Telescopic Marine Cranes for Island Harbour Cargo in the Maldives

Customers in the Maldives sent back three sets of photos and video showing BOB-LIFT telescopic marine cranes in island cargo work. Between them they include 10 photos and 2 short videos, and all three cranes are the straight, telescopic-boom type.

The three sets show:

1. An SQ5SA3T mounted on a concrete plinth on a harbour quay, next to a row of small boats and stacks of bagged cargo.
2. A blue 16-ton telescopic marine crane, marked SQ16S on the boom, working as a deck crane on the open timber deck of a cargo vessel. The set ends with a drone video of the vessel under way with lashed cargo on deck.
3. An orange SQ6.3SA3T on a cargo vessel moored at a quay, lifting a netted bundle of bagged cargo in a 13-second video.

Everything below comes from those photos, the videos and each crane's spec sheet. Load weights, vessel names and working hours were not shared, so they are not given here.

The SQ5SA3T stands on a raised concrete plinth at the edge of the quay. Small boats moor directly alongside, and white sacks of bagged material are stacked behind the crane. One close-up shows the hook hanging over a stack of those sacks. From this position the crane can slew over boats moored alongside and land loads on the quay.

The SQ5SA3T is rated at 5,000 kg maximum lifting capacity and 12.5 t·m maximum lifting moment, with 360° slewing. It needs 32 L/min of hydraulic flow at 20 MPa, from about 18 kW of recommended power, and weighs 1,850 kg. A quay-mounted crane needs its own hydraulic power pack and a foundation designed for the slewing moment, so the plinth and anchor bolts should be engineered before the crane arrives.

The second set shows a much larger crane. The blue telescopic boom carries the BOB-LIFT name and the SQ16S series mark, and the crane sits on the open timber deck beside the wheelhouse. Crew coil ropes and sort cargo on deck around it, and one photo shows the boom raised high over a clear deck, with a single pallet in the work area. The drone video then follows the vessel at sea, wheelhouse forward and a long open deck aft, loaded with cargo held down by yellow straps.

The boom is marked SQ16S, the 16-ton telescopic class. The model in our current range is the SQ16SA5T, rated at 16,000 kg and 40 t·m. Its load chart shows why the headline figure is not the planning figure: the full 16,000 kg applies only with the boom raised steeply close to the column, and the chart falls to 1,050 kg at full reach. Check the load chart against the furthest point of the deck or the quay you need to reach.

The orange SQ6.3SA3T in the third set works from a moored cargo vessel, lifting netted bundles of bagged cargo. It is rated at 6,300 kg and 15.75 t·m, with a self weight of 1,940 kg.

All three cranes in this case use a telescopic boom: a straight boom that extends in sections. It gives long reach with a simple structure, which suits quay work and an open cargo deck where the boom can stay raised or rest in a cradle. A knuckle boom folds into a compact package instead, which suits small workboats where deck space and folded height matter more than reach. Our Egypt workboat case, linked below, shows that choice on a smaller boat.

Both types need protection from salt air. BOB-LIFT marine-version cranes receive a multi-layer anti-rust treatment for sea duty. Regular freshwater wash-downs, greasing of the slewing bearing and checks of hoses and wire rope still largely determine how long a crane lasts in a harbour.

If you are fitting a crane to a quay, a barge or a cargo vessel, send us the mounting position, the heaviest load and the reach you need, and the hydraulic power available on site or on board. We will match a model from the telescopic boom marine crane range and check its load chart against your outreach. The SQ5SA3T and SQ6.3SA3T are earlier models that can still be built to order; their current equivalents are the SQ5SA4T and SQ6.3SA4T. BOB-LIFT marine cranes are supplied without classification society certification, so tell us early if your vessel needs class approval.