Spotlight on Liftboats: What They Do & The Dangers They Pose

Picture a vessel that can sail to a jobsite, “plant” three or four giant steel legs on the seabed, and then lift its entire hull clear of the waves—creating a steady offshore work platform. That, in a nutshell, is a liftboat. Born in the Gulf of Mexico in the 1950s to serve the offshore oil industry, these agile craft now support everything from well-plugging campaigns off Louisiana to turbine maintenance at the first U.S. offshore wind farms.

How a Liftboat Works

A liftboat, or self-elevating service vessel, looks like a wide-bodied supply vessel with long lattice legs protruding skyward. It sails under its own power or by tow to locations generally less than 300 ft deep. Once on site, hydraulic jacking systems lower the legs until they “pin” on the seabed. The hull then climbs those legs, rising anywhere from 15–70 ft above the water so waves can pass harmlessly below. With the deck as stable as dry land, cranes, crew quarters, workshops, and helidecks can support around-the-clock operations.

Liftboats fulfill several core roles in offshore energy, including:

• Transporting heavy equipment to offshore installations
• While elevated, acting as temporary “flotels” (floating hotels) for work crews
• Using attached marine cranes to perform a variety of work
• Plugging idle or abandoned wells
• Constructing and servicing offshore platforms
• Supporting commercial diving operations
• Installing and servicing offshore wind turbines

Because liftboats can quickly reposition and elevate, they outperform anchored barges in harsh, shallow environments—and they’re far less costly to mobilize than full-size jack-up drilling rigs.

Liftboat Risks & Challenges

On August 11, 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard was dispatched to a 145-foot offshore liftboat located about 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana to evacuate two crew members affected by a fire on board. Although the fire had been extinguished, the workers required a medevac for further evaluation and treatment.  

Liftboats are designed to remove the motion of the sea, yet they introduce their own set of risks, like fire, that owners, operators, and designers must control. 

Some of these risks include:

• Sudden Squalls & Stability Limits: The elevated hull of a liftboat can behave like a massive sail in the wrong circumstances. If wind and waves exceed the design criteria before legs are firmly on the bottom or fully retracted, the vessel can capsize.
• Leg Penetration & Punch-Through: Uneven seafloor layers may allow one or more legs to sink unexpectedly (“punch-through”), tilting the platform and endangering everyone on deck.
• Jacking-System Failures: Gearbox, brake, or hydraulic-line failures can cause an uncontrolled descent of the hull—or trap it aloft—jeopardizing structural integrity and evacuation routes.
• Crane & Cargo Incidents: On a liftboat, heavy-lift operations may take place mere yards from personnel quarters or other work zones. Overloading or side loading a crane can shear its pedestal or topple cargo onto workers.
• Personnel Transfers: To move between support vessels and liftboats that are already fixed in an elevated position, crews may be transferred by personnel basket or other means—which may be high-risk maneuvers in rough seas.

The very location of a liftboat, sometimes miles from shore, can also make emergency measures like firefighting operations and medevac less timely and more difficult.

The SEACOR Power & Other Liftboat Disasters

On April 13, 2021, the 175-foot liftboat SEACOR Power departed Port Fourchon, Louisiana, en route to a Talos Energy platform. Less than two hours later, a sudden line of thunderstorms delivered winds over 80 mph and seas exceeding 10 ft. As the crew attempted to lower its legs and ride out the squall, the vessel heeled, capsized, and eventually came to rest on the seafloor. Of the 19 people aboard, 13 were lost.

The NTSB’s investigation later found that the owner’s weather-risk assessment was inadequate, the master sailed despite a small-craft advisory, and high winds struck while the crew was trying to set the legs. With the hull half-raised and stability margins gone, the vessel flipped in less than a minute. 

Sadly, SEACOR Power was not an isolated event. In the previous three years, three other liftboats were lost under similar circumstances:

• Teras Lyza (2018): The 164-foot liftboat capsized off the Philippines while under tow from Vietnam to Taiwan in rough monsoon seas. No one was aboard, but the hull inverted and sank after the towing gear parted. 
• Ram XVIII (2018): The vessel suffered a catastrophic leg fracture during field work in the Gulf of Mexico about 15 miles off the Louisiana coast. The sudden structural failure toppled the platform into the water; all personnel were rescued, but the unit was a total loss. 
• Kristin Faye (September 2019): While operating in the Gulf of Mexico, the liftboat experienced a “punch-through,” where one leg penetrated a weak seabed layer, tilting the vessel until water flooded the main deck. The crew was evacuated safely. 

These events threatened crew members’ lives, resulted in tremendous financial losses, and put the marine ecosystem at risk due to oil and gasoline spills. Liftboat builders and operators must take appropriate measures to prevent such catastrophic events.

Regulatory Framework & Industry Standards

With a history spanning about 70 years, liftboats are a relatively new type of vessel in maritime operations. They are expanding in use and popularity, including internationally. This makes industry standards and regulatory framework all the more important. 

In the United States, 46 CFR Subchapter L governs liftboats, mandating stability books, leg-load monitoring, jacking system inspections, and lifesaving appliances equivalent to offshore supply vessels. API (American Petroleum Institute) Recommended Practice 2L and ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 19905-1 also set design criteria for self-elevating units, addressing leg strength, storm design sea states, and punch-through analyses. Flag state and class surveys require annual leg, pinion, and rack examinations plus five-year dry dockings to assess fatigue cracks and corrosion.

Lifeboats, Rafts & Emergency Procedures

U.S.–flagged liftboats fall under 46 CFR Subchapter W, which requires each unit to carry totally enclosed, motor-propelled survival craft (TEMPSCs) on both port and starboard sides with a total capacity for 200 percent of everyone on board. Launch gear must work whether the hull is underway or jacked up, and boats must clear lattice legs and other structures during lowering. 

Weekly visual checks, quarterly davit-tests (or simulated launches), and a full-crew abandon-ship drill every month keep the craft in “ready” condition; all of this is audited during Coast Guard inspections and Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) safety reviews. Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 04-01 and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Mobile Offshore Unit rules echo the same themes: clear embarkation areas, certified hooks and release gear, and sea state limits for launching when elevated.

Liftboat crews work 12-hour shifts in one of the world’s most unforgiving settings. They depend on vessel owners, charterers, and equipment makers to meet—or exceed—regulatory minimums. Skipping drills, delaying maintenance, or swapping in non-approved parts violates 46 CFR and—more critically—can leave workers with no safe way off a listing or capsizing liftboat.

A Future Built on Better Data & Better Choices

Modern liftboats are equipped with sensors that track leg loads, wind speed, and jacking motor torque, giving operators real-time clues about potential hazards. Some of today’s liftboats have massive onboard cranes capable of lifting 200 tons or more, as well as more modern and spacious crew living quarters. But even the smartest technology means nothing if owners push beyond safe limits or cut corners on upkeep. A culture that puts data-driven decisions, rigorous training, and full compliance first is the only way to keep crews safe.

###Arnold & Itkin has helped offshore workers and their loved ones after every major offshore disaster of the past two decades. From the Deepwater Horizon explosion to crews abandoned on their vessels in hurricanes, the firm’s trial teams have uncovered the truth and held negligent companies accountable. With more than $20 billion in settlements and verdicts for clients across the United States, Arnold & Itkin stands out as the national leader in maritime law.

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