Boat lift questions

[mraz72]

I am starting the process of looking at a lake house. I would really like a boat lift, get's the boat from banging around, keeps the hull clean etc.

my question is, do any of you have experience in buying a lift? let's say I have a 24' yamaha (I don't), what would the expected cost be for the lift? Plus, I have no idea how to install one of those, so I would have to pay for that as well.

I am thinking 10k might get me there but it might be slightly more than that.

I would also like to store the boat on that lift all winter, if possible.

 

[soggyshoes]

I am getting a boat lift this year so I have been doing some research on them and checking out friends lifts. I have decided on a Basta lift ( http://bastaboatlifts.com/ ). The hydraulic lifts look cleaner and seem to have less maintenance and issues than than cable lifts. Basta also lifts "overcenter" so that for long term storage there is no pressure or reliance on the hydraulics (or cables).
It won't work for me but I think the floating systems can cost a little less.

 

[msavold]

We're in brackish water so a lift was essential. The town only allows 4-post or elevators (no floating and none of the ones with 4 metal posts in the water). Yeah, that leaves us with the most expensive options. We're also limited as to how far out from the bulkhead we can go (13') - don't forget to check restrictions before picking a lift!

We have a Golden elevator lift, 7,500 lbs and it was $13,995. A four-post Golden was quoted at $12,500, both with remote and including permits etc. (and I think those prices included some extra repairs/modifications to our dock...) A quote for Quality Alum-A-Vator 4 post was $7,500 plus pilings and permits, $9,350 total and their 2 piling elevator was $9,300/$10,950 all in. All with remote controls.
Golden was the most expensive of the ones we looked at but it had the best reputation for longevity (and of the contractors around here, the guys we used were described by our Yamaha dealer as "the most reliable of the unreliable"...!)
I also had some other prices for lifts, including one that Mikey suggested in one of our lengthy phone calls) and I'll pass those along when I can find them...
Worth it? Oh, yeah! Our boat still looks brand new. Our neighbors wet-slip their Hurricanes and pontoons for the season and the hulls look like CRAP!

 

[thegrapeguy]

Went through this last March and settled on this for my 2014 212x. I actually overdid the weight capacity because I thought my boat weighed more than it did. I used the "dry weight on trailer" figure plus gas. Little did I know that "dry weight on trailer" included the 1200lb trailer. So for your boat perhaps this hoist will be enough. Yes I considered hydraulic hoists and in the end my budget was tight. So for under 6K I got the hoist, 12' guides (that are really handy - they say you can't stand on them but we do and they are solid).

In my research for vertical lifts this is the Honda Accord model not the Mercedes Benz. I hear that ShoreStation is the cat's meow. I chose the simplicity of a cable-based hoist. I ordered this hoist online and it showed up in pieces at a local shipping yard. Drove it home in a pickup truck and put it together over 2 weekends. The company is top notch and helped a lot. Cory at Craftlander gave me his cell and answered some key questions about adjusting it. Looking back on it - it was easy to build. It comes pre-cabled and it's basically putting a frame together.

Next year or the year after I will get a winch but for now I just wheel it up and it's up in a minute.

My local boat show offerd all the major brands, vertical, hydraulic, etc. The budgets were crazy with an average of 2k more than BoatLiftandDock.com...

http://www.boatliftanddock.com/p-124-craftlander-mh-v60120.aspx

 

[billyb]

Once you get the house, take a cruise and see what your neighbors have.

For example, where my house is (lake of the ozarks), I see zero of the lifts mentioned thus far in the thread.

My lift was completely installed by the company that sold it, there was slim to no chance I could have installed it.

My lift is a fibersteel lift that is rated at 6800 lbs. when I bought this lift, I was right between the smaller and this size, so I just got the bigger size instead of worrying about a future boat. A big seller at my lake is they polylift option, but it's the same principal.

 

[msavold]

@Michael Rasmussen. some more thoughts for you that @billyb reminded me of...
- as he suggested the first thing I did before deciding was drive through the area and make an inventory of who owns what. Spoke to a number of people and basically got confirmation that the cheap (elevator and 4-post) lifts were a maintenance headache.
- our lift at 7,500# is way oversized (especially since the Admiral says we are *never* getting a bigger boat!) but the next size down was 5,000# which was not enough IMO - dry weight of boat plus fuel and stuff in boat including full cooler and people...
- because of the brackish water, we went with an aluminum lift. Galvanized would have saved us about a grand at the expense of longevity. Not sure I would have gone the same way if we were in fresh water.
- if you get a motorized lift, get limit switches installed! Too far down and it's a mess on the spool, too far up and... see the other thread here where a member's boat hit the boat house roof!
- where are you located? When I was looking around there was a HUGE difference depending on location (everything here in the mid-atlantic region seems to cost more!)
- Mikey's recommendation (and the lift he used) is Shoremaster (http://shoremaster.com/lifts/models/) and similar to BillyB's lift - we're not allowed that type by town code and I don't know how well/long it would have stood up in brackish water...

