242 limited, straps or a cradle for boat lift?

[Milligsc]

Hi folks, bought a house on the water near galveston ,TX and the lift has straps instead of a cradle. Do the straps compress and damage the hull? 2016 242 limited S .

Any info appreciated.

 

[captras]

I had a 21 foot Four Winns I/O for 18 years on a lift with straps and had no problems. When we got the '16 242 we had a new boathouse built and seemed only reasonable to replace the lift with a cradle, which I do like alot better. Overtime, the straps do tend to leave minor rub marks where they contact the hull when in use. The cradle does put less stress on the hull since the weight is distributed over a much larger area. But straps are completely safe to use if designed for the size/weight of the boat. The most important aspect is the width and placement of the straps. The front should support the hull in the area of the windshield and the rear should be near the center of the power plant weight. This provides the best support at the heaviest areas and the areas with the most hull strength and will prevent "squeezing" the hull while supported by the straps. It all hinges on availability, cost, and size of your dock. Cradles do take more space and water depth to work. But straps are completely safe to use if designed for the size/weight of the boat.