The formal opening of IMS Shipyard’s IMS 700 site isn’t until March, but the first test of its TraveLift went smoothly. The French repair yard hauled Sister Act, a 141’9” (43.25-meter) Heesen, this week.
Located in St-Mandrier, across from the port of Toulon, IMS 700 is a former naval air base and the second of two locations that comprise IMS Shipyard. The other is IMS 300, in the same region. When IMS 700 officially opens in March, it will accommodate yachts from 66 to 262 feet (20 to 80 meters, respectively). It will also bring IMS Shipyard’s total capacity to 100 megayachts, the most in the Med.
It’s interesting to note that IMS 700 lifted Sister Act out of the water five days ahead of schedule. Five days doesn’t sound like much, but being ahead of schedule is. So often in this industry, and especially with a facility still under construction, delays occur. To put the status of IMS 700 into perspective so far, there have been 80 people working full time on the transformation. IMS Shipyard estimates a total of 20,000 man-hours will be tallied by March. Furthermore, 95,349 cubic feet (2,700 cubic meters) of earth has been dug up.
IMS 700 plans to continue employing the TraveLift through next week, hauling a dozen more yachts.
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