World's Largest Yacht Lifts
Rounding up the biggest yacht lifts in the world used to launch and maintain the world's largest superyachts.
May 20, 2024
We often talk about the world's largest yachts and the most expensive luxury yachts in the world, but what about the technology behind transporting them on land? How do shipyards get these massive vessels in and out of the water to launch and conduct regular maintenance on land? Enter the world's largest yacht lifts. Here we'll take a deep dive into the impressive industrial equipment that makes the world of superyachts and megayachts possible, checking out some of the biggest boat lifts around the world.
Gigantic Yacht Lifts In The United States
Let's begin with shipyards in the U.S. with some truly colossal lifts that can handle some of the biggest boats in the world.
Derecktor Shipyards' Record-Breaking Lifts
Derecktor Shipyards claims the title for the "largest mobile yacht lift in the world". Back in 2022, the company hoisted Lürssen's 238-foot Coral Ocean, weighing around 1,400 tons, making it the largest yacht ever to be hauled using strap lift technology. This impressive feat took place at Derecktor Shipyards' facility in Fort Pierce, Florida. The yard boasts a 1,600-ton lift, which is the world's largest mobile yacht lift. This advancement followed their 2012 acquisition of the world's tallest ship lift at their Dania Beach, Florida facility .
Above: The World's Largest Mobile Yacht Lift at Derecktor Shipyards' facility in Fort Pierce, Florida, hoisting the 238-foot Lürssen CORAL OCEAN. Photo by Derecktor.
Safe Harbor Rybovich, Florida
Located in West Palm Beach, Florida, Safe Harbor Rybovich is another significant player in the yacht lift arena. This facility offers state-of-the-art service yards and marinas capable of handling yachts up to 328 feet in length. Safe Harbor Rybovich features a 660-ton Travel Lift and a 3,000-ton floating dry dock, making it a top destination for superyacht maintenance and refit services. The marina is known for its exceptional amenities, including a full-size gym, swimming pool, crew lounge areas, and on-site dining options, providing a luxurious experience for yacht crews and owners alike.
Above: Director Ryan McVinney, who specializes in producing boating-themed adventure and travel TV shows, stands beneath a massive superyacht hoist at Safe Harbor Rybovich Shipyard in Florida, capturing the impressive scale of the strap-based yacht lift used for servicing some of the world's largest yachts. Photo by Chris Collins of DeepSee Visuals.
West Coast U.S. Shipyards
The West Coast of the United States is home to several notable shipyards with significant lifting capabilities. In California, BAE Systems in San Diego and General Dynamics NASSCO are key players. NASSCO, for instance, has multiple drydocks, including one with a 304-foot length and a 53-foot width, capable of handling large vessels.
In Oregon, Vigor Industrial's Portland facility on Swan Island is one of the largest and most capable shipyards on the West Coast. This facility includes three major drydocks, the largest of which, the Vigorous Drydock, can lift up to 80,000 long tons and measures 960 feet in length and 186 feet in width.
Schooner Creek Boatworks in Portland, Oregon, is a renowned shipyard known for its exceptional craftsmanship and comprehensive range of services. Specializing in custom boat building, repair, and maintenance, the shipyard caters to a variety of vessels, including yachts, commercial boats, and racing sailboats. The shipyard is equipped with two substantial yacht lifts—a 35-metric ton lift and a 75-metric ton lift—used for launching, haul-outs, washing, and maintenance. The strategic location on the Columbia River allows easy access for large vessels.
Above: Ryan McVinney and Pascal Le Guilly standing in front of a 75-ton Marine Travelift at Schooner Creek Boatworks in Portland, Orgeon. Photo by Boat Trader.
Washington is home to several major shipyards as well. Christensen Yachts, located in Vancouver, specializes in the construction and refit of large motor yachts. Their facilities include extensive manufacturing space and modern amenities to support their high standards of craftsmanship. Everett Ship Repair, with its 2,000-ton capacity Emerald Lifter drydock and the larger 8,000-ton capacity Faithful Servant drydock, is another significant player in the region.
