DISPATCH · LIVE NCCCO· OSHA· ISN· AVETTA· EST. 2003
Service Louisiana · East Texas

Marine
Crane Services

Marine-spec cranes for vessel topside picks, dock work, barge handling, and shipyard support across the Gulf Coast.

§ 01 What it is

Marine crane services for ports, docks, and shipyards

Marine work has its own rules: salt air maintenance, long-radius picks over water, tide and wind windows, harbor pilot coordination, and rigging tuned for controlled descent. Our New Orleans yard is the marine specialist; Baytown and Lake Charles share the load on channel work. Operators are dock-experienced and NCCCO certified.

§ 02 What is included
  • Marine-spec rigging packages
  • Long-radius pick capability
  • Salt-air maintenance schedule
  • Coordination with harbor pilots and terminal ops
  • Tide and wind window planning
  • Controlled-descent rigging
§ 03 When you need it

Anything that involves a vessel, a barge, a dock, or a slip. Topside picks, gangway sets, container support, dredge equipment, lock-and-dam parts.

§ 04 Relevant fleet

Cranes commonly used.

§ 05 Where we work

Available across every CDH yard.

§ FAQ Questions dispatch gets asked

Marine Crane Services, answered.

Do you lift onto and off barges?

Yes. Barge loading and offloading along the Mississippi, the Calcasieu Ship Channel, the Houston Ship Channel and the Intracoastal is routine work for the New Orleans, Lake Charles and Baytown yards.

What is different about lifting over water?

The base is not necessarily stable and the load may not be recoverable. Tide and river stage change the vertical relationship through the pick, barge trim shifts as weight moves, and a dropped load over water is usually gone. All three change the plan.

Can you work on a wharf or dock structure?

Yes, but only once the structure's capacity is known. Wharf decks have load limits that are frequently lower than they look, so the ground bearing question becomes a structural one and the deck rating governs crane selection.

Do you handle vessel and shipyard work?

Yes, including module loadouts, equipment landing and shipyard support. That work is schedule-driven and often tide-dependent, so the window matters as much as the crane.

How do tides and river stage affect the lift?

They change the height difference between crane and load through the pick, which changes the radius and therefore the chart capacity. On the Mississippi the stage can move significantly across a job, so it is planned rather than watched.

Can you reach across a barge to the far side?

Sometimes, and it depends entirely on radius. Reaching across the near edge to the far side of a wide barge can push the radius past what the chart allows, which occasionally means a larger crane for a modest load.

Do you provide spreader bars and marine rigging?

Yes. Spreader bars, man baskets and matting are available alongside the crane and are specified as part of the pick rather than added afterwards.

What certifications apply to marine work?

The same NCCCO operator certification and OSHA compliance as landside work, plus whatever the terminal or facility requires for access. Port facilities often have their own screening on top of ISN or Avetta.

Can you work at night on the water?

Yes, subject to lighting and the facility's own rules. Marine work frequently runs to a tide or vessel window rather than daylight, so night picks are common.

Which yards cover marine work?

New Orleans for the river, the Industrial Canal and the port; Lake Charles for the Calcasieu Ship Channel and the LNG terminals; Baytown for the Houston Ship Channel, Bayport and Barbours Cut.

Talk through your project.

Dispatch is staffed 24/7. We can scope, quote, and book your pick on the same call.

Call Dispatch Get Quote