# Floating sheerleg

A floating sheerleg (also: shearleg) is a floating water vessel with a crane built on shear legs. Unlike other types of crane vessel, it is not capable of rotating its crane independently of its hull.
There is a huge variety in sheerleg capacity. The smaller cranes start at around 50 tons in lifting capacity, with the largest being able to lift 20,000 tons. The bigger sheerlegs usually have their own propulsion system and have a large accommodation facility on board, while smaller units are floating pontoons that need to be towed to their workplace by tugboats.
Sheerlegs are commonly used for salvaging ships, assistance in shipbuilding, loading and unloading large cargo into ships, and bridge building. They have grown considerably larger over the last decades due to a marked increase in vessel, cargo, and component size (of ships, offshore oil rigs, and other large fabrications), resulting in heavier lifts both during construction and in salvage operations.

## List of floating sheerlegs by lifting capacity

| Name | Image | Company | Lifting capacity | Country |
| Pioneering Spirit | | Allseas | 20,000 t 22,000 short tons | Switzerland |
| Hyundai-10000 | | Hyundai Heavy Industries | 10,000 t 11,000 short tons | Korea |
| Asian Hercules III | | Asian Lift (Smit & Keppel FELS) | 5,300 t 5,800 short tons | Singapore |
| HL 5000 | | Deep Offshore Technology | 5,000 t 5,500 short tons | Iran |
| 海翔 Kaisho | | Yorigami Maritime Construction Co., Ltd. | 4,100 t 4,500 short tons | Japan |
| Gulliver | | Scaldis | 4,000 t 4,400 short tons | Luxemburg |
| 洋翔 Yousho | | Yorigami Maritime Construction Co., Ltd. | 4,000 t 4,400 short tons | Japan |
| 第５０吉田号 Yoshida No.50 | | Yoshida-Gumi Co., Ltd. | 3,700 t 4,100 short tons | Japan |
| 武蔵 Musashi | | Fukada Salvage | 3,700 t 4,100 short tons | Japan |
| L-3601 | | Sembcorp Marine | 3,600 t 4,000 short tons | Singapore |
| Rambiz | | Scaldis | 3,300 t 3,600 short tons | Belgium |
| Asian Hercules II | | Asian Lift (Smit & Keppel FELS) | 3,200 t 3,500 short tons | Singapore |
| 富士 Fuji | | Fukada Salvage | 3,000 t 3,300 short tons | Japan |
| SADAF 3000 | | Darya Fan Qeshm Industries (SADAF) | 3,000 t 3,300 short tons | Iran |
| 第28吉田号 Yoshida No.28 | | Yoshida-Gumi Co., Ltd. | 3,000 t 3,300 short tons | Japan |
| Name | Image | Company | Lifting capacity | Country |
| HEBO-Lift 10 (former Taklift 4) | | HEBO Martitiemservice B.V. | 2,200 t 2,400 short tons | Netherlands |
| 駿河 Suruga | | Fukada Salvage | 2,200 t 2,400 short tons | Japan |
| 金剛 Kongo | | Fukada Salvage | 2,050 t 2,260 short tons | Japan |
| Matador 3 | | Bonn & Mees | 1,800 t 2,000 short tons | Netherlands |
| Left Coast Lifter | | Tappan Zee Constructors | 1,699 t 1,873 short tons | United States |
| Asian Hercules | | Asian Lift (Smit & Keppel FELS) | 1,600 t 1,800 short tons | Singapore |
| PW L-1501 | | Pacific Workboats Pte Ltd | 1,500 t 1,700 short tons | Singapore |
| Lifter 1 | | Saipem | 1400 ton | Malta |
| 新建隆 Shin-kenryu | | Yorigami Maritime Construction Co., Ltd. | 1,400 t 1,500 short tons | Japan |
| 新柏鵬 Shin-hakuho | | Yorigami Maritime Construction Co | 1,300 t 1,400 short tons | Japan |
| Taklift 6 | | Asian Lift (Smit & Keppel FELS) | 1,200 t 1,300 short tons | Singapore |
| Taklift 7 | | Smit Internationale | 1,200 t 1,300 short tons | Netherlands |
| Italia | | Fratelli Neri | 1,000 t 1,100 short tons | Italy |
| Smit Cyclone | | Asian Lift (Smit & Keppel FELS) | 1,000 t 1,100 short tons | Bahamas |
| Name | Image | Company | Lifting capacity | Country |
| Chesapeake 1000 | | Donjon Marine | 910 t 1,000 short tons | United States |
| HEBO Lift 9 | | | 900 t 990 short tons | Denmark |
| Brabo | | Antwerp Port Authority | 800 t 880 short tons | Belgium |
| Zahariy LR-800 | | Kuznia na rubalskomu ship building | 800-850t 900 short tons | Ukraine |
| Taklift 1 | | Smit Internationale | 800 t 880 short tons | Netherlands |
| PW L-801 | | Pacific Workboats Pte Ltd | 800 t 880 short tons | Singapore |
| Uglen | | J. J. Ugland | 800 t 880 short tons | Norway |
| 伊豆 Izu | | Fukada Salvage | 700 t 770 short tons | Japan |
| 大和 Yamato | | Fukada Salvage | 700 t 770 short tons | Japan |
| 宏栄号 Koei-go | | Fukada Salvage | 600 t 660 short tons | Japan |
| Enak | | Port of Hamburg | 600 t 660 short tons | Germany |
| Cormorant | | Multraship Towage and Salvage B.V. | 600 t | Netherlands |
| Name | Image | Company | Lifting capacity | Country |
| RMG 500 | | Resolve Salvage & Fire | 500 t 550 short tons | Singapore |
| SBG Himmat | | Arihant Ship Breakers | 450 t 500 short tons | India |
| Norma | | Scaldis | 440 t 490 short tons | Belgium |
| Asian Helping Hand III | | Asian Lift (Smit & Keppel FELS) | 400 t 440 short tons | Singapore |
| Consul | | Tenwolde Transport en Repair | 400 t 440 short tons | Netherlands |
| Tronds Lift 7 | | Tronds Marine | 400 t 440 short tons | Norway |
| Tronds Lift 8 | | Tronds Marine | 400 t 440 short tons | Norway |
| Matador | | Bonn & Mees | 400 t 440 short tons | Netherlands |
| Matador 2 | | Bonn & Mees | 400 t 440 short tons | Netherlands |
| Smit Typhoon | | Asian Lift (Smit & Keppel FELS) | 400 t 440 short tons | Bahamas |
| HEBO-Lift 7 | | HEBO Maritiemservice B.V. | 300 t 330 short tons | Netherlands |
| Floating Crane No. 303 | | Fukada Salvage | 300 t 330 short tons | Japan |
| Triton | | Wagenborg Towage | 300 t 330 short tons | Netherlands / Germany |

### Notes

* ↑ 1,600 t (1,800 short tons) as delivered in 1981. Capacity upgraded in 2010.$^{:72}$
* ↑ Sold to Turkey for scrap in 2017
* ↑ ex-Samson
* ↑ Acquired from Bugsier Reederei und Bergungs GmbH & Co KG [de]