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Derecktor Ft Pierce 1,500 Ton Lift Receives Army Approval
Derecktor Fort Pierce has received Army Corps approval, breaking major ground in the quest to become a full-service superyacht repair and refit facility in America’s southeast coast.
After Derecktor Shipyard was selected by St Lucie County to develop and operate the Fort Pierce facility for a major superyacht repair and refit yard in early 2018, the Derecktor Fort Pierce facilities officially opened its doors last year to industry acclaim. The move marked a significant benchmark in cementing the status of the southeast coast as a premium destination for large megayacht refit and repair works.
Now almost a year on, Derecktor Ft Pierce has leapt one giant step closer to becoming a fully operational repair and refit yard for large superyachts. After 11 months of review, the engineering and plans for the Fort Pierce haul-out basin have been approved by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Justin Beard, Marketing Manager for Derecktor Shipyards, commented on the high standards required to meet this approval:
‘Securing a permit from the U.S. Army Corps was no easy feat, especially during a global pandemic, as it required review from several different departments. The haul-out basin is a critical piece of infrastructure at Derecktor Ft. Pierce and it will allow us to lift vessels up to 250 feet in length with our 1,500-ton mobile boat hoist.’
Construction on the haul-out basin can now commence as soon as the City of Fort Pierce Building Department has given final approval. This will involve the installation of a complex system of tiebacks, whalers and sheet pile to support the lift under a full load of approximately 4.5 million pounds (roughly the same weight as a fully fueled space shuttle preparing for launch).
“An extensive amount of engineering and logistics have gone into this project, and we’re looking forward to breaking ground,” Beard said. “Once construction of the haul-out basin begins, it will take 4 to 5 months to complete, so it won’t be long until the shipyard is able to service large yachts on the hard.”
The 1,500 ton boat lift will be shipped from Northern Italy later this year, and will take approximately seven weeks to assemble. Once erected, the lift will stand 85 feet tall, 75 feet wide and 120 feet long - this is roughly the height of Fort Pierce’s South Causeway, and the width of a six-lane highway.