 

[0627Devildog]

I would also like to store the boat on that lift all winter, if possible.

This is going to depend on your climate and lake type. . . . . For example, we are in NY and haul our entire dock system every year. . . As our lake is actually a man made reservoir that feeds a power generation plant. As such we see quite a bit of movement on the ice in the winter with significant shifts.

 

[Joe Hellaby]

I agree with the post above. I would not recommend leaving it on the lift during the winter anywhere in NYS or the North East. The ice would do all sorts of damage. I don't have a lake house or lift, but anyone I know who does in this area takes their docks and lift out for the winter.

 

[mraz72]

all great advice

so you have to remove the lift each year? I assume a company does that, what is the yearly cost of taking it out and putting it back in? I assume the company stores the lift, as i don't think I have space in my house to store a lift....

 

[0627Devildog]

Again, that depends on location and lift type . . . . . . Where are you looking?

 

[Joe Hellaby]

Many options available, I think. Many people store their docks and lifts on the beach of their lake house. Depending on the lake you're on and the marinas on the lake. I know a friend who has a lake house on Keuka lake has a marina on the lake install his lift and dock every spring and every fall they un-install it for him and put it on his beach. They also get is boat ready and store in the winter. I'm not sure what he pays, but he likes the convenience of every spring when he goes to his camp, his boat is there ready to go and docks installed.
I also have a friend who with his 2 sons manage to do everything themselves.
Another option for leaving the dock in place would be to install a large air pump, under the docks and lift so you don't get any ice build up.

 

[billyb]

My lift is made from the same material as my dock is, a hard plastic that has just a bit of give to it for ice and or a stray wave runner pilot.

Due to my extended gangway, i am able to keep my lift in water at all times. But again, this all depends upon where you are.

 

[elcue]

I went with Sunstream V-Lift. It has been the best purchase I've made. It cost 7000 delivered and put together. Drop it in the water, tie it up where you want ,and its done. Ive had it since 2012 with no issues and it even survived hurricane sandy. I figured it was a goner it worked like nothing happened. Its easy to take out if you choose to I kept mine in the water since day 1 with no issues. I use a bubbler to prevent ice freezing around it for peace of mind.

 

[mraz72]

sounds like I would have to pay a yearly fee for setting it up and tearing it down ugh....

I should move lol

 

[mraz72]

the vlift looks pretty promising. You say you have some bubbler around the dock, I wonder if that would work where we are (rochester NY)? Some winters can be pretty cold and we can have a pretty deep freeze.

If I would need to remove it each year, do I tow it to a boat launch? Then what? I need some trailer to move it to storage. How does the lift get on the trailer?

I guess I can call around to see what others are doing and the cost....

 

[rkluck]

I had a Floatair Boat Lift installed at our lake house. The one I got was for a 24' and then I made sure it wasn't at a limit. The cost was about $4500. It has been great for three years now. It also provides additional stability for the floating dock as well. We use our boat all year so I never have to worry about removing the lift. It does keep the boat very clean and out of al the wakes etc. I think the boat lift is well worth the money.

 

[elcue]

The bubbler would be fine they are used in the coldest temperatures. You would tow it to a boat ramp get like a flat trailer similar to one landscapers use and put it on that. That's what the guy uses who sold me mine to deliver them. Like I said I never took mine out though so cant say how hard or easy it is. Kasco marine is a good brand. They were featured in that movie with drew Barrymore to save those whales haha. It kept the hole open so the whale could breathe. They work great.

 

[Jim Robeson]

I am starting the process of looking at a lake house. I would really like a boat lift, get's the boat from banging around, keeps the hull clean etc.

my question is, do any of you have experience in buying a lift? let's say I have a 24' yamaha (I don't), what would the expected cost be for the lift? Plus, I have no idea how to install one of those, so I would have to pay for that as well.

I am thinking 10k might get me there but it might be slightly more than that.

I would also like to store the boat on that lift all winter, if possible.

It really depends on what kind of lift you want. The lift that I had for mine was one that attached to the front of the slip and was rated for 6000 lbs. The draw back to those lifts is water depth. You really need about 8 to 10 foot of water at the rear of the slip for those to work best. Those lifts are much cheaper than a four point lift similar to ones that Boat Floater have. The nice thing about a four point lift is that they sale a swallow water lift that you only need approx. 4 ft. of water. Now, I'm not sure what part of the world you live in as for leaving on the lift year round. I left mine on the lift all year but I was on a lake that didn't freeze.

Lots of choices out there and I would also not be afraid of finding a used lift. Someone