HIKITIA, Wellington’s floating crane – 1926 is her 90th Year

Hikitia was launched 90years ago THIS Friday.

Hikitia is New Zealand’s oldest working crane of any type and the oldest steam driven working, self-propelled crane in world, and the only working floating crane in Australasia

Launched at Paisley, Glasgow, Scotland from Fleming & Fergusson slipway on 15/4/1926, Board of Trade Certificate signed 5/7/1926 and Crane Load Tests completed early September 1926

Measured mile tests completed on 29/9/1926 at about noon, she then sailed on her delivery voyage on the same day in the evening to arrive in Wellington on 21/12/1926

Handed over to Wellington Harbour Board after trials in Wellington on 18/1/1927 Hikitia was essential to the WW2 war effort and was fully used in large cargo handling and salvages such as Wahine until the late 1980s.

Bought by two couples in 1990 for restoration she then did more than commercial 300lifts.

Managed by Maritime Heritage Trust of Wellington since 2006, the ship has attracted public and community funding that has allowed docking at Lyttelton in 2009 and ongoing restoration. The ship will soon be ready for a 100 tonne test lift and steam supply is being progressively improved to increase her capabilities.

Hikitia is one of a unique pairing of historic ships made from the same set of drawings. The other is the Rapaki that is a non-working museum ship in Auckland, New Zealand.

ENDS

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