MSC moving World War II-era drydock to West Coast
The Military Sealift Command is in the process of moving a World War II-era drydock from Norfolk, Va. to Seattle.
The MSC said it chartered the heavy lift ship 'Mighty Servant I' to transport the former Navy floating drydock 'Resolute,' which has been leased to Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle.
The move of the 522-foot drydock started on July 10 and is expected to arrive in Seattle by the end of August. The 'Mighty Servant I' is specially designed to move massive items like drydocks, damaged vessels and oilrigs.
MSC officials said that for the 623-foot 'Mighty Servant I' to load such cargo, the ship fills its internal tanks with water to semi-submerge and lower the deck below water level so cargo can be floated onboard. Once the cargo is positioned, the internal tanks are emptied, raising the ship to the water's surface. The cargo is then secured for shipment.
'The drydock is secured to 'Mighty Servant I' by a series of landing blocks and shores, each designed to keep the drydock stable,' explained Jay Standring, an MSC marine transportation specialists. 'Such exact measurements take months of planning.'