Replies

1. 
   Rich_Beckman | Feb 22, 2002 02:18am | #1

   *
   What's a boat lift?

   Rich Beckman

1. 
   Bill_Hartmann | Feb 22, 2002 02:30am | #2

   *What kind of lifts. There are several types. If you have a stationary dock or a one with enough floation there are hoist systems (winches) that lift up the boat.There are mechanical lifts that set on the bottom and have a cradle and lift the boat up.And there are ones that have a air operated floation tanks under the boat. They are self supporting, but attached to a dock or seawall to keep them from floating off.

1. 
   Rich_ | Feb 22, 2002 03:05am | #3

   *Well, one boat lift is called the tide.

1. 
   doug_hubbard | Feb 22, 2002 03:38am | #4

   *stationary dock/boathouse...

1. 
   James_DuHamel | Feb 22, 2002 03:48am | #5

   *My brother and I installed this one (kit form) in about 2 hours. Works very nicely. Uses a winch to raise and lower the boat (16' Skeeter Bass boat). Hand held controls can be used on the dock or in the boat itself.James DuHamel

2. 
   Rich_Beckman | Feb 22, 2002 05:04am | #6

   *Oh. Duh. I guess I did know that....but forgot.Rich Beckman

3. 
   Rob_Rehm | Feb 22, 2002 05:22am | #7

   *Doug does this mean we're going skiing this summer? If you have to go to Indian lake your drive takes you within 400 yards of my drive way. I'll even buy the beer.

4. 
   Bill_Hartmann | Feb 22, 2002 05:41am | #8

   *DougThe things to look at are what kind of bottom do you have? What is the water depth? What the height of the roof is in the boat house? How much veriation you get in the water level? What kind of current or waves you get?

5. 
   doug_hubbard | Feb 22, 2002 05:41am | #9

   *it'sa deal rob. see any of that wild life we talked about?james- how much? if you don't mind me asking...

6. 
   doug_hubbard | Feb 22, 2002 05:46am | #10

   *excellent- thanks bill- it is on an inland lake. silt bottom- fifteen foot depth- in a cove so no waves to speak of- don't have the other info.thanks.rich-sorry i meant to answer you and then the kids sang out and i forgot...

7. 
   Rob_Rehm | Feb 22, 2002 05:49am | #11

   *Not on the outside. i woke up to find 3 cub scouts hiding on the other side of my air matress. I mine wasn't one of them, I wasn't in charge so I didn't want to know. Our guide through the conservatory might qualify as a different kind of wild life I'm all ready encourgeing a return trip next year.

8. 
   Frenchy_Dampier | Feb 22, 2002 05:53am | #12

   *Doug, The quality and material of the fasteners is critical. Do not accept plated hardware. If you use the type of lift that uses a cable to raise the boat from the water, check to ensure that the cable is not going to rust on you. The canopy is important also. With the lighter boats it's possible for the canopy to act as a big sail and be blown all over the lake in a high wind. Without a canopy the sun will do serious damage to the top and interior of the boat. Use real care in selecting the type of lift you use. Some are so heavy that you need a barge to come by in the fall to lift them out...that's a good thing, (see high wind above) some can be lifted out with a couple of buddies and a promise of beers...once. Instead of getting scum and stain on the boat, you will get it on the lift. Complex subject I went with rail to lift the boat out at first and then when just removing and reinstalling the rails became a major time eater spring and fall, I accepted the fact that boats will get scum on them and just had mine cleaned every fall. Of coarse I started to hate the time it takes to put my dock in every spring and out every fall.....

9. 
   Bill_Hartmann | Feb 22, 2002 05:55am | #13

   *Doug15 foot is is fairly deep for the bottom mounted.Probably the floating ones would be the best for you. Just have to make sure that at high water levels it does not put the top the boat inot the ceiling of the boat house.I am in the Kansas City area and we have a number of small residencial lakes plus the Lake of the Ozarks. The floating ones are the most common.I did not have enough water depth so I got a bottom sitting crank up.

10. 
    doug_hubbard | Feb 22, 2002 04:24pm | #14

    *thanks for the help guys. off to the lake...

