Worthing Tower Crane, Weathervaning During Storm Ciara

This was a weird sight seeing the tower crane spinning around with no operator in it, the predicted weekend storm Ciara was powerful, so the tower crane brake was released to let the crane spin in the wind, the method is called weathervaning, the other crane had the brake on.

[@walkeratsea]

There is something wrong there ?!! The obvious question is - why is it spinning around ? Yes a tower crane is put into what’s called free slew / weather vane mode when operations are complete . But it doesn’t keep spinning around ??? It simply follows the direction of the wind and settles there ?! Pretty obvious !? I mean look at the other crane ??
I’ve been operation T cranes for over 20 years. I’d love to know what happened to this crane and also the operator that left it this way ?! 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@adamallen1097]

You spin me right round baby right round lol

[@michaelshields7777]

Adam Allen Like a record, baby! Right round! 😂😂😂😂😂

[@SirBorisHayter]

Faster than a wind turbine. Should have hooked it up to the national grid.

[@gloverelaxis]

i wonder how much current would be induced back through the motor? there's gotta be a lot of mass in the boom/arm

[@AyeYerMa]

@@gloverelaxis None, when a crane is put into weathervane mode it isn't connected to the motor, that's why it spins freely.

[@Truthtime371]

Wow amazing site, great to document this bit of local interest with a video for years to come :)

[@joeynyesss1286]

Saw this when I was on the bus coming into Worthing. Thought something was wrong!

[@britishpakstar988]

Omg that’s the job I’m on lol

[@aidonatorgaming27]

It's bad where theres normally 2 way to get out of Isle of sheppey but there is only 1 ways as my local bridge is closed so I would have to go on a bridge what's filled with traffic, looked in my garden 2 off my fences come down then afterwards seeing my lamp post wobble it's scary living on a island in a storm

[@simonsmall6446]

the tall tower crane was rocking

[@teyton90]

is it purposefully not locked in its rotation so it can withstand the storm better?

[@Kingofsoles]

Yes, if the crane is unable to spin during high winds. It can tip over.

[@beingindiansk5816]

Exactly right while wind direction to much that time do not lock tower crane. Its better Rotation

[@JohnDoe-fr1id]

I wanna ride it!

[@MrKlelen]

Am i the only one getting an anxiety watching this.

[@Andyb2379]

Good heavens

[@topfelya]

Ive seen this crane on TV

[@derekporter7658]

French made Jaso's by the look of them. I've never seen a crane slew like that in inclement weather!!

[@mrdune5479]

The wind must have been bouncing off the surrounding buildings making wind hit it from different directions.
I've seen this a few times

[@derekporter7658]

@@mrdune5479 I've seen them slewing a few degrees either clockwise or counter clockwise, but never a continuous 360 at a pace!! Yeah, the wind patterns must've been bouncing around there!

[@hoodhangerz4315]

Have they took all the supports out from the basement and first two floors yet? 😂

[@kingsking2816]

It has too spin ,the cranes in free slew ..

[@lliambunter]

It doesn't have to spin it normally slews with the wind doesn't need to keep rotating

[@kingsking2816]

@@lliambunter that’s what I meant if it didn’t have free slew and say the wind from the north was gussing up against it it would cause the crane to topple over

[@melissaenriquez9651]

Ah ah ah ah ah oh no the tower crane in stom

[@DavidAmmerlaan]

:D

[@smilingsmurfet]

D