Structural design of a tender lift for medium- and large-sized yachts

In the boating accessories field for medium and large-sized yachts, the possibility of installing mobile platforms is becoming of increasing interest. These components could allow the ship owner to have a wide free area for different uses. The application as a helideck for helicopter landing and parking is certainly the most interesting and critical one from a mechanical viewpoint. No references about the design criteria of mobile platforms are available in either the technical literature or the international standards. An innovative mechanical system has therefore been proposed, with advanced mixed technical solutions for both the platform structure and the self-levelling system. The aim of this paper is to report the constructional technical solutions adopted during the design of a mobile multi-purpose and self-levelling platform to be installed on boats 30 (or more) meters long.