Hikitia is a working self-propelled floating steam crane in Wellington Harbour, New Zealand. She is thought to be the only working steam crane of her type in the world.
She is also the sister ship to the Rapaki, formerly of the Port of Lyttelton, which was put on display at the New Zealand Maritime Museum after being taken out of service, and then scrapped in January 2019. Some parts from Rapaki were given to Hikitia.
The Hikitia was built by Fleming & Ferguson of Paisley, Scotland. After completing trials, the vessel left Greenock on 29 September 1926. The delivery voyage took 82 days, travelling via the Panama Canal to reach New Zealand. The vessel travelled with the crane fully erected, and arrived in Wellington Harbour on 21 December 1926.
Twin screws are driven by surface-condensing direct-drive compound engines which were supplied with steam by a coal-fired Scotch boiler with two furnaces. A similar but oil-fired boiler replaced the original boiler in 1963. In 1980 this was also removed and the present two locally made small modern package boilers were installed.[1] These new boilers produce less steam than the original ones.
The hull of the vessel was built by Fleming and Ferguson and the crane was built by Sir William Arrol & Co. of Glasgow. The crane alone weighs 310 tonnes, and was built to lift 80 tonnes. However, while dismantling the wreck of it is thought that she lifted 140 tonnes.[2] In 2004, she lifted 100 tonnes to maintain her lifting licence of 80 tonnes. In 2009, Hikitia lifted a 22 tonne ice plant in Lyttelton.[3]
Hikitia travelled to Lyttelton in June 2009 for hull, tail shaft and various other underwater repairs.[4] While in Lyttelton, she moved an ice plant between wharves to repay part of her refurbishment at the port's dry dock. The venture south was the ship's first time out of Wellington since 1926.[5]
There have been two deaths resulting from people climbing the crane and jumping into Wellington Harbour, one in 2015, and another in 2024. The owners of the Hikitia said they had reviewed safety along with the Wellington City Council after the 2015 fatality. Video cameras and warning signs had been placed on the vessel.[6] [7]