Viant relocates Viking ship

Crane rental company Viant Crane used a Grove RT765E-2 rough terrain crane to relocate an 87-year-old Viking ship in Duluth, Minnesota, USA.

The Leif Erikson Viking ship was last used in 1926, when it replicated the voyage of Leif Erikson, a European who landed in America around 500 years before Christopher Columbus. Commanded by Gerhard Folgero, the Leif Erikson set sail to North America, visiting Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland and Boston. Its final stop was in Duluth, where it fell into a state of disrepair, a spokesperson said.

For the project the ship needed to be moved from its park location onto a trailer so restoration work could be carried out. Due to the location of the park, which was by a busy road, the RT76E5-2 had to carry out three separate lifts to get the ship to its final location.

The Grove RT765E-2 has a 33.5 metre four-section, full power Megaform boom. It has four-wheel, multi-mode steering and full vision cab. For the first lift, the rough terrain lifted the 4.65 US ton (4.2 tonne) ship to a height of 20 metres. To avoid hitting nearby trees, the ship was rotated 180 degrees, a company spokesperson said. It was then placed on a light trailer before being moved 600 yards (594 m) and lifted onto a second trailer that met highway weight and clearance regulations.

Viant Crane supplied the RT76E5-2 for free after funding for the project was halted, a company spokesperson said. Once restoration work is complete, the ship will be displayed in Duluth museum.