Award-Winning Herrington Harbour North Marina Adds Marine Travelift 50 BFM II Mobile Boat Hoist to Its Yacht Yard
Four Marine Travelift Hoists Now in Operation at Tracy's Landing, Maryland
STURGEON BAY, WI - Marine Travelift Inc. has announced that Maryland-based Herrington Harbour Eco-Lifestyle Marina Resorts has purchased a new 50 BFM II mobile boat hoist. The machine, delivered to Herrington Harbor North Marina in late 2011, brings the facility's total number of Marine Travelift mobile boat hoists to four.
Voted "Best Marina on the Bay" and "Best Boatyard on the Bay" by Chesapeake Bay Magazine readers, Herrington Harbour provides the closest deepwater access to the Chesapeake Bay from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It boasts 1,200 slips at its north and south marinas - 600 each at Tracy's Landing and Friendship, respectively.
The yacht yard at Herrington Harbour North is one of the East Coast's most comprehensive repair and maintenance facilities. It also has the capacity to store 1,200 boats.
According to co-owner Hamilton Chaney, Herrington Harbour first became a Marine Travelift customer in 1982, when it purchased one of the manufacturer's 25-ton mobile boat hoists. Over the years, the facility has gradually increased its hauling capacity; today, it operates two 35-ton machines, one 70-ton and the new 50-ton.
"We operate all four concurrently in the spring and fall," Chaney explained. "These machines work well in high-volume operations, because they're low maintenance, high quality and very reliable. We move a lot of boats; the machines have to turn on every single day. We cannot afford to have downtime.
"Marine Travelift's equipment is built so well, we don't have to replace them," he continued. "We've had one machine in service for 30 years!"
Jason Johnson, Marine Travelift's North American sales manager, said many yards are taking delivery of new mobile boat hoists so they can work alongside their predecessors. It is, he said, evidence of a larger trend in the industry.
"We make a machine that is known worldwide for holding its value, and for continuing to provide reliable, efficient, top-quality service for many years," Johnson explained. "That's a huge benefit for yards that plan to expand their facilities and capabilities; they can continue to use their older machines while investing in new ones to help grow the business."
And Herrington Harbour is definitely planning to grow its business. Chaney said a yacht yard expansion will be completed this summer, and as part of that expansion, the new 50 BFM II will get its own piers.
"That'll put it in the sweet spot for handling 35- to 55-foot boats," he said. "We'll have everything ready for fall haulout."
What's more, the new 50-ton machine is able to fit into work bays that can't accommodate the 70-ton hoist.
"That's definitely going to make our operation more efficient," Chaney said. "The 50-ton can get into those bays but still can manage the heavier boats that the 35-ton can't do. It'll allow us to utilize our space much better, and it'll make our buildings more useful as well."
Marine Travelift's reputation for reliable, high-quality machines and an improved use of yard facilities weren't the only reasons Herrington Harbour chose this particular machine, however. The new 50 BFM II has a few key features that, Chaney said, will improve operational efficiencies at the yacht yard.
The first is the sailboat top beam extension. During sailboat lifting, the backstay or forestay can interfere with a mobile boat hoist's top beam. With the innovative sailboat top beam extension, the top beam is moved forward, providing additional clearance while the boat is suspended in the slings. With this feature, a yard can lift a much larger number of sailboats without needing to adjust the vessels' rigging; plus, leaving the stays in place will reduce stress on the mast and provide greater ground clearance for the keel during lifting.
Since approximately 50 percent of Herrington Harbour's customers have sailboats, these are major benefits. The top beam extension can prove equally useful, however, with large power vessels with forward-mounted superstructures, large radar arches and tall antennas.
"The extension saves money for the customer and time for us, since we can still lift sailboats and taller vessels without having to take pieces off," Chaney explained. "We had Marine Travelift add extra height to the machine's structure during manufacturing as well."
In addition to the top beam extension and additional column height, the new 50-ton hoist also features a wireless remote control with a range of 300 feet. To maintain consistency and provide an extra measure of efficiency and safety, the unit is laid out in the same format as the operator-cab controls. Chaney said it's been a really nice addition.
"It really allows operators to see the boat and work area from every angle," he explained.
"We've designed our options to maximize a Marine Travelift hoist's overall flexibility, reliability and performance based on a customer's unique needs," Johnson commented. "It's all about efficiency. A streamlined operation means everything in terms of capacity, turn-around and the bottom line."
Finally, Chaney said that Marine Travelift was the perfect "green" fit for Herrington Harbour, which has been an eco-lifestyle resort since 1978.
"We're very proactive with environmentally friendly initiatives," Chaney said. "We look at everything we do, and Marine Travelift is a great fit, because you don't run through the machines. If you maintain them properly, they last."
To ensure that the machines remain in top-performing condition, Herrington Harbour has outstanding local service support through Shul-Mar Equipment Inc., a Marine Travelift dealership that serves the Atlantic coast from New Jersey to South Carolina. Not only does the Virginia-based business offer new machines with capacities from 15 to 1,000 tons, it provides used equipment, parts and service for all Marine Travelift mobile boat hoists.
For details about Herrington Harbour and Shul-Mar Equipment Inc., visit www.herringtonharbour.com and www.shul-marequipment.com.
For more information about Marine Travelift and its full range of mobile boat hoists, call (920) 743-6202, e-mail the sales team at sales@marinetravelift.com or visit www.marinetravelift.com.
The world's first mobile boat hoist was conceptualized and manufactured in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in 1945. Officially established in 1954, Marine Travelift Inc. has a long-standing reputation as a marine industry leader and is recognized for its tradition of excellence on a global scale. The company manufactures mobile boat hoists, marine forklifts, self-propelled transporters and other related marine lifting products. It also has an extensive U.S. and international dealer network, with more than 3,500 units in service worldwide.
Marine Travelift Inc.
49 E. Yew St.
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235-1976
Contact: Marketing Department
(920) 743-6202
sales@marinetravelift.com
