I was at the yard the other day looking around when I noticed that the travelift at the east yard was only rated at 150 tons. How could they have splashed the vessels that were built at the east yard when many of them have gross weights listed at well over 200 tons? There were also a couple of 130'+ yachts in the shed that have weights listed at 200 tons+, what am I missing here?
Sure you're talking about weight, not Gross Tonage (volume)? I deal with smaller boats, but off the top of my head I know that a 50' Viking SC is only 36,000 lbs. (13 tons). 300,000 lbs (150 tons) is a lot of boat.
I know 150 tons is a lot of boat, but when you look up the dry weights of a lot of the browards built at broward east, they're all well north of a 150 tons. I could understand if they splashed the vessels partially completed then finished them off in the water (I know they did that for sure with Bubba Two), but that doesn't explain the larger completed vessels they currently have out of the water for repair that are heavier than 150tons.
It could be that such a travelift is leased for the individual job or that they had one and sold it off. Can't imagine an insurance company or anyone else letting the max tonnage be exceeded by 1/3 or more.
They had a 300 or 350 ton travel lift several years ago. I know because I was running a 103' Broward that was in the slings of it and 50' from the haulout slip both port side rear tires blew and the boat had to be blocked and sat there for 2 days while they ordered and installed new tires. I'm guessing they could've sold it to bradford and ran it over there on the road and nobody would've noticed (possibly???). I know that Marinemax AMT has a brand new travel lift thats 150 tons I think.
They always had two Manitwoc boom cranes brought in for the larger boats to launch not so much for tonnage but to have the extra reach for that very short haulout slip. It took Dennison two days to get Mrs. Turnberry in the water @ 140' or so. Broward followed suite with the 150' Coco bean in '95-'96 after Dennison went under and Frank started building on the east site.
oh dear I to am guessing that if a 300 to 350 ton travel lift was to travel by road from Broward East to Bradfords some one may have noticed it especially since Bradfords do not have a travel lift in Fort Lauderdale. Also the new lift at AMT - Marinemax is 100 ton max, 21.5 feet beam and 7 foot draft. Each wheel is steerable and there is an extension on the top cross beam to allow sail boats to be hauled without letting go there fore or back stays.
You would be amazed at what you can haul with a 150 ton lift. I hauled a 210 ton boat with one and several in the 200 ton range.
Wow. I wonder though, god forbid if something had gone wrong, would the yards insurance have covered it?
Tonnage You would also be amazed at the number of people who do not understand the difference between Gross, Net and Registered Tonnage and the actual displacement of a vessel. Many times a lift is capable of lifting the weight but due to either the beam or the length of a vessel it is border line on being dangerous or plain stupid. Broward yachts are well known for being stretched but leaving the running gear in the original place. Without divers to position the straps correctly especially aft I have seen one Broward that was lifted with the aft set of straps set at 33 feet from the stern. Not a good idea as the weight balance was totally wrong and they failed.
I used to run a 103' that had 3 extensions put on it over the years and actually started life as an 86'. It's running gear was never moved. It did walk completely sideways perfectly with one engine in fwd, one in reverse, and the rudders hard over and no use of bow thruster. I also ran another broward a 97' that had never seen an extension......one of the few around LOLOLOL.
