A Paisley-built floating crane which travelled thousands of miles to New Zealand is undergoing a transformation as it prepares to mark its 100th anniversary.
In 1926, the Hikitia vessel set off on the almost 10,000 nautical mile journey across the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
The hull of the unique ship was built by Fleming and Ferguson in their Phoenix Works in the town and the crane was built by Houston engineer Sir William Arrol and Co. of Glasgow.
Taking 84 days, the treacherous voyage – which saw the crew battle rough seas and high winds – ended in the Port of Wellington, with the unique crane arriving to great fanfare on December 21, 1926.
The ship spent almost 70 years as a workhorse in Wellington, carrying out all types of construction projects and was involved in handling war material for Wellington during the Second World War.
She also spent some time helping to demolish the wreck of the Wahine which sank on April 10, 1968 – killing 53 people – and is considered New Zealand’s worst modern maritime disaster.
Hikitia’s last job for the Wellington Port Company was the removal of piles near the position of the old Floating Dock.
Hikitia is now the last working example of its kind – a steam-powered heavy lift floating crane – and remains cemented in New Zealand’s rich maritime history.
She is now undergoing significant restoration thanks to a team of 30 dedicated volunteers and the Maritime Heritage Trust of Wellington, who are preparing for Hikitia to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026.
It is a labour of love for those involved, including chief engineer John Ackrill, who saved the historic ship from being scrapped more than 30 years ago.
John and his wife Joy decided to purchase the run down crane in 1989 alongside their friends Bob and Mary Box.
The group dreamed of bringing her back in service and turning the historic ship into a floating museum.
Speaking to the Paisley Daily Express from New Zealand, John said he was working as an engineer for the Marine Division of the Ministry of Transport (MoT) when he was approached with the unusual offer.
“The Harbour Board came to us at MoT for a temporary survey certificate so that the Hikitia could help clean up the seabed where the Floating Dock had been,” he said. “During this, we asked what would happen to the Hikitia and were told she’d be sold, probably for scrapping.
“Two of my colleagues, one of which was Bob, discussed the matter and decided that, as the ship was in pretty good nick they’d put in an offer with a view to restoring the ship as a working museum.
“She was the oldest piece of floating plant left in Wellington Harbour, one of very few historical steamships left in the world, and worthy of preservation.
“But they felt they needed someone else to come in with them and approached me. I consulted my wife, then agreed to join the team.
“We checked with the Marine Division – three of their employees owning a ship could definitely be a conflict of interest – who gave us the okay.”
The group were one of five who put in a bid for the ship but, since they were the only ones planning to keep Hikitia working, they were the successful party.
John added: “The other bidders wanted to do things such as remove the crane and sink the hull in the harbour as a dive-wreck, remove the crane and use the hull as a barge or scrap her after one use.
“Although ours wasn’t the highest bid, we were the only ones who wanted to keep the Hikitia working, so we found ourselves the proud owners of 1,000 tons of ocean-going splendour.”
Years of hard work and dedication followed for the Hikitia owners and, despite none having any previous experience in a project of such magnitude, they managed to get the crane back in service.
She performed over 400 lifts ranging from around three tonnes to 120 tonnes before the foursome decided to hand her over to the Maritime Heritage Trust of Wellington in 2006 for continuing preservation.
Major refurbishments were carried out on Hikitia during docking at Lyttelton in 2009, including major hull repair and reconditioning of all below water valves and propeller shafts.
It is hoped that Hikitia will be fully up and running again for her 100th anniversary, with significant restoration taking place – including repairs costing $800,000 in dry dock – marking the first time in 30 years the Paisley-built ship has left the water.
And while they are no longer the owners, John, Joy, Bob and Mary are still heavily involved in the years-long restoration project.
John added: “We are currently planning to have her fully running by her Centennial in 2026 as at the moment we aren’t allowed to travel under our own power. We have around 30 volunteers and ages range from mid 20s to 90s.
“Occupations range from marine engineers, university students, diplomats, church ministers, farmers, loggers, electricians and many more. We’re all very proud of what we’re doing.”
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