Solis Marine provides specialist crane engineering services to the marine insurance industry, shipowners, port authorities and legal professionals worldwide. Led by Richard Hadcroft, Head ofCrane Engineering Services, we deliver comprehensive technical expertise in crane damage investigation, assessment and repair.

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Our Services

• Crane Damage Investigation & Assessment: Thorough investigations of crane failures affecting STS container cranes, mobile harbour cranes, ship cargo gear, offshore pedestal cranes and port infrastructure equipment. We establish root causes and liability through detailed analysis of structural, mechanical, electrical and operational factors.
• Expert Witness Services: Comprehensive expert reports and oral evidence for arbitration and court proceedings involving crane incidents, cargo damage, personal injury claims and insurance disputes.
• Damage Survey & Loss Assessment: Rapid global response to document damage, assess operational impact and provide repair cost estimates. We work closely with P&I Clubs, H&M underwriters and brokers.
• Repair Engineering & Procurement Support: Repair method statements, structural analysis, engineering drawings and quality assurance. Technical due diligence for crane procurement, vendor evaluation and commissioning oversight.
• Loss Prevention & Operations Analysis: Pre-risk surveys, operational procedure review, maintenance program development and safety system verification.

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Richard Hadcroft BEng (Hons)

Richard holds a BEng in Mechatronics from the University of London and is qualified as an OSHA & WISHA Maritime and Construction crane Surveyor. His career includes Engineering Manager at Associated British Ports (Humber region lifting equipment), Engineering Manager at Mathews Mechanical, and 18 years as Senior Project Engineer to Vice President at Crane Consultants. Richard has expertise in STS, ship and construction crane engineering and has prepared numerous expert reports for arbitration and court proceedings, providing oral evidence during depositions and hearings.