OnBoard Magazine - Issue XI - Summer 2019

DOING THE HEAVY L I FT I NG F or larger yachts and commercial vessels requiring a haulout, the options along the Atlantic seaboard have been sparsely located. Now Bluewater’s host yard in Beaufort, North Carolina has provided a new destination for captains and owners of larger vessels thanks to Jarrett Bay Boatworks’ newly acquired 300- ton Marine Travelift. This travelift is the only one of its kind on the U.S. East Coast between Florida and Virginia. The beastly rig is not only for heavyhauling, but brings greater versatility to the yard with features such as greater sling adjustments. Not only will vessels operating in the area reduce downtime due to less travel time for service, bigger yachts that frequently transit past the Jarrett Bay facility now have the option of having work done in Beaufort on their seasonal migrations north and south. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY The benefits of this new equipment to yacht owners and captains are clear, but the true catalyst for adding the 300-ton lift to Jarrett Bay’s fleet was to help foster economic growth for coastal North Carolina. Jarrett Bay’s new Marine Travelift will give rise to significant employment opportunities and business growth for the many nearby ancillary businesses. This includes vendors and service providers of major engine and components, as well as the surrounding non-endemics, such as hotels, restaurants and shops in the communities adjacent to the Beaufort facility. This vision for regional economic stimulus was partially funded by a U.S. Department of TransportationMaritimeAdministration (MARAD) small shipyard grant. With a global shortage of boatyard labor, Jarrett Bay also worked with MARAD to help establish workforce education and training through the region’s Carteret Community College – now tapped as a future Domestic Maritime Center of Excellence. Jarrett Bay is working to add twenty-five craftsmen and technicians to their team to support the new service work and refit projects that this new lift capacity has generated. Jarrett Bay founder and Bluewater partner Randy Ramsey commented, “With education being a personal passion of mine, we are ever-appreciative for the support of North Carolina legislators for their support in securing this investment for our state’s maritime business. Commitments such as these help small shipyards like ours to enhance the role we play in the country’s maritime sector—contributing to our nation’s economy, supporting national security, maintaining critical infrastructure, and creating employment opportunities for working families in small communities, like ours here in Coastal North Carolina.” Now with the 300-ton lift’s installation at Jarrett Bay, heavy vessels with significant beams, weight and appendages can benefit from our Beaufort yacht yard’s centralized location on the Intracoastal Waterway at mile marker 198. Ramsey also points out that planned improvements to the company’s haulout basin will continue to increase the scope of vessels that can be serviced. The nearly two-dozen boating- related businesses within the Jarrett Bay Marine Park already provide every type of marine service and product imaginable, and all are looking forward to serving an expanding customer base. BEAUFORT SERVICE YARD ADDS 300-TON TRAVELIFT CAPACITY New Marine Travelift will give rise to significant employment opportunities and business growth... The Westport 130 Beach Girl in the new 300T slings Donnie Lee 33 SUMMER 2019