Marine Travelift Inc. recently announced that Shelter Island Marina & Boatyard in British Columbia, Canada, has purchased a new 75 BFMII mobile boat hoist. The machine, delivered earlier this month, is designed to handle powerboats, sailboats, tugs, fishing boats and patrol boats approximately 80 feet (24 meters) in length.

 This is the fifth Marine Travelift machine for Richmond-based Shelter Island. Founded in 1978 on the south arm of the Fraser River, this full-service facility is one of the largest yards on the Pacific Coast, and it operates two of the largest Marine Travelift mobile boat hoists along the western seaboard. It can lift vessels from 20 to 130 feet, it provides long- and short-term storage for hundreds of boats, and it boasts more than 8,000 linear feet of freshwater moorage.

 “With more than 20 acres of boatyard accommodating more than 400 vessels, it’s imperative that we have reliable and efficient equipment to keep the yard operating smoothly,” said Terry McPhail, Shelter Island’s president. “Marine Travelift has always provided the newest technologies. Given the success we’ve enjoyed with our previous four Marine Travelift hoists, and the great local service from Kendrick Equipment, we were pleased to order another machine.”

 Shelter Island’s new 75 BFMII features two-speed hoists, which allows operators to increase lifting speed for more efficiency when the machine is in high demand and in the Pacific Northwest’s greatly fluctuating tides. It also has Marine Travelift’s signature top beam extension. With this innovative feature, the top beam is moved forward, providing additional clearance while the boat is supported in the slings. This allows the boatyard to lift a much larger number of sailboats without needing to adjust the vessels’ rigging. There’s no need to dismantle the forestay, which reduces stress on the mast and gives greater ground clearance to the keel during lifting. It also allows the yard to handle recreational and commercial power vessels that have larger, higher superstructures.

 “Shelter Island hauls a lot of larger sailboats, including race boats, and the top beam extension makes handling them a lot easier — and quicker,” said Dave Marshall, sales manager at Kendrick Equipment.

 In addition, the new 75 BFMII incorporates an extra fuel tank on the lower side beam, and it has Marine Travelift’s sound suppression kit level II, which sets the industry standard in noise reduction. Its foam lining, louvers and a hospital-grade muffler will help the yard meet local noise-restriction requirements, particularly when operating multiple pieces of equipment.

 “First impressions in the field was how quiet the machine runs with the sound level II option,” Marshall said. “The extra fuel tank was a big plus, because they won’t have to rely on mobile filling as often, and the automatic variable throttle (AVT) was a must to keep fuel-related operating expenses down. It also makes it easier for operators to communicate over engine noise.”

 Then there is the wireless remote control, increasing operator visibility of the boat, launch piers and surrounding area, improves operational safety, and ensures maximum maneuverability in the yard. It also allows the yard to operate the machine with less manpower. According to McPhail at Shelter Island, the decision to purchase the new Marine Travelift BFMII was easy.

 “After seeing the benefits of the remote operation with our newer 220-ton Marine Travelift, and the fact that we normally replace our machines every 10 to 12 years, the option was clear,” he observed.

 By trading in their machines approximately every decade and maintaining them well, Shelter Island has been able to apply trade-in allowances to new machines, covering approximately 75 percent of the purchase price.

 “They definitely were pleased with the efficiencies the remote offered on the 220-ton machine, so they insisted on it for the 75-ton, along with the digital load scales with readout on the transmitter,” Marshall said.

 The partnership between Kendrick Equipment and Shelter Island is an important one. The marina purchased all five of its Marine Travelift machines from the Delta, British Columbia-based dealer, which has already sold three 75 BFMIIs this year.

 “We’ve always strived to provide them with the best possible service and support, especially through our annual inspection program,” Marshall said. “We pride ourselves on our ability to provide first-class service after each sale.”

 Marine Travelift is renowned worldwide for its highly trained, expert distributor network. Distributors and their field service technicians are able to react immediately to the needs of their local customers, resolving issues quickly and ensuring that any required downtime is minimal.

 www.shelterislandmarina.com

www.kendrickequipment.com www.marinetravelift.com