Heavy Lift Vessel Charter
Heavy load carriers move cargo that is too heavy or too large for an ordinary ship: transformers, machinery, vessels, large steel structures and other project cargo.
What heavy lift ships do
They have strong decks or holds, and many have heavy cranes or can float cargo on and off. They are chosen for single heavy pieces and for project shipments that need careful lashing and planning.
What to prepare
Ship operators need the weight and dimensions of each piece, the loading and discharging ports and whether the ports have suitable cranes, the laycan and any special handling. A drawing or a short piece list makes offers faster and more accurate.
How it is chartered
Heavy lift cargo is mostly fixed on a voyage charter with a freight agreed for the whole shipment, often as a lump sum.
What a heavy lift ship is
A heavy lift ship has deck cranes that can lift very heavy single pieces, often from a few hundred to over a thousand tonnes when two cranes work together, and a large open deck or a hold with big hatches. Some ships can lower their deck into the water to load floating cargo. They are built for cargo that does not fit a normal ship: transformers, turbines, locomotives, large vessels such as yachts, and the parts of wind farms and plants.
Planning a heavy lift
A heavy lift is planned in detail. The charterer gives the weight, the dimensions, the centre of gravity and the lifting points of each piece. The ship operator prepares a stowage and lashing plan and checks the lifting gear and the strength of the deck. The ports must have the quay strength and the space, and the route may have limits for height and width.
What to put in your request
A list of pieces with weight and size for each, the loading and discharging ports, the laycan, the need for the ship's own cranes and any special equipment such as spreader beams. Heavy lift is mostly fixed for a single voyage on a lump sum, so a complete list is the basis of every offer. Read general cargo ships for lighter project cargo.
Search heavy load carriers
Shipfixing connects charterers and ship operators. We scan for suitable ships. Voyage requests for ships below 10,000 DWT need no signup and no membership.
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