Not long now until the arrival of the new 1000-ton travelift, the largest in Europe, which STP Shipyard Palma recently acquired to provide further services at the yard. After working hard on its design for just over a year, this new travelift will adapt perfectly to the industry’s new needs. It’s no secret that the yachting industry is booming, and that technology and refit/repair techniques have made huge advances over the past few years. That’s why STP took the decision to adapt to the industry’s new demands and grow at the same pace by providing a major operational solution.

Significantly enhancing certain technological aspects related to STP’s current 700-ton travelift, the new boat hoist will also offer superior capabilities and dimensions. 26 metres long, 12.5 metres wide and 25 metres high: these are the impressive dimensions of what will be Europe’s most important travelift when it comes to size and hoist-out capacity. Its 32 electronically-powered wheels and twin 286 hp Volvo engines will be able to move yachts of up to 1000 tons thanks to its 32 slings and 4 hoists per side (1 fixed and 3 mobile), which provide more versatility when lifting the boat out of the water. This feature gives more options for adapting the blocks to the size of the yacht, while the extra 300 tons will make manoeuvres more flexible.

The travelift components will be received in Mallorca in twenty-three containers from July onwards. A five-strong team of professionals will then use the most powerful cranes in the Balearics (one of 300 tonnes and two of 200 tonnes) to lift out the parts and proceed with assembly, which is scheduled for completion in the month of September.

As this travelift is higher than the current one, certain sailboats won’t need to have their stays or backstays removed. This height will also reduce the number of turning manoeuvres, and once the boat has been hoisted out, it will be easier to withdraw the travelift. Another advantage is that obstacles during manoeuvres can be easily sidestepped, whether containers or cradles of other boats, as the increased height means that the lift will pass over them.

What’s more, it will be able to lift motoryachts of up to 57 metres and sailboats of up to 67 metres, with a maximum beam of 12 metres in both cases. Another important feature is that the engines meet the legislative demands covered in Stage IV/EPA Tier 4 Final standards thanks to its SCR (selective catalytic reduction) technology. Also, a lightweight exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system means that the engines comply with emission standards with an approved technology for environmental care.

In the words of Jose María Campuzano, CEO of STP Shipyard Palma, “this new 1000-ton travelift is a major boost for the industry, in which the Balearic Port Authority has played such a major role by supporting and fostering its growth, and we believe that the results will be seen in the short term. This new lift will improve the services of STP for its customers. There are boats that previously couldn’t be hoisted out at our yard, so they had to be repaired in the water, which meant that certain works were left pending. Thanks to the new travelift, this will no longer happen, so the level of repair will be greater. What’s more, companies will benefit from the chance to perform larger-scale repairs, even though they’ll be more complex”.

Campuzano adds that “we’re adapting to the industry’s demands, which are coming about because of the ever-growing popularity of the Balearic Islands among superyachts as the ideal destination for refit and repair works”.

He also points out that “the number of travelift manoeuvres has shot up over STP’s ten years of operations, as have number of companies authorised to work at the yard. With this new travelift, these figures will continue to grow and will even require companies to train employees in technical and technological issues. And all this growth calls for greater control and thoroughness when it comes to safety at the yard, while market developments underline the need for rigour in all processes”.