To establish an accurate visual simulation system for offshore hoisting operations, the "Offshore Oil 201" crane ship was regarded as the research object, a mathematical model for hoisting operations was established with comprehensive considering the influence of sea conditions, the dynamic positioning system of the ship and the ballasting system of the crane ship. An interactive three-dimensional dynamic virtual scene was constructed by the comprehensive application of virtual reality technology, multi-channel data interaction technology, numerical solution technology and semi-physical simulation technology. The Bliss approximate integration was used to solve the mathematical model of the hoisting operation and the real-time data interaction of the visual simulation system was realized on the basis of guaranteeing the accuracy of the solution. The dynamic response of the ship displacements, the ship attitude angles, the swing angles and forces of the hoisting system and the reaction force of the crane ship were emphatically analyzed in the simulation system. The movement law of the ship and the hoisting system were obtained. The simulation system results were compared with the sea trial and the deviation of the simulation system was kept within 10%. The accuracy of the mathematical model of the hoisting operation is sufficient for the simulation system, and the simulation system can carry on the engineering rehearsal of the offshore hoisting operations with ensuring the system accuracy, which can effectively improve the safety of the offshore engineering operations.