Stevens Towing Company Christens Travelift
Stevens Towing Company christened what is believed to be one of the largest Marine Travelifts in the Southeast during an October 20 ceremony.
The lift, 70 feet high by 87 feet wide, is capable of lifting 820 tons and barges up to 60 feet wide. It is entirely American-made, the company said.
The ceremony included remarks from Stevens Towing President Johnson Stevens as well as Dockmaster Lem Boykin.
Stevens said the travelift will benefit the shipping and maritime industry in the Charleston, S.C., area. Stevens Towing provides repair services for vessels across the East Coast, including the Port of Charleston, which was recently deepened to 52 feet to allow the passage of larger ships.
The lift will make servicing these larger shifts possible, Stevens said. It is the largest lift of its kind in South Carolina, the company said.
“We are honored to welcome partners and leaders from our community to christen our Marine Travelift,” Stevens said. “This is a huge accomplishment for our business and will help us continue our legacy of providing good jobs and supporting the maritime industry here in Charleston. In addition to the significance this has for our business, it’s also near and dear to our family’s hearts. We’ve named this lift Susan G. in honor of my mother, and it stands next to our other lift named for my late father, Captain Bill. We are so grateful to everyone who helped make this a reality.”
The lift was made possible in part by a bipartisan coalition of South Carolina elected officials offering support for a $1,378,575 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MarAd), the company said. The grant was awarded to Stevens Towing in July 2021.
Stevens Towing Company is a mid-size freight transportation company based on Yonges Island, S.C., just south of Charleston, with a Mid-Atlantic operation based in Edenton, N.C.
Caption for photo: Stevens Towing Company christened its new Marine Travelift, the Susan G, October 20. (Photo courtesy of Stevens Towing)
