MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — One of Manitowoc's massive cranes begins its journey to the Washington naval base.
A 2.3 million-pound crane left Manitowoc Tuesday morning, beginning its journey to a naval base in Washington state, where it will service nuclear submarines.
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Crane 70 is one of five cranes that Konecranes was awarded to build in Manitowoc for the U.S. Navy. After years of delays, the 20-story crane finally left the dock with a tug towing it through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway before reaching the Atlantic Ocean.
Neighbors gathered along the riverfront to witness the departure of what locals call one of the "Manitowoc Skyscrapers."
Kevin Crawford, a former test crane operator for the Manitowoc Company, saw the crane leaving by chance during his regular walk to the lighthouse.
"I was headed out to the lighthouse for a regular walk and the crane showed up in the middle of the harbor," Crawford said.
For Crawford, the moment represented a connection to the city's industrial heritage.
"Everything about Manitowoc's heritage was right there on display," Crawford said.
Crawford noted that Manitowoc has been building large industrial equipment for decades.
"We've made everything from aluminum Christmas trees to the biggest cranes in the world," Crawford said.
Elizabeth Wagner, another Manitowoc resident, came out specifically to watch the crane pass by.
"It was more unique than I expected, a lot of people were here. This is definitely a bigger deal than I realized," Wagner said.
Wagner said the crane's massive size didn't fully register until she saw it moving past her location.
"I've seen it sitting over there for a long time, but not until it crossed my path did I realize how tall it was," Wagner said.
The extensive journey ahead left Wagner amazed.
"I just can't wrap my head around the trip it's gonna take," Wagner said.
The second crane in the Manitowoc Skyscrapers pair, Crane P-82, will head to Pearl Harbor next April.
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