January February 2019 Marina World

Boat lift
design suits
heavier
vessels
Dock Blocks of North America
(DBNA), a floating dock system
specialist based out of Charleston,
South Carolina has introduced the
Boat Boost. Able to lift boats up to
12,000lbs (5,443kg), the innovation
opens up a new market for the
company as its previous range
of boat lifts catered for boats up
to 6,000lbs (2,721.5kg). The new
technology took several years to
develop.
“We are very excited to introduce
this new product because it allows
us to reach customers who we have
previously had to turn away because
their boats were over our recommended
weight,” said Doug Edwards, DBNA
vice president sales and marketing.
“We are also excited because Boat
Boost allows us to work with several
government contractors whose boats
were previously out of our weight class.”
To raise the boat, the system pumps
air into the flotation tank to cause the
dock to rise. The levers are rotated
to the positions shown and the pump
is turned on. The dock then begins
to rise at a pace dependent largely
on the weight of the boat being lifted.
When the dock is sufficiently raised, the
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pump is switched off and the left lever
returned to the vertical position. When
raised, the dock should sit evenly in the
water.
To lower the boat, the system
releases the air in the flotation tank and
the dock slowly sinks into the water.
The pump is not needed. Both levers
are rotated to the positions shown and
air escapes through the open port
on the back of the control cabinet as
the dock sinks. When the dock is low
enough, both levers should be returned
to the vertical position. The boat can
now be driven off the dock.
Charleston Harbor Resort and
Marina (CHRM) purchased a system
in April last year capable of lifting up
Nagu Hamn, Finland ****
to ten vessels, each weighing up to
12,000lbs (5,443kg). The docks were
installed in an unused area of the
marina and there is a predicted return
on investment of just three years.
Lloyd Weston, CHRM sales manager,
explained: “There was a spot where
we could put the ten Dock Blocks that
allowed us to generate more revenue
than we otherwise would have had
inside our marina. A lot of family
oriented people come down with their
kids and it gives them an option to keep
their boat up out of the water. The boat
stays dry and protected, and they can
easily drive it in and out of the water
when they need to.”
E: dougedwards@dock-blocks.com
BLUE STAR
MARINA
CERTIFICATION
www.bluestarmarina.com
Visit
us at
19.-27.01. 2019 hall 9 · booth A13
www.marinaworld.com - January/February 2019 55