Patent ID: 7419329

Claim:
A portable marine dry-docking lift that can be used for raising yachts, ships, and other marine vessels supported by cradle apparatus at ground level to dry-dock them, said marine dry-docking lift comprising: at least one submersible platform section having a top surface and an at least partially hollow interior that is configured to take on fluids and have fluids pumped from it to provide needed buoyancy to raise and lower it; a plurality of elongated lifting modules each oriented, configured, and positioned for vertically raising and lowering said at least one platform section in substantially level orientation, said lifting modules also being spaced-apart from one another for balanced weight distribution of a marine vessel supported upon said top surface; and multiple guide means adapted for association with said at least one submersible platform section and for allowing one of said elongated lifting modules to extend through it so that said at least one submersible platform section is maintained in substantially level orientation during its vertical deployment, said guide means each laterally depending in an outward direction from said top surface, whereby when said top surface of said at least one submersible platform section has cradle apparatus configured for receipt of a marine vessel positioned on it and said at least one submersible platform section is allowed to take on water, both said at least one submersible platform section and the cradle become submerged and thereafter when a marine vessel is moved into a superior position over the cradle and water is pumped from said at least one submersible platform section, it rises until the cradle upon it comes into contact with the superior marine vessel, after which said lifting modules are used to raise the cradle, the vessel, and said at least one submersible platform section in concert to dry-dock the vessel.