ASCOM Starts Building 1,700-Tonne Boat Hoist for Large Yacht Yards

An Italian manufacturer aims beyond current mobile-lift capacities

ASCOM has started work on the BHT 1700 S.Ton, a mobile boat hoist intended to handle vessels weighing up to 1,700 tonnes. The manufacturer has presented it as the highest-capacity machine of its type and shown project renderings to the superyacht industry at Monaco Yacht Show.

Heavy-lift capacity matters because many refit tasks cannot be completed economically or safely while a yacht remains afloat. Moving a large displacement vessel ashore makes underwater inspection, propulsion work, paint preparation and hull maintenance possible, but only if the entire site is designed for that weight.

The hoist is only one part of the yard's load-bearing system

The proposed machine combines hydraulic lifting with a multi-axle mobile chassis. The size and arrangement of its running gear are intended to distribute very heavy loads and support controlled movement around a boatyard.

Yet a 1,700-tonne lifting rating alone does not prove that any given marina or yard can use the equipment. Ground bearing, turning space, width between dockside structures, lift slings and shoreside hardstanding must all be engineered for the vessel and the site.

Moving a yacht can present more risk than lifting it

During a haul-out, the centre of gravity and distribution of weight influence how loads pass into the slings and lifting equipment. While the yacht moves, the yard must also manage the route's gradients, surface condition and any clearance limits around buildings or infrastructure.

Equipment of this scale therefore requires procedures for load monitoring, emergency stopping, maintenance and trained operators. These practical considerations cannot be assessed solely from artist's renderings, even where a manufacturer's previous hoists provide useful experience.

ASCOM's industrial background underpins the project

ASCOM, based near Modena in northern Italy, supplies boat hoists, industrial lifting systems and port-handling cranes. Its broader product experience gives it access to engineering methods and manufacturing resources relevant to developing a machine in a much higher weight class.

For large-yacht owners, a broader selection of lift-out facilities could eventually improve maintenance planning by reducing dependence on a small number of yards capable of handling high-displacement hulls.

The destination and operating date have not been confirmed

Neither the receiving shipyard nor a firm delivery and commissioning date has been publicly identified for the BHT 1700 S.Ton. The equipment is under development and construction, not a machine currently available for booking.

The important future milestones will be completed assembly, testing, transport, installation and certification for the receiving site's operations. Until then, the project should be reported as a high-capacity industrial investment rather than existing refit capacity.