John Sutch Cranes was back on the banks of the Mersey this week, deploying its Liebherr LTM 1040-2.1 mobile crane to lift a tracked Multidrill PL G geotechnical drilling rig from a flatbed lorry directly onto a waiting VolkerMarine Services barge at Liverpool's Cruise Terminal.
The rig, used for marine ground investigation and borehole drilling, needed placing precisely onto the barge deck, already loaded with the generators, hydraulic power packs and drill casing the crew would need once out on the water. It's a lift that demands accuracy as much as capacity: swinging a multi-tonne tracked machine from a stationary lorry onto a floating platform, with tide and load balance both in play.
It's a part of the city John Sutch Cranes knows well. The firm works in this stretch of Liverpool's maritime infrastructure regularly, delivering precision lifts against one of the country's most recognisable waterside backdrops.
Yesterday's operation had an audience. As the crew worked, the Mersey Ferry - instantly recognisable in its dazzle livery - passed close by, passengers watching from the deck. Travellers waiting to cross to the Isle of Man had a clear view from the terminal, as did those aboard the cruise ships currently in dock.
Mick Turner, Technical Sales at John Sutch Cranes, organised the lift, said: "It's not all about the sheer size of the crane or the load. It's about doing it properly and safely. We do that every time."
That's precisely what a lift like this calls for. There's no margin for error when the load is a drilling rig and the landing point is a moving barge. It's a principle that has underpinned John Sutch Cranes since it was founded.
We're a family-run business built on precision lifting delivered nationally, with a particular pedigree in the demanding, high-visibility environments like this one on the Mersey.