Other Massive Yacht Lifts Around the World
While shipyards like Derecktor and Safe Harbor Rybovich stand out in the United States, other shipyards globally host even more massive equipment for handling superyachts. For example, Drydocks World in Dubai operates some of the largest shipyards in the Middle East. Their facilities include graving docks up to 1,709 feet in length and 328 feet in width, accommodating a wide array of vessel types. This shipyard's capabilities extend to handling ultra-large crude carriers (ULCCs), very large crude carriers (VLCCs), bulk carriers, and more.
ASRY (Arab Shipbuilding & Repair Yard) in Bahrain is another key player, with a 1,230-foot drydock capable of handling vessels up to 500,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT). Similarly, the Saudi Aramco maritime complex under development in the Persian Gulf will become the largest yard of its kind in the region once completed, offering extensive services for large shipbuilding, offshore rig fabrication, and more.
European Shipyards With Enormous Lifts
Europe hosts several prominent shipyards known for their expertise in building and maintaining superyachts. The Netherlands is home to Damen and Amels, headquartered in Gorinchem. These shipyards are renowned for their high-quality construction and innovative designs.
Oceanco, another Dutch shipyard, is famous for building Jeff Bezos's yacht, which required careful navigation through a narrow canal for its launch. Feadship, a collaboration between Koninklijke De Vries Scheepsbouw and Royal Van Lent, is also based in the Netherlands and is celebrated for crafting some of the most luxurious yachts in the world with colossal lifts involved in the build and launch process.
Germany boasts several significant shipyards, including Lürssen, known for its engineering excellence and the construction of large yachts like the Coral Ocean. Nobiskrug, Blohm & Voss, and Abeking & Rasmussen (A&R) are other notable German shipyards. A&R, located in Lemwerder near Bremen, has a strong reputation for building custom superyachts and thus utilizes some mammoth yacht lifts.
Italy is represented by Fincantieri and Vard, headquartered in Trieste. Fincantieri is one of the largest shipbuilding groups in Europe, and Vard specializes in the construction of complex vessels, including luxury yachts. Benetti, another Italian shipyard with locations in Viareggio, Livorno, and Fano, specializes in designing and building exceptionally large and luxurious motor yachts.
Who Builds Industrial Ship And Yacht Lifts?
In the United States, Marine Travelift Inc. is a leading manufacturer of industrial ship and yacht lifts, boasting over 60 years of experience in the maritime industry. Based in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, the company designs and builds some of the world's largest capacity boat lifts. Their C-Series boat lifts can haul massive vessels ranging from approximately 130 ft. (40 meters) to 328 ft. (100 meters) in length and 150 metric tons to 1,500 metric tons (330,000 lbs. to 3,300,000 lbs.). These impressive capabilities make their lifts ideal for shipyards, megayacht marinas, and boat builders, as they are designed to move and launch various large vessels, including tugs, ferries, superyachts, barges, commercial fishing boats, sailboats, and more. Additionally, their "smaller" BFMII boat hoists can handle vessels approximately 25 ft. (7.6 m) to 100 ft. (30 m) in length.
Pioneering Innovations And Future Prospects
The advancements in yacht lift technology are crucial for the ongoing maintenance and repair of the world's largest superyachts. As the industry continues to grow, so does the need for innovative solutions to manage these massive vessels efficiently. Derecktor Shipyards and other leading facilities worldwide are pushing the boundaries of what is possible, ensuring that even the largest yachts can be serviced effectively.
From the towering lifts at Derecktor to the expansive dry docks in Dubai, Bahrain, and Europe, the world's largest yacht lifts are feats of engineering that play a critical role in the luxury maritime industry. As technology evolves, we can expect even more impressive innovations, enabling the maintenance and launch of the next generation of superyachts.
In conclusion, while Derecktor Shipyards holds the record for the largest mobile yacht lift, shipyards like Drydocks World in Dubai, ASRY in Bahrain, and several prominent European shipyards are essential players with more permanent lifts and massive capabilities for servicing the largest vessels on the planet. These advancements ensure that the luxury yachting industry continues to thrive, with state-of-the-art facilities supporting the world's most impressive yachts.
By focusing on these major shipyards and their remarkable yacht lifts, we gain insight into the incredible infrastructure that supports the luxury yachting industry today and in the future.
