Sunstream Boat Lifts, the leading manufacturer of high-quality boat lifts and hoists, announced today that the Sunstream V-Lift, the world’s most consumer and marina friendly lift, has received the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Innovation Award at the 71st Annual Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show. Judged by Boating Writers International (BWI), the innovation awards honor products that best meet the criteria of “innovative distinction from other products currently being manufactured; benefit to the marine industry and/or consumer; practicality; and cost-effectiveness.”

“We are thrilled to be recognized with the prestigious NMMA Innovation Award,” said Ken Hey, president, Sunstream Boat Lifts. “It is exceptional validation that we have realized our goals to bring boat lifts to the mass market, better serve industry partners and create a game-changing new solution that completely redefines air displacement lifts as we know them.”

The V-lift is twice as fast as existing air lifts, has no air hoses or power pack to contend with, and is perfectly portable because it can be towed with a boat from slip to slip. “This is a great modular unit,” said Ed Sherman, BWI judge. “It makes perfect sense for boats up to 11,000 pounds, and you can even put an outboard right on it and drive it to where you need it.”

The inspiration for the Sunstream V-Lift came from slip renters and seasonal boaters searching for a lift solution to keep their boats protected out of the water. The requirement was straightforward; the lift needed to fit in their rental slip, not require modification to the dock, and be affordable. To make a lift practical for most boaters and provide unparalleled lift performance, Sunstream determined it needed to engineer a game-changing new lift that would be as portable as a trailer, as easy to use as a garage door opener, as durable as a dock, assembled as easily as a barbeque grill, installed as easily as docking a boat, serviced as easily as changing a light bulb, and as attractive as a boat — all at an affordable price. In addition to the versatility and convenience, the lift would need to be fast and fun. The result was the V-Lift, the next generation of air-displacement lifts that greatly expands the use of boat lifts by offering a more practical, leak resistant, higher performance and more cost effective solution for most sport, ski, pontoon and fishing boats.

The Sunstream V-Lift employs a quad-blower and electric valve system to launch a vessel in 75 seconds and lift in two minutes simply by pressing up or down buttons on its keychain-sized remote control. The lightweight solution operates in as little as 3-feet of water, and is the first free-floating boat lift to fit into a 10-foot wide or larger slip. Side- or front-tied, the lift has no leveling brackets and applies no vertical load to the dock. Complementing Sunstream’s signature dock-with-ease design, the new Sunstream V-Lift provides the highest level of security and peace of mind with four independent air tanks, and a Tank Monitoring System (TMS) that automatically fills the air tanks if a leak is detected. Simply assembled by customers in as little as a half hour without using any tools, the innovative lift has the capacity to be expanded for use with 7,000 to 11,000-pound vessels by adding another pair of tank pods.