11. 
    James_DuHamel | Feb 22, 2002 04:24pm | #15

    *Doug,I'll ask my brother for the specs sheet and the cost. I know he bought it locally, and it was less than 1k for EVERYTHING. He got the heavy duty motor because he intends to upgrade the boat later. Only thing we had to buy later was the lift pole. It is 3" galvanized thick walled pipe, about 20' long. It was only about $30.00.James DuHamel

12. 
    The_Tennis_Court_Builder_...on_t | Feb 22, 2002 06:23pm | #16

    *Doug,Boat lifts are very much site and locality specific. See what is recommended by those that sell them and your neighbors who already have them.near the stream with my boats on trailers,aj

13. 
    doug_hubbard | Feb 22, 2002 09:08pm | #17

    *thanks aj.I was planning on scoping out the existing stuff.good info all.

14. 
    doug_hubbard | Feb 22, 2002 09:09pm | #18

    *thanks James-I'll be interested to see that info.

15. 
    doug_hubbard | Feb 22, 2002 09:10pm | #19

    *here is another question-what are we looking for in evaluating used boats?

16. 
    Novy_7 | Feb 22, 2002 09:17pm | #20

    *Doug, Try a google search on self propelled boat lifts . I saw the coolest lift awhile back on a yacht repair show .

17. 
    FredB | Feb 22, 2002 09:45pm | #21

    *This is a lake? So, why a lift? Why not just a floating dock with bumpers? It is easy to build, easy to maintain, easy to pull out in the winter if ice is a problem.I've been around lakes where everyone uses lifts. Seems to me some guy who only uses his boat a couple times a summer wisely built one and all the others just followed suit. To me, if you are going to use your boat either a boat house or a dock are the ways to go.

18. 
    Frenchy_Dampier | Feb 23, 2002 08:35am | #22

    *Fred, Boat houses are either forbidden by code or grandfathered in since they encroach on the lakeshore view. A floating dock is not always the answer either. Large boats like mine present enough sail area that in high wind they are fully capable of pulling a well anchored dock all over the lake. A floating dock would need really great anchoring system. A boat that floats in the lake all summer will scum up pretty bad, in addition banging against the dock takes it's toll unless you have a U shaped dock where you can tie up the between the dock sections so the boat is prevented from banging into either dock. Lifts need to be constructed light enough so that they can be removed from the lake and evan the near shore since when Ice-out comes the power of ice is awesome.

19. 
    Bill_Hartmann | Feb 23, 2002 04:16pm | #23

    *FredLIke lifts, these are all regional specific. I couple of hundred miles south of Frenchy. And while the lake will ice over there is neverenough that we remove docks or lifts.And our lake level stand constant within about 8" (except for the last 6 winters it has been down 6 ft and 3 ft for spillway work) so dock designs are fairly simple.However, Lake of the Ozarks is used for power generation and they regular have large drawdowns in the winter and stationary docks would not work.

20. 
    Rich_Beckman | Feb 23, 2002 06:02pm | #24

    *> A boat that floats in the lake all summer will scum up pretty badMy family had a cottage on Magician Lake in SW Michigan my entire childhood. We didn't have any fancy boats, but we did have two rowboats (and sometimes even a working outboard motor!). They were steel (aluminum?). They sat in the lake all summer long, but there was never any scum when we pulled them out in the fall. Ditto for the steel legs of the pier and the steel drums of the raft.Rich Beckman

21. 
    Frenchy_Dampier | Feb 24, 2002 04:51am | #25

    *Rich, Someone else said it, It's a regional thing. Some lakes are crystal clear and free of any algee or scum. Those lakes usually have very high acid counts. Very pretty though...

22. 
    FredB | Feb 25, 2002 09:13pm | #26

    *Frenchy & Bill:Yep, don't disagree at all. But he didn't specify any restrictions so thought I'd put another idea in the blender for him.

2. 
   doug_hubbard | Feb 25, 2002 09:13pm | #27

   *
   going with my brother in law to interview people to put in his boat lift- so what should we be looking for in these bids...

   small boats- twenty feet or so- one pontoon- one ski/fishing type

   thanks,

   hub