted with the same comment. Ocean Tower and Jarrett M towing the barge OG 723, which is hauling Big Blue 70 bound for Washington (11/20/2025) The Ocean Tower was built in 1978 and is owned by Dann Ocean Towing out of Tampa, FL. (Gulf Falcon 1978-2008) The Jarrett M was built in 1945 and is owned by McKeil Marine. Was formerly named Atomic from 1945-2006. |
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htrnews, this is one of several photos on the webpage showing the gantry being moved from the crane to a shipping cradle on the barge.
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Nov 21, 9am My link didn't work correctly.
3 of 21 photos
posted by Michael Moran with the comment:
Towing a Navy Crane: Ocean Tower
Happy Tugboat Tuesday everyone! Today we are looking at a rather unusual event: the towing of a barge with a large blue crane from Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
Crane 70 is a 200 foot tall crane built by Wisconsin Heavy Fabrication (formerly Broadwind) specifically for servicing Navy submarines. The crane is due in Washington in several months after a long trip to the Atlantic, down through the Panama Canal, up the West Coast and into Washington.
The crane was retrieved by the Dann Ocean tug Ocean Tower. The tug is a 1979 product of Quality Shipyards Incorporated of Houma, Louisiana.
The tug is approximately 107’ [32.6m] in length, 32’ [10m] across the beam and is powered by two MTU M53R 16V4000 diesel engines.
Since the tug is an ocean tug and doesn’t have anyone on the crew qualified for Great Lakes pilotage, the crew took on pilots. The pilot from Manitowoc to the Port Huron area was none other than our own Captain Nate. In the local spirit, Captain Nate took some donuts and stickers to gift to the crew of the tug.
Captain Nate was kind enough to share photos of the tug and the trip, and he gave me permission to share them here.
I want to thank Captain Nate Lammers and the Pilots Association for these photos
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Ocean Tower’s engine room |
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Ocean Tower’s engine room |
Nov 22, 10am It looks like it is waiting to enter the
Welland Canal. As Karen commented below, it docked here for a while for an inspection before going into the canal and Canada.
2 of 13 photos
posted by Nathan Attard with the comment: "Port Colborne down bound."
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There are a lot of fans in Port Colborne.
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1 of 12 photos posted by Karen Limardi
The Ocean Tower escorting KoneCrane 70 the Big Blue naval crane into Port Colborne this afternoon with an assist from a McKeil tug Jarrett onto the wharf. She'll be there a bit for inspection before making her way out of the Welland Canal. She's on a 4 month journey to Washington State...I do believe she's heading through the Panama Canal
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Nov 23, 11am It has made it through the Welland Canal.
Nov 24 I forgot to access the website.
Nov 25, 10:30am It is across Lake Ontario and getting close to Cornwall, ON.
Nov 26, 10:30am
Nov 27, 5pm, I almost forgot to look on Thanksgiving. It is past Quebec.
Nov 28 I did forget to look on Black Friday.
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