LCVP, "Higgins Boat"

Last July, The North Carolina Maritime Museum's Harvey Smith Watercraft Center received a Landing Craft, Vehicle Personnel (LCVP), also know as a Higgins Boat, for restoration. More than 22,000 LCVPs were manufactured during World War II, but only about a dozen of them have survived to this day.

This particular Higgins Boat was bought by a collector and offered to the First Division Museum in Wheaton, Illinois. On the Navy's recomendation, the boat was brought to the Beaufort museum for the restoration. After almost a year of hard work and meticulous detail to use original parts and parts identical to the WW II era, the boat was ready to be transported to its new home in Illinios. The Maritime Museum turned to us to load the boat onto the trailer.

Using our 25-ton crane, we were able to successfully pick up the boat and load it onto the trailer. We used the spreader bar to to attach the straps and lift the boat up. Then, we backed the trailer into place and set V-shaped blocks to support the bow. We secured the boat to the trailer and she was ready for the journey.