To be the largest Travelift operating in New England, Newport Shipyard‘s new 500 Metric Ton Marine Travelift will arrive at Newport’s only and oldest working shipyard on May 29 and will be operational by June 21. This state-of-the-art lift will be added to the 100 MT lift presently working at Newport Shipyard and will replace the 300 MT lift, which has handled a majority of the large yachts since its purchase 12 years ago.

Newport Shipyards' new 500 MT Travelift being built at Marine Travelift in Sturgeon Bay, WI - Photo Credit: Newport Shipyard/Marine Travlift

“We are looking forward to our new Travelift’s arrival at the end of this month and anticipate attracting new business to Newport by operating the largest Travelift in the northeast,” said Eli Dana, dockmaster of Newport Shipyard. “We hope by upgrading our haul-out capacity, super yachts will make Newport a destination for refit and repair work along with routine maintenance,” Dana said. “Until now, we were able to haul yachts up to 150 feet but as sailing and motor yachts continue to grow in size, the need for a larger hoist became necessary,” Dana said.

The new 500T lift will be able to handle yachts ranging from 50 foot catamarans to 200 foot superyachts. Additional features include night time work lights for emergency haul outs and a sound suppression package to reduce engine noise. “It is a big investment for us but we are confident it will attract larger yachts to New England and will be a win-win for everyone,” Dana said.

Newport Shipyard located in downtown Newport, RI - Photo Credit: Newport Shipyard/Billy Black

Newport Shipyard, Newport’s only and oldest working boatyard, is located in the heart of downtown Newport and provides dockage for boats ranging in size from 20 to 350 feet. Dubbed ‘New England’s Yachting Hub,’ Newport Shipyard is the host of many world class yachting events.