Lifting a Skater 388

It has a catamaran style hull

Monday, February 22, 2016 --A little excitement around the Mangrove Marina this morning when the red and orange speedboat that docked yesterday was readied for lift out.   We heard the engine of the Skater 338 roaring as they maneuvered carefully into the lifting dock. If you have to ask, yes, it has a 280 gallon fuel tank and burns Jet A.

At the start of the lift

This is a careful loading operation that seems to have everyone on deck, and several of us spectators around as well.  The 38-foot power boat seems even longer, perhaps because of its low, sleek design. There are six body-conforming seats, but no seatbelts.  Instead the four rear passengers each have prominent handgrips. She is going to be placed on a trailer and taken to Miami.

Up in the air

The Marine Bull hydraulic left groans just a little at it lifts the boat up and prepares to turn and place it on a custom trailer nearby.  You notice that the forks only extend about one third the length of the boat.  All the weight of those twin inboard 1350 hp Mercury motors is back there, I guess. Both boat and trailer are made by Douglas Marine Corporation in Michigan. 

On the custom trailer

There is a lot more careful measurement involved in setting the Skater 388 onto its custom trailer.  It has to fit just perfectly for the next move...  

Up in travel position

...which is to tip it up on one side for road travel!  

The owner explained that the 11-foot beam of the boat is too wide for normal highway travel unless you get a "wide load" follow vehicle with yellow lights. Loaded this way the craft's height is not an issue, except under low overhangs with less than 13.5-foot clearance. 

Three Garmin screens are protected by aluminum covers, but still the interior looked about like that of a Cirrus aircraft. The boat was being trucked back to Miami.  

I thought about offering to just pilot it back to Biscayne Bay.  I wonder how much fuel that would consume?