The machine will be able to haul a superyacht out of the water and transport it forward, backward and sideways on wheels that can turn 90°. Another key feature is variable-width, which will allow it to expand up to 18.5ft or collapse for vessels with smaller beams. The machine will also include a Tier 4 low-emission power source.
It will replace a 660-ton Marine Travelift that was purchased in 2007.
MGBW said: “The high-capacity lifts needed to haul out large vessels like superyachts typically take up a large amount of valuable real estate within a shipyard. When vessels are blocked in the yard, the spacing between them is determined by the overall width of the lift, not the boats themselves. With standard boat lifts, the width is fixed, locking the operators into a larger footprint even when it’s not required for a specific craft. This wasted space results in lost dry-docking capacity for the shipyard, which in turn creates a backlog of boats waiting for an open slot, significant schedule disruptions (particularly in the busy off-season), and work being turned away.
“The new versatility provided by the lift will allow MGBW to make more efficient use of its… facility by optimising the space between vessels when blocked on shore.”
The new boat hoist will be part of a planned multi-million dollar modernisation project at MGBW’s 15-acre ship-building and repair facility on San Diego Bay.
In addition to the new boat lift, the construction project will include a solar panel installation on the San Diego waterfront, which will provide 500kW of renewable energy to power yard equipment and supply shore-power to docked boats. The project will also include the replacement and reconfiguration of all docks and dredging to restore deep-water access.
The modernisation project supports MGBW’s ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability. The facility will remain fully operational during construction, which is expected to take ten months.
The 820-ton Telescopic Mobile Boat Hoist is the second major investment in expandable lift equipment MGBW has made in 2023. In April, the firm announced it had purchased a 75-ton Marine Travelift to increase capacity at its yacht repair and dry-dock facility in Los Cabos, Mexico. The investment has allowed the company to overcome previous space constraints.
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