New Equipment Upgrades San Diego Boat Yard, Increases Tourism

Marine Group Boat Works, San Diego's largest boat repair facility, now owns a Travelift. It is one of two in the United States and is designed to move boats weighing up to 660 tons. With this new equipment they will be able to service much larger boats. As a result in the shift to servicing the larger boats, the company will also be doubling its staff.

The company, formerly known as the South Bay Boat Yard, stands against competition from boat yards all over the world including the big yards in Amsterdam, Netherlands; Barcelona, Spain; and Bremen, Germany. Domestic competitors include Seattle, Miami, and New Orleans.

Todd Roberts, Vice President for the Marine Group Boat Works says that a travel life is more efficient than a floating dry dock as the dry dock is not as cost effective to operate. It also takes far longer to get the boat out of the water and causes more pollution. He also says that refitting mega yachts will make an economic impact on the region. Annual expenses for a yacht are anywhere from one to ten percent of its value so some boats can run in the millions for general upkeep.

In addition to the money spent on the boats’ upkeep, the yacht owners are also known as big spenders when it comes to everything else as well; from nights out to shopping sprees. There is also speculation that having more mega yachts sail through the area can increase tourism as simply viewing these boats is thrilling for many people.