Lifting system for a floating vessel

A lifting system for a floating vessel, comprising:

• elevator towers constructed on a deck of the floating vessel;
• a traveling cradle beam selectively couplable to and decouplable from the elevator towers, wherein the traveling cradle beam supports a monorail trolley that forms a part of a gantry crane;
• one or more cranes supported by the traveling cradle beam;
• tracks constructed above the deck of the floating vessel, wherein the tracks include movable arms;
• the movable arms having an extended position where the movable arms can support the traveling cradle beam after the traveling cradle beam is decoupled from the elevator towers,
• the movable arms having a retracted position where the movable arms allow the traveling cradle beam to move along the elevator towers past the tracks;
• and
• a means for moving the traveling cradle beam over at least a portion of the tracks.

A method of transporting equipment on a floating vessel, comprising:

• providing a lifting system on the floating vessel, the lifting system including:
• elevator towers located on a deck of the floating vessel;
• a traveling cradle beam selectively couplable to and decouplable from the elevator towers, wherein the traveling cradle beam supports a monorail trolley that forms a part of a gantry crane;
• one or more cranes supported by the traveling cradle beam;
• tracks located above the deck of the floating vessel, wherein the tracks include movable arms, the movable arms having an extended position where the movable arms can support the traveling cradle beam after the traveling cradle beam is decoupled from the elevator towers, the movable arms having a retracted position where the movable arms allow the traveling cradle beam to move along the elevator towers past the tracks, and
• a means for moving the traveling cradle beam over at least a portion of the tracks;
• attaching equipment to be installed on the floating vessel to the one or more cranes;
• lifting the equipment past the tracks using the traveling cradle beam coupled to the elevator towers;
• decoupling the traveling cradle beam from the elevator towers;
• extending the movable arms for supporting the traveling cradle beam on the movable arms;
• moving the traveling cradle beam over the first portion of the tracks;
• transporting the equipment to be installed on the floating vessel above the deck of the floating vessel;
• detaching the equipment to be installed on the floating vessel from the one or more cranes;
• lowering the equipment to be installed on the floating vessel on the deck of the floating vessel, wherein lowering the equipment to be installed on the floating vessel on the deck of the floating vessel is performed using the monorail trolley;
• and
• retracting of the movable arms for allowing the traveling cradle beam to move down the elevator towers past the tracks.