Inside Savannah’s Rail-Pad Yard: Speed, Access, Reliability

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00]We're here today at at Savannah Yachts and Safe Harbor as part of the Safe Harbor Super Yacht Network. And tell me a little about the yard and and what makes Savannah Safe Harbor different than >> other places. Sure. Correct. Sure. Sure.

[00:00:14]So, we've been at it eight or nine years now. We started as a startup um dirt parking lots and gravel. So, we went from that, put in the shiplift >> um really with the sole purpose of being able to work on multiple big boats at once. So, so multiple 60 meter boats.

[00:00:30]Uh, we put in a shiplift platform so we, you know, get those boats out and they're on a on a rail system so we can shift from side to side potentially with some overflow, we can have, you know, six, eight boats up at a time. Um, the way we're set up on a rail pad and and uh since we can transfer side to side, it gives us access 100% to the boat. So, so every job is uh much more effective.

[00:00:54]We can have multiple entries. Um, if we're doing tank work, we have multiple entries in the tanks. We don't have people, you know, walking through the boats, um, you're just cutting down on all that walking time by having the boat right in front of you, you know.

[00:01:06]>> And I also, I know from an electrical perspective, I uh am very envious and I always use you as the example that the way you have this set up and what what size power do you have out there for, for the boats?

[00:01:16]>> So, in the graving dock, we're up to about I think we can muster about a thousand amps out there for them. most of the stuff in the uh in the shiplift area uh 700 I believe and then with the bigger boats coming in and all of them being you know 50 a lot of them being 50 cycle >> that's why we're going with the talk to me about this these doc frequency converters that you guys are the the first to have purchased and you're you're ahead of the curve so talk to me about >> we're hoping they're the greatest thing since sliced bread to be honest with you that the big boats have with our power here have been giving us a little bit of a struggle to keep them powered up um various ious things. Usually generator or motor generator, which >> somebody's always on call watching.

[00:01:55]There's always fuel.

[00:01:57]>> When we get them on a set of converters like that, life is so much easier.

[00:02:00]Everything stays the same for the boat.

[00:02:03]Everything stays the same for us.

[00:02:04]Anything changes on the boat, it gets out of whack, our life changes. You know, that responding to it.

[00:02:09]>> Absolutely.

[00:02:10]>> Um it's just good, clean, steady, reliable power.

[00:02:13]>> And I would say also many times during these refits or big yard periods, the crew stay on the boat here. Correct. No, we're full full crew. Um, SEP paint jobs on paint days, but yeah, laundry, cooking, everything.

[00:02:26]>> So, that's that's really important to have converters of this size so that you can be able to run all of that because a lot of people think that the boats on the hard, what do they really need?

[00:02:34]Well, on boats this size, they have quite the size of a crew and that crew has a lot of laundry, a lot of work being done. And >> the simple answer is they need everything. very very few really want to shut down any of their services on the boat depending on the size of the crew and >> we don't really like to ask them to do that. You know, we want them to be able to function normally like >> well and they're here accomplishing other tasks >> and they have their own work list to do.

[00:02:57]>> They have their own work list that they're >> um so yeah. So uh um they stay busy on there and uh if we keep everything running properly, everybody's getting their work done.

[00:03:07]>> Do you have a lot of repeat do you have a lot of repeat work coming? We're starting to get more and more um repeat customers. Yes. Good.

[00:03:16]>> On the bigger side of the boats um as well. Um so and these you know you know a lot of them from our partner down south with Ryovich.

[00:03:25]>> Um but yes, it's really really been good. The feedback over the last year and a half's been fantastic. uh both from a guest services standpoint, you know, help them enjoy their experience here and then as well as, you know, the tough part of getting things fixed properly all the time and on time.

[00:03:41]>> Uh but we've been getting great feedback and we're getting that through sales and yeah, we're starting to see the big boats come back now. We've had >> probably I'd say we're getting close to 20 repeat customers of 60 meter up.

[00:03:53]Well, I think that's amazing because uh you know when you look at the safe harbor network, it it seems to me that each facility offers not only you know a consistency of services but also unique experiences. So your experience in Savannah should be different than your experience in Palm Beach and also your location. You're about 2 miles according to the GPS mile and change probably >> Savannah. So that's a great place even for owners to be and owners to come in and crew to be able to spend some time.

[00:04:20]>> No, you're right. And we're finding that out. the the the crew's response has been great. Uh uh be honest with you, it hasn't really been a destination spot, I don't think, in the past. So, they're all discovering it for the first time and uh real happy with it. And yeah, we we you know, we try to give them some of the stuff we have from around here. Um and then obviously from a uh from an operation standpoint, we're we're tied to Ryovich as far as the systems and all that stuff goes. So, all the boats that are down here up there, it's it's plugandplay. we can uh you know pick up where they left off and vice versa if we have something here we have to wrap up with a boat and they're heading back down south or do another another service >> and I can tell you from a contractor perspective it's wonderful that continuity like you're saying >> and it's growing yeah >> you have all the data from the work that was done so at Riovich let's say and then when the boat comes up here maybe maybe it does need to be continued maybe there's paint work or you know when I when I look around and you see the amount of scaffolding and the amount of boats um that are that are covered by it. Is that what's happening? Is that the trigger for the for the paint?

[00:05:22]>> Yep.

[00:05:23]>> Excellent.

[00:05:24]>> Yep. No, we love that. And then, uh, you know, the other synergy we use it, we can swap people, too. So, you know, we've got we've got some of our guys up there. That's tremendous. You're right.

[00:05:32]Working on projects up here and and vice versa. So, >> you know, I did notice I I saw friendly faces here that I have been seeing in Palm Beach. And that's wonderful, too, because you have consistency. people understand that that it is a network that it there is consistency between each facility even if they do offer something unique and even if their services are different.

[00:05:51]>> Yeah, the network thing's been been pretty neat to see grow. You know, for me it's you're always, you know, you're in a yard, everything's your universe there and uh now you look outside that and go, "Wow, you know, now >> not necessarily in competition anymore and they're booked up, they're booked up, we got a space here." I think yeah, I think it's really really gonna work.

[00:06:09]In fact, I heard through the grapevine that of these converters, somebody's already trying to from in the networks trying to start start poaching a couple.

[00:06:16]And it's okay. I think that was dinner for that one.

[00:06:19]>> Well, but I think that that's good because that just shows that that all the boats within the network are requiring that level of service that Safe Harbor has promised to everybody.

[00:06:27]And so, you're you're almost a victim of your own.

[00:06:30]>> Yeah. I mean, no sooner than we got it, we we're going to go help out, you know, we're going to plug in and make sure they get what they need. Yeah. And I think that's what's important about having uh consistent partners. And I will say I I work with tremendous uh companies that that you guys partner with and from from all types of services. So it's it really is I hate to say something so cliche like a like a one-stop shop, but it's more that that anywhere [clears throat] within the network, you really can find all the services you need, whether it's even down in the Caribbean or whether it's here in Savannah or down in South Florida or up in New England. And there was another acquisition very recently in Maine.

[00:07:06]>> Yep.

[00:07:06]>> Um so so good when the when the summer charter season hits, you know, and the boats are going up there, that's also good to know that they have that network.

[00:07:13]>> Yeah. That's pretty amazing.

[00:07:15]>> Wow. Well, thank you, Paul, for your time. So good to have you to chat with you and look forward to doing it again.

[00:07:20]>> Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you very much.