What Are The Cranes On Ships Called? Custom Marine Crane Solution For OSV | YFM Crane

What is the crane on a ship called?

All lifting equipment installed on ships, offshore platforms, and offshore workboats is collectively called marine cranes, with various specialized models designed to suit different offshore operation scenarios.

Full set of customized ship crane success cases.

Customer Background
 

The client for this collaboration is a global offshore logistics and shipbuilding company headquartered in New Zealand, operating multiple offshore support vessels, research ships, and cargo ships. The main challenge for their engineering team is that they need a professional crane equipment manufacturer to customize specialized marine cranes based on the different operating conditions of their ships. However, they aren't very clear on exactly what type of cranes and configurations they need.

Our Solution - Full-Range Marine Crane Matching and Custom Design

Focusing on the customer's core operating conditions: daily supply deliveries to the accommodation area, lifting and lowering lifeboats, loading and unloading heavy cargo at the ship's stern, personnel transfer, deployment and recovery of underwater equipment for seabed operations, and recovery and transport of ocean samples.

We created a complete set of custom marine crane systems for their 85-meter offshore support vessel, covering the main types of marine cranes on the market, tailored to their diverse offshore operational scenarios.
We also provide professional names and functional explanations for each type of crane:

1. Deck Crane

Deck cranes are the most commonly used everyday shipboard cranes. As standard equipment on ships, they can handle palletized cargo, machinery, lifeboats, and daily supplies. The crane structure is made entirely of ship-grade corrosion-resistant steel, allowing it to operate stably even when the ship is tilted ±5°.

Depending on lifting capacity, working radius, and available deck space, different types of deck cranes can be chosen, including fixed boom deck cranes, knuckle boom deck cranes, telescopic deck cranes, and folding telescopic deck cranes. The heavier the lifting capacity, the stronger the stability requirement, which also increases the crane's own weight but reduces deck space efficiency, and vice versa.

For example, a fixed boom deck crane has a high lifting capacity and strong stability but occupies more deck space. A folding telescopic deck crane saves deck space, but the lifting capacity is smaller, and stability is relatively weaker.

2. Stern A-frame Crane

A 25-ton heavy-duty A-frame Crane is installed at the stern of the vessel, specifically used for handling mooring equipment, deploying and retrieving towing devices, and recovering small workboats. Its high-strength structure can meet the demands of long-term, continuous offshore operations.

3. Folding Boom Marine Crane – For Narrow Decks

Specifically designed for the narrow deck areas on the side of ships, this folding boom deck crane is customizable. Its foldable boom can work flexibly around deck obstacles, perfectly solving the problem of limited deck space. It's also the most commonly used small marine crane model on research vessels.

4. Marine Offshore Crane with Wave Compensation

For underwater equipment deployment and personnel basket transfer operations, this high-capacity marine offshore crane comes equipped with an advanced active wave compensation system. It keeps loads stable even in harsh sea conditions, making it an essential crane for offshore energy operation vessels.

Why are marine cranes an indispensable core component of vessels?

We've helped our clients achieve four major operational improvements with our marine cranes:
 

1. Greatly improved work efficiency
The complete set of marine crane equipment can independently handle cargo loading and unloading in deep-sea and remote ports without waiting for dock cranes. Overall vessel cargo turnover efficiency increases by 42%.

2. Multi-functional, suitable for all scenarios
The integrated marine crane system supports cargo transport, marine research, offshore maintenance, salvage operations, and crew supplies, fully matching all operational tasks of offshore support vessels.

3. Top-notch industry safety

Each marine crane is equipped with overload protection, emergency stop, real-time load monitoring, and anti-sway stabilization systems. All equipment is certified by the Norwegian Classification Society through third-party inspection.

4. Highly reliable, all-weather operation
It can operate 24/7 in environments with salt spray, high humidity, and continuous hull movement; with optimized anti-corrosion coatings, marine cranes can have a service life of over 15 years.

Project Featuring Cutting-Edge Marine Crane Technology Trends

To meet the long-term usage needs of our clients' fleets, this project integrates the latest upgrades in marine crane technology:
• Fully Automated Remote Control Module: Reduces crew exposure to high-risk lifting operations
• High-Precision Wave Compensation Technology: Improves lifting accuracy by 60% in harsh sea conditions
• Lightweight, High-Strength Marine Steel: Lowers crane weight without changing rated lifting capacity
• Cloud-Based Real-Time Monitoring System: Allows remote diagnostics of crane conditions and tracks operational performance

Project Deliverables & Customer Feedback

After six months of design, complete machine production, factory testing, and onboard installation and commissioning, all custom-made marine cranes were successfully delivered and passed the on-site inspection by the Norwegian classification society.

"Before contacting YFM Crane, we had searched online multiple times for questions like 'What are cranes on ships called?' and 'How do we choose the right ship crane?' Your professional team clearly categorized various types of marine cranes and matched fully compatible lifting equipment for our offshore vessel. The knuckle boom marine crane saved deck space, and the offshore crane with motion compensation performed steadily in rough seas. We will continue to purchase your marine cranes for our new shipbuilding projects."

- Maritime Operations Manager, New Zealand Offshore Logistics Company

How to choose a reliable marine crane supplier?

If you're also looking for cranes for ships and plan to purchase compliant marine cranes for cargo ships, offshore support vessels, drilling ships, or research vessels, your supplier should meet the following criteria:

• Fully comply with major global classification societies: CCS, DNV, ABS, LR, BV, RINA, RS,NK,KR, etc.
• Have experience in custom designing marine cranes for harsh marine environments with high salinity and heavy motion
• Offer a full range of customizable models: deck cranes, knuckle boom cranes, a frame marine cranes, heavy-duty offshore cranes
• Have a complete after-sales system: on-site installation guidance, original spare parts supply, regular maintenance services for marine cranes

Compliant and professional marine lifting solutions that can greatly improve ship operation safety, efficiency, and long-term value, while also saving time and costs. Feel free to contact us anytime for a custom marine crane quote for your new shipbuilding or ship renovation project.

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