A hoisting tool configured to engage a longitudinal end of an offshore wind turbine component which is in a horizontal orientation, and to retain the longitudinal end during hoisting thereof by means of a crane, the tool comprising a frame, provided with:
- an attachment member, configured to attach the tool to a lifting block of the crane;
- multiple mobile gripping members, angularly mutually spaced with respect to a longitudinal direction of the tool, each of the multiple mobile gripping members being configured to:
- in an active position thereof relative to the frame, engage a surface of the longitudinal end of the component by a gripping surface thereof when the tool is in a gripping position in which the tool is longitudinally aligned with and longitudinally within a contour of the longitudinal end, the gripping members each facing said surface of the longitudinal end, so as to connect the longitudinal end to the tool and retain the longitudinal end during hoisting thereof by means of said crane while the tool is attached to the lifting block;
- and
- in a retracted position thereof relative to the frame, enable passing of the gripping members along a circumference of the longitudinal end during a movement of the tool from a position of the tool longitudinally spaced from the longitudinal end towards the gripping position of the tool;
- gripping actuators that are associated with at least one of the gripping members, and are configured to drive a movement of the associated gripping members into the retracted position and into the active position thereof, when the tool is in the gripping position;
- one or more guiding members, each of the one or more guiding members being configured to, in a range of proximate positions of the tool, in which the gripping members are longitudinally spaced from the longitudinal end but a radial contour of the tool at least overlaps with a radial contour of the longitudinal end, engage the longitudinal end by a guiding surface of the guiding member, at mutually spaced angular locations on the longitudinal end which are spaced from the gripping surface of the gripping members both radially, and longitudinally in the direction towards the longitudinal end, such as to restrict movement of the tool, and therewith of the gripping members, in at least radial directions relative to the longitudinal end, and configured to, during a movement of the tool from said range of proximate positions in a direction towards the gripping position, maintain said engagement of the longitudinal end, such as to guide the tool towards the gripping position;
- and
- one or more guiding actuators, associated with the one or more guiding members and configured to drive a movement of the guiding surfaces of the associated guiding members relative to the gripping members,
- wherein the one or more guiding actuators are configured to, while the one or more guiding members engage the longitudinal end of the offshore wind turbine component by the one or more guiding surfaces, drive a longitudinal movement of the respective guiding surfaces of the associated guiding members relative to the gripping members such that the tool is moved to the gripping position thereof.