A travel lift or travelift (also called a boat hoist, boat gantry crane, or boat crane) is a specialised type of crane used for lifting

boats A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

out of the water and transporting them around docks or

marinas A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ship ...

. These cranes allow boats with masts or tall

superstructure A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships. Aboard ships and large boats On water craft, the superstruct ...

to be transported around

hard stand A hardstand (also hard standing and hardstanding in British English) is a paved or hard-surfaced area on which vehicles, such as cars or aircraft, may be parked. The term may also be used informally to refer to an area of compacted hard surface suc ...

s as the tall upper structure can pass through the open end of the crane framework before lifting and after setting down. Travel lifts typically have two rectangular side frames joined by a beam across one end. The lift is mobile with four groups of steerable wheels, one at each corner. Boats are typically lifted using straps, slung between the two sides which can be passed under boats when either in the water or on the hard stand. Steel wire cables on winches are used to lift the boat. To remove a boat from the water, two basic methods may be used. In one, the boat is positioned in a narrow dock, or lifting well, with two paths along each side, which are at the same level as the hard stand. The travel lift can then be driven onto the paths so that it is positioned over the boat. The boat can then be lifted above the level of the hard stand and driven around to the place where it is to be lowered. The other method requires the travel lift to be run down a slipway with a shallow slope, until it is deep enough for the boat to be floated between the sides, the slings rigged, and the boat lifted sufficiently to be sure of clearing the slipway surface when the lift is winched, driven, or towed out. Travel lifts can have a variety of lifting capacities from tens of tonnes used for small boats to well over 1000 tonnes which can be used for sizeable ships. They typically lift loads at around 1 m per minute and can be driven at speeds of up to 40 m per minute. Boats need to be removed from the water for a variety of reasons including

anti-fouling Biofouling or biological fouling is the accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, or small animals where it is not wanted on surfaces such as ship and submarine hulls, devices such as water inlets, pipework, grates, ponds, and rivers that ...

and removal of marine growth, maintenance and inspection, repair, and long term storage. Because of their slow speeds, marine travel lifts are impractical for street transport of boats. There is also an Amphibious version that can be lift the boat directly from the sea.

References

{{reflist Marinas

See also

References