Published on: 01 December 2022
Largs Yacht Haven has invested in its boatyard operation by buying a new 75 Ton wise hoist.
The popular marina on the Firth of Clyde has taken delivery of a new 75 Ton WISE boat hoist which will replace the ageing 45 Ton hoist that has been at the site for over 30 years. The new hoist will now work alongside the existing 70 Ton hoist allowing flexible lifting in the Largs boatyard which operates seven days a week.
“With our brand new hoist comes brand new technology,” explains marina manager Dave Hewitt. “It will allow our boatyard operators to move around the hoist while manoeuvring rather than operating from a fixed location on the machine. It really is like the difference between driving an old Land Rover and a Tesla!”
It wasn’t just increased capacity that was key to the marina team; safety and new features were also paramount. “Working with WISE, we were able to specify the exact features we wanted ensuring we are able to offer far more than purely the increased weight. For example, our new hoist comes with greatly improved LED lighting to make emergency night time lifts much safer. The hoist is operated via remote control making it safer for our boatyard team, and we have automatic monitoring sensors that feedback real-time data to the manufacturers.”
Largs’s boat lifting facility operates seven days a week with emergency 24 hour lifting available. For small or quick jobs, boats can be held in the hoist for an hour, over a tea break or overnight. For longer periods of storage, vessels can be positioned in the secure boatyard.
The delivery comes off the back of similar investments across Yacht Havens Group. The marina group, which owns and operates nine marinas across the UK and the Netherlands, have invested heavily in new boatyard equipment this winter. In addition to the new hoist at Largs Yacht Haven, Lymington Yacht Haven has also taken delivery of a new 60 Ton hoist, while Yacht Haven Quay Plymouth have purchased a new Wiggins Marina Bull Dry Stack forklift.
