Launch your PWC the South American way
Dec 9, 2021
Invented in Argentina, CAPRIA has introduced a PWC Launcher to its range of drystack facility solutions. Its first installed project is at Marina Puerto Chico in San Fernando, Buenos Aires, with two units enhance the marina’s services.
boat launchers, the predecessor to PWC equipment
CAPRIA, a large scale Argentine engineering and manufacturing company with a specialty in boat launching and car stacking elevators showcased this innovative device at The Docks Expo, Nov. 29–Dec. 1, Nashville, Tennessee, aiming to arrive on the North American waterfront.
PWC Launchers are designed for sites with steep embankments and/or tidal fluctuation where traditional PWC launching methods are impractical. Marina Puerto Chico has a steep grassy area that ends in a seawall—a perfect candidate for the CAPRIA solution. While their site required vertical travel of only 40′, the main beam for a PWC Launcher can be manufactured up to 100′ in length. Plus, it accommodates angles from 20° to 90°.
Ideal for incorporating into a new or existing drystack operation, a PWC Launcher can be loaded via a CAPRIA semi-automated Stacker Crane, or by forklift like at Marina Puerto Chico. The all-electric device handles PWC up to 1,500 lbs.
Once the boat is placed onto a CAPRIA PWC Launcher cradle, it’s extremely fast to get it into the water. Depending on the configuration, it takes only five to 15 seconds.
Marina Puerto Chico additionally installed two gangways that parallel the PWC Launchers and terminate in small floating docks. This allows owners to get onto their boats quickly, without the waiting common to traditional PWC launching methods.