Tall visitor in Grand Harbour

A massive crane vessel presented an unusual sight in Grand Harbour yesterday when the Stanislav Yudin berthed at Pinto Wharf.

Those who noticed the top of the crane towering over the centuries old bastions could not help try to get a closer look from the Upper Barrakka Gardens or drive down to the waterfront.

A spokesman for the Malta agents, Ronasons Shipping Agency, said the Stanislav Yudin was in Malta for a transhipment operation where heavy equipment was being transferred from another vessel, the Irtysh, onto the Stanislav Yudin which is bound for a drilling operation offshore Libya.

The owners of the vessel were using Malta as a hub to effect a crew change and buy supplies, Ronasons said.

The Stanislav Yudin's design is based on decades of operational experience with derrick barges and is fully equipped for North Sea operations.

The vessel was built in 1985 and upgraded in 1993 and 1996. She is offered for installation work in the North Sea, West Africa, the Mediterranean, Middle East and the Gulf of Mexico.