Bayonne Dry Dock Christens New Mobile Boat Hoist

Eric Haun December 12, 2022

The new mobile boat hoist at Bayonne Dry Dock & Repair is said to be the largest in the U.S. Northeast, opening up a new stream of sales for the Bayonne, N.J. refit and repair yard. (Photo: Eric Haun)

Bayonne Dry Dock & Repair Corp held a christening ceremony on December 9 for its new mobile boat hauler, dedicated in honor of Christopher Edward Cranston, a NYPD Detective who died of a 9/11-related illness in July 2019.

The late Staten Island native—a first-responder during and in the aftermath of the September 11 World Trade Center attacks—was the brother of the Bayonne, N.J. ship repair yard’s president, Mike Cranston, who said the new lift is a fitting tribute to someone who always prioritized family and service. “Chris was a very good friend as well as my brother, and the lift pays tribute to someone we all looked up to and respected,” Cranston said. “[The dedication] is a great honor for the harbor, I think it’s a great honor for our family, and it’s certainly a befitting honor for my brother.”

For Bayonne Dry Dock, which has been in business providing refit and repair to government and commercial vessels since 1997, the new Cimolai mobile boat hoist expands capacity to allow more vessels—particularly barges, tugs and other workboats—to be serviced in the yard simultaneously.

Cranston said Bayonne Dry Dock spent $25 million for the project, including the hoist itself, as well as necessary infrastructure improvements for the facility to be able to absorb the weight of the lift and handle more vessels at any given time. Bayonne’s newly constructed laydown area has enough space to dry dock up to eight tugs at a time for services ranging from quick fixes and inspections to comprehensive overhauls.

The new hoist is powerful and versatile, able to lift up to 1,280 metric tons and capable of accommodating vessels with breadths up to 50 feet, making it the largest of its kind in the U.S. Northeast and opening up a new avenue of sales for the yard, Cranston said. The new hauler has lifted dozens of vessels since becoming operational in July 2021, and with the increased workload, Bayonne Dry Dock has been able to grow its workforce by 20%, Cranston noted.

Notably, the mobile boat hauler allows workboats to be repaired locally without having to travel out of town, providing immeasurable value to the port and the vessel operators within, as well as local economies and national security, according to Bethann Rooney, director of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. “All of the small vessel operators that are absolutely vital to the maritime industry can now be serviced right here in the Port of New York & New Jersey at Bayonne Dry Dock,” Rooney said. “Everything from emergency support and law enforcement, fire vessels, ferries, pilot boats, ferries and whatnot.”

The new boat lift is dedicated in honor of Christopher Edward Cranston, a NYPD Detective who died of a 9/11-related illness in July 2019. (Photo: Eric Haun)

From left to right: Jimmy Davis, Bayonne Mayor; Assemblyman William B. Sampson IV (NJ District 31); Kevin O'Toole, Chairman, Port Authority NY/NY; Msgr. David Cassato; Mike Cranston, President Bayonne Dry Dock & Repair; Clare Cranston, widow of Detective Christopher Cranston; Bethann Rooney, Director, Port Authority NY/NJ, Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, FDNY Chaplain; Rep. Mikie Sherrill, 11th Congressional District. (Photo: Eric Haun)