Extreme Boat Lifts Installed in the Panama Canal
When the Republic of Panama needed lifts for a pair of its service boats, it turned to Golden Boat Lifts for the supply of two custom-designed 7,000 lb. capacity Golden Elevator Lifts for use in the Panama Canal.
According to Golden Boat Lifts, everything about the project is oversized and overbuilt, as the Elevator Lifts travel 30 feet – double what is typically needed, due to the extreme water rise in the lock.
The installation uses custom brackets that suspend the tracks from a concrete bulkhead. Golden Boat Lifts said it is renowned for the quality of its welds, and this project is no exception. For safety reasons, no detail was underestimated; a failure at 30 feet could have serious consequences.
The workboats are launched and retrieved up to 20 times a day, so the drive motors need to be uncompromising. Each lift has two of the company's Golden Sea-Drives. The gearbox is so reliable, not one in over 18,000 produced has ever failed, according to the manufacturer.
Golden Elevator Lifts are suited for canals, embankments and other narrow locations where pilings are absent. They can be engineered to run true vertical or on a diagonal, as the site demands.
Due to the success of every phase of the project and its final outcome, the Panama Canal has several more installations planned as it continues to expand and update.