News

Marine Group Boat Works de Los Cabo (“Marine Group Cabo”), the largest yacht repair and dry storage facility in Baja Mexico, has purchased and installed a brand new, custom designed 75-ton Variable Width Marine Travelift. The variable feature allows the width of the machine to be reduced once it clears the haul-out slip thereby optimizing the space between vessels when blocked onshore.  Specifically designed for 50- to 85-foot boats (15-25 meters long) the need for a variable width Marine Travelift comes from an increase in demand for boat repairs in the Cabo area met with a space constraint of the boatyard’s footprint.

“The reason why we explored this variable width option was simply because we had a real estate problem—too many boats, not enough space,” said Peter Horner, general manager of Marine Group Cabo. “And when you want to continue being the #1 yard south of the border, you explore all options, and you pick the one that maximizes the space you do have.”

Marine Group Cabo opened its waterfront facility in 2010 featuring a 150-ton Marine Travelift with an unusually large 28-foot (8.5 meter) beam. The wide Travelift beam allows Marine Group Cabo to haul out superyachts measuring a long as 115 feet (35 meters). However, when blocked in the yard, the spacing between vessels is determined by the overall width of the Travelift, which in this case, means the vessels must be placed further apart from one another due to the width of the machine and not the width of the vessel.

The result? Wasted space.

Over time, the space constraint resulted in a long waiting list of vessels hoping to get a slot during the off season, vessels having to sacrifice schedule to performing work during the season and/or work being turned away.

Marine Group Cabo was the first customer to order a Marine Travelift with the Variable Width feature.

“At the Work Boat Show in 2021, Marine Group Cabo President Todd Roberts was searching for a variable width machine and the discussions began,” said Kurt Minten, vice president of Marine Travelift. “We’ve watched other manufacturers take a shot at the concept but are excited to successfully deliver a viable solution while working on this project with one of the most respected shipyards in the world.”

The new variable width Travelift will allow vessels to be blocked in more efficient locations as well as allowing a greater overall volume of work in the yard.

 “We were capped at hauling and blocking fifteen 50-foot (15-meter) yachts at a time when we are now capable of accommodating as many as thirty 50-foot yachts in the same space with the new machine,” said Horner.

The machine was designed with redundant safety features that protect the boat being lifted, the boat hoist and the operator during the lifting and traveling process. The machine is also equipped with a remote diagnostic system. This means that the manufacturer can troubleshoot most issues from the factory through an app on the mobile phone of someone near the machine in Cabo.

With the new 75-ton Variable Width machine operational, Marine Group Cabo will have two Marine Travelifts to service yachts up to 125 feet (38 meters).

About Marine Group Boat Works de Los Cabos

Marine Group Boat Works is a family-owned, full-service vessel construction and repair company with two state-of-the-art waterfront facilities on the San Diego Bay and in Los Cabos, Mexico. Marine Group de Los Cabos is located in San Jose at Puerto Los Cabos marina and encompasses over 300,000 square feet of land and water.  It provides yacht repairs and maintenance services as well as dry boat storage for tenders and watercrafts up to 33 feet or 10 meters.  Its marine store onsite provides thousands of products imported from the U.S. For more information, visit www.marinegroupcabo.com.