Warships, giant oil platforms, and even the SBX-1 radar system need to be transported. Meet Blue Marlin, a semi-submersible heavy lift ship from Dockwise Shipping of the Netherlands, designed specifically for this task. It’s equipped with 38 cabins to accommodate 60 people, a workout room, sauna and swimming facilities. Continue reading for a video, more pictures and information.
The U.S. Navy hired Blue Marlin from Offshore Heavy Transport to move the destroyer USS Cole back to the United States after the warship was damaged by Al-Qaeda linked suicide bombers while anchored in the port of Aden, Yemen. During the latter part of 2003, work done on Blue Marlin boosted its capacity and added two retractable propulsors to improve maneuverability. The ship re-entered service in January 2004. Following these improvements, Blue Marlin delivered the oil platform Thunder Horse PDQ, weighing 60,000 tons, to Corpus Christi, Texas, for completion.
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