Tilt and Negative Lift (Operation Tip)

by Markus McDowell | Sep 28, 2015 | Marina

Almost all forklifts include a tilt operation. You can tilt the load back for safety or forward to help deposit the load. Why does tilting the mast back make it easier and safer to transport? Because it moves the center of the load weight back, resulting more stability.

When it comes to Marina Lifts there is an added component: negative lift.  This, of course, is what allows the forks to get under the boat and lift it out of the water. Because all Wiggins Marina lifts have tilt functions, it is possible to tilt the boat back while the carriage is still in negative mode.

This can be a desirable feature, but let’s think about the physics for a moment. When the carriage is in the negative lift range and you tilt it back, you are actually moving the boat forward. This causes the weight of the boat to move forward, which could be a problem when you are at the upper reaches of the load capacity!

Some operators use tilt while at negative lift to allow water drain into the waterway, before they lift the boat above the seawall and back out. This is fine, but the best (and safest) practice is to make sure you have raised the boat at or into the positive range before you tilt it back. This keeps the center of the boat weight as fat back as possible. The water still drains into the waterway, but in a much safer and more stable manner.

Feel free to comment below with your own operator tips or best practices.

If you’d like to write a guest post about a tip, best practice, industry news, or any forklift-related matter, contact us.

Keeping Neptune at Bay (Operation Tip)

by Markus McDowell | Sep 14, 2015 | Marina

Those of us who work around the water know of its corrosive nature—especially salt water. Despite all of the Marina Bull’s great features to ameliorate rust and corrosion, Neptune is patient. He will eventually overcome the best of precautions. This is one reason why most of you (all of you?) rinse down the bottom of a boat once it is away from the seawall and raised about 6-8 feet.

When you lift a boat out of the water and tilt it back, sea or lake water often flows back over parts of the lift. So when you finish washing the boat, take that opportunity to wash down the forks, carriage, mast, and other parts of your Marina Bull that were exposed to water.

That 5 minutes will make that long-lasting Marina Bull last even longer.

 

Read more about the Marina Bull and the new Marina FLX.

Questions or comments? Feel free to comment in the section below, or email us.