Featured Product September 2022 High Capacity Marina Forklift

It’s no surprise that boating is big in the Pacific Northwest. From fishing on the Columbia, to relaxing on Lake Washington, you’re hard-pressed to find a body of water around here without a someone floating on it.  But boats may have to come out of the water, either for storage or repairs, and a standard trailer might not be enough. How do you get a large boat out of the water safely? With Toyota’s High-Capacity Marina Forklift!

How does it work?

Why do you need a special forklift for the marina? Let’s talk geometry for a moment. A standard forklift mast can only travel along the positive x-axis from 0 on up. Even if you used a boat launch ramp, there’s no way to move lower a boat into the water without damaging either the boat or the forklift. On the other hand, Marina forklifts have specially designed masts that allow them to perform a “negative-lift” or movement on the negative x-axis. That allows them to drive up to the dock’s edge and gently lower a vessel into the slip safely down to 20 feet!

A forklift on a geometric grid, indicating  the mast moves along the positive axis.
A standard forklift can only lift along the positive “y” axis.
A forklift on a geometric grid indicating the mast can move both positively and negatively along the y axis.
A Marina forklift mast can move along both the positive and negative “y” axis. (marina forklift not actually shown)

The HC Marina Forklift features extraordinarily long forks built to handle boat-shaped loads. They feature a heavy-walled tubular construction for increased rigidity and hot-dipped galvanization for corrosion resistance. To protect the hull, the forks and backrest are covered in thick rubber pads that can be replaced as needed.

How is it different?

The chassis is the similar to the Toyota High-Capacity IC Pneumatic but there are a few notable differences. Most obvious are the support struts that extend from the rear of the truck directly to the 2-stage mast. This provides a little extra mast stability for negative lifts and because the load center is 96 inches. To further increase stability the wheelbase of the Marina Forklift is  also full 34 inches longer than the HC IC Pneumatic at 170 inches.  To accommodate the supports and increase visibility, the cabin is open, though there is a small splash guard.

Side view of Marina Forklift

Machinery working constantly around water always runs the risk of corrosion, so the HC Marina Forklift is wrapped in a rust-inhibiting polyurethane base coat and two-part polyurethane topcoat. It’s also fitted with an algae filtration system and key components use stainless steel fittings.

Performance

Under the hood, there’s a Cummins Tier 4 Final 6.7L Diesel Engine and a Dana 3-speed Powershift Transmission, allowing the Marina Forklift to lift between 15,000 and 55,000 pounds as if it was no heavier than a kayak. The radiator has an open core and a high capacity cooling system with an external sump tank to keep your truck cool during heavy load operations. And helping you keep track of it all is a 7” touch screen with access to rack height, load weight, operator manuals and more. Additionally, this forklift shares a feature with another forklift in the Toyota Heavy Duty line-up, the Adjustable Base Lift. As an option, you can include a wireless remote-control system, allowing you to handle operations from a distance if necessary.

With the Toyota High Capacity Marina Forklift, you’ll become the master and commander of your operation. If you’d like to learn more about this Heavy Duty Forklift, contact your local Toyota Lift Northwest sales rep today or use our convenient online form.