Cromarty Archive

The Blue Marlin and Jackups

The Blue Marlin and Jackups

Date Added: 25 February 2007 Contributor: Calum Davidson Year: 2007 Picture No: 1847

The rig transporter ship MV Blue Marlin, unloading a Galaxy and Rowan Jackup in the Firth. This was the first time that two rigs were unloaded from a single ship in the Firth. The Blue Marlin is the largest transporter vessel in the world, and transported these rigs from Halifax Nova Scotia, via a southerly Atlantic route past the Azores.

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7 Comments

At the stern of the ship is the tug Alphonse Letzer and below the helideck on the rig on the right (Galaxy 2) is the tug Kinross. Comment left on 25 February 2007 at 22:00 by Ronald Young
Is Blue Marlin bigger than Mighty Servant 1 or have I got that wrong? Comment left on 25 February 2007 at 22:03 by Ronald Young
Yip I'm wrong Calum just checked my records and Blue Marlin is the largest, heaviest and longest in the Dockwise fleet. L.O.A 224.00m Breadth 63.00m and Dwt 76061t. Comment left on 25 February 2007 at 22:13 by Ronald Young
The Blue Marlin was stretched and her widened at the end of 2004, and a new propulsion and ballast system added, making her the largest heavy lift ship in operation.

I missed her coming in to the firth on Friday, but she was quite a sight unloading on the Saturday.
Comment left on 26 February 2007 at 21:35 by Calum Davidson
Yeh Calum you're right, Mighty Servant 1 or 3 was widened at stretched a while ago too thats where I got confused. Dockwise have announced that Smit have the contract to raise Mighty Servant 3 from her watery grave and that she'll be back in service for 2008. Have you seen the pics of her sinking? Comment left on 26 February 2007 at 23:56 by Ronald Young
Yes - this site has a good series of her sinking (www.cargolaw.com/2006nightmare_mightyserve3.html#the-feature)
- I'm amazed nobody was injured.

I understand that a contract for her salvage has just been awarded, so we may see her back in the Firth in the future.

Comment left on 27 February 2007 at 18:12 by Calum Davidson
The Galaxy 2 was taken from the Blue Marlin and up to Invergordon by the tug Champion. This tug was shortly after renamed the Adsteam Intrepid and left the Cromarty Firth for Felixstowe....Kinross has also left under a new name and owner a few months later. Comment left on 04 October 2007 at 21:30 by Duncan Murray
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