News

In celebration of Earth Day, MGBW took initiative yet again to stay ahead of the curve in terms of sustainability. With its yard headquarters located directly on the San Diego Bay, it is crucial that MGBW is mindful of the pollutants that are released into the air and water. One of the most significant changes in its yard this year has been the repowering of its 665-ton Marine Travelift, the largest on the West Coast to a Tier 4 John Deere engine. Perhaps the most important piece of equipment in its yard, MGBW’s 665-ton travelift engine has been upgraded to be more eco-friendly by repowering it to exceed the California Air

Resources Board (CARB) and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) diesel engine standards. Currently, Tier 4 standards are the strictest in reducing particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) that are emitted from an engine. This improvement to meet Tier 4 standards reduces PM and NOx released by the engine by around 90%! This improvement makes MGBW’s boat lift the most environmentally friendly in the world.

MGBW’s dedication to environmental protection and compliance is what led the company to execute this project.  With no government funding available, MGBW used private funds to cover the cost of the repower. It not only covered the cost of repairs, but the travelift had to be shut down for the repower, costing the company four days of revenues from haul-outs, launches, and surveys.

MGBW’s 665-ton travelift  hauls over 300 vessels greater than 100 feet (33 m) for repair every year. It’s capable of accommodating vessels up to 220 feet. This machine is ideal for repairs that require the vessel to be completely taken out of the water and blocked on land for underwater hull work such as bottom paint, propulsion work, centerboard service and propwork as well as structural work items such as hull and transom extensions, full paint, mast repair and more.

MGBW continues to lead the industry in sustainable boat repair and construction. Working on a vessel on land is the most environmentally friendly way to service them to prevent pollutants from being released into the water during the repair process. Furthermore, MGBW’s entire facility is 100% stormwater contained.  In other words, not a drop of used water goes into the bay.  Used water is collected in MGBW’s 60,000-gallon stormwater tanks, tested to ensure no harmful chemicals are present and then discharged to the City’s sewer system to be cleaned and treated before being released by the City back into the bay. In addition, MGBW runs a robust recycling program and about 85% of its fleet of vehicles, forklifts, and man-lifts are all-electric.