Manitowoc-built crane sets sail for Navy base in Hawaii

MANITOWOC (WLUK) — A 200-foot Manitowoc-built crane is on its way to a Navy Base in Hawaii.

Big Blue P-82 sailed out of the Manitowoc Harbor Friday morning to Navy Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on the island of Oahu.

Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels posted a bon voyage post to social media, reading in part:

Pearl Harbor is where America’s involvement in World War II began — a moment that changed the course of history. And it is altogether fitting that Big Blue now heads to that very place, because Manitowoc played a defining role in that same war effort. Right here on the same peninsula where Big Blue was built, the people of Manitowoc constructed 28 submarines that helped secure victory and defend freedom around the world. That legacy of ingenuity, patriotism, and hard work is still alive today. The men and women of this community continue to build big things — important things — that support our nation and strengthen our future. Their skill and dedication are part of a story that spans generations. We’re proud of Big Blue, proud of those who built it, and proud of Manitowoc’s enduring place in American history. Safe travels, Big Blue; from a city that helped win a war to the harbor where it began, we wish you fair winds and following seas

The crane will make the 7,600 to 7,800 nautical mile journey from the Manitowoc Harbor through the St. Lawrence Seaway, down the East Coast of the U.S. before going through the Panama Canal to the island of Oahu.