World’s Third-Largest Crane Ship Passes Through Istanbul’s Bosphorus
AI illustrationOn 6 August 2026, the Saipem 7000 transited Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait, moving south into the Aegean Sea. The ship is the world's third-largest semi-submersible crane ship.
Crossing the Bosphorus took preparation. The strait's suspension bridges impose height limits, so the ship's crane booms had to be lowered well before it entered the narrows. Traffic was suspended in both directions. The Saipem 7000 passed through cleanly.
The ship operates under Italian energy contractor Saipem and is used for heavy-lift installation work at offshore oil and gas fields.
For context on traffic through narrow waterways, our guides cover maritime chokepoints in global trade, tracking ships by region, and understanding changes in a ship’s route.
World’s Third-Largest Crane Ship Passes Through Istanbul’s Bosphorus
Interest over time · SAIPEM 7000Who's watching
- TR40%
- ID20%
- US20%
- IT20%
Track this vessel live on MarineRadar
Follow the ships and waters behind the headline in real time — satellite positions every 5 minutes, full voyage history and arrival alerts, straight from your phone.
Related stories
All maritime news
Marine NewsBlack Marlin departs with world’s largest electric ferry bound for South America
Boskalis’ heavy-lift vessel Black Marlin departed Hobart, Tasmania carrying the world’s largest fully electric ferry, the 130-metre catamaran China
Marine NewsBlack Marlin Arrives in Hobart to Collect World’s Largest Electric Ferry
Semi-submersible heavy lift ship Black Marlin has arrived at Hobart, Tasmania to collect Incat’s Hull 096 China Zorrilla, the world’s largest
Marine NewsTrump Posts Map Labelling Strait of Hormuz ‘New U.S. Territory’ as 60-Day Deal Deadline Passes
Trump circled the Strait of Hormuz on a Truth Social map and called it ‘new U.S. territory’ after the 60-day Iran deal window closed without agreement. Iran
Marine NewsAD Ports routes cargo through Khor Fakkan as Strait of Hormuz stays shut
2026-08: AD Ports has rerouted cargo through Khor Fakkan Port and Fujairah Terminals on the Gulf of Oman since the Strait of Hormuz closed in late February
Earlier stories
Published before this one
07 Aug 2026Houthis Strike Saudi Tanker Near Yanbu as Attacks Spread to the Northern Red Sea
07 Aug 2026Iran Moves to Ban US and Israeli Ships from the Strait of Hormuz
07 Aug 2026Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker Off Oman Leaks 600 Square Kilometres of Oil
07 Aug 2026Iran and Oman Reach In-Principle Agreement on Hormuz Passage
Never miss a story that moves the seas
The incidents, chokepoint shifts and vessel movements that matter — in your inbox the moment they break.