VANCOUVER-BASED GRANVILLE ISLAND BOATYARD PURCHASES NEW MARINE TRAVELIFT TM30 TRANSPORTER

Granville Island Boatyard has been a Marine Travelift customer since 1981, purchasing 15-, 25- and 50-ton mobile boat hoists prior to the transporter. The boatyard staff decided to purchase the TM30 to support their existing mobile boat hoists.

“They needed a way to increase yard efficiency, both indoors and outdoors,” explained Dave Marshall, sales manager at Kendrick Equipment, Marine Travelift''s dealer based in Delta, British Columbia. “They needed a highly maneuverable, versatile, and robust machine.”

According to Trevor Smith, Granville Island Boatyard''s senior travelift operator, the transporter''s small footprint held great appeal. Other key features included crab steering, which allows the operator to maneuver around the yard with ease, and the TM30''s increased hydraulic lift option.

“This option was perfect for the boatyard''s uneven terrain, and it''s very helpful for blocking boats higher to accommodate work underneath, such as dropping drive shafts,” Marshall noted.

He also observed that the features weren''t the only driving forces behind the yard''s decision to partner with Marine Travelift.

“Granville Island felt it was important to buy a product from a manufacturer with a strong history of reliable equipment,” he explained, “and from an experienced local dealer with trained service technicians and valuable parts support.”

The TM30 transporter was delivered in May of last year, and Smith said it took just four hours for the machine to go from its container to being fully operational. On-site training began immediately, the staff quickly became competent, and before too long, the boatyard began experiencing significant results. Quite simply, the transporter added speed and precision to moving and storing vessels, which improved the yard''s overall efficiency.

“The machine has performed fully to expectations and has contributed to efficient use of our limited yard space,” Smith reported.

Undercover storage is especially valuable during the wet winter months. The transporter effectively doubled our indoor capacity. The increased efficiency and capacity that the Marine Travelift TM30 transporter provides means increased revenue for the Granville Island Boatyard.