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The Bahamas-flagged crane vessel "Saipem 7000," the world's third-largest crane ship, entered the Dardanelles from the Sea of Marmara on Aug. 7, 2026, drawing attention from onlookers along the shoreline in Canakkale.
Ship traffic in the Dardanelles was suspended in both directions starting at 7:00 a.m. local time (4:00 a.m. GMT) to allow the massive vessel safe passage through the narrow strait.
In order to fit beneath the bridge, the 198-meter-long (650 feet) vessel filled its tanks with seawater to lower itself in the water and tilted its towering crane structures to reduce their height.
The platform, which normally rises 135 meters into the sky, was brought down to approximately 57 meters during the delicate crossing beneath the bridge.
Tugboats "Pacific Discovery" and "GH Discovery" towed the giant vessel through the strait, guiding its slow and carefully coordinated passage.
A fleet of rescue tugboats, including "Kurtarma-1," "Kurtarma-13," "Kurtarma-20" and "Gemi Kurtaran," accompanied the vessel alongside the fast rescue boat "KIYEM-1" as part of extensive safety measures.
Pilot captains guided the Saipem 7000 throughout its transit, ensuring the enormous structure navigated the strait's currents and narrow passage without incident.
The vessel previously made history in the Black Sea as part of the Blue Stream Project, setting a record by laying a natural gas pipeline at a depth of roughly 2,150 meters.
Capable of laying pipelines in waters deeper than 2,000 meters and housing up to 725 crew members, the Saipem 7000 remains one of the most capable vessels in international maritime operations today.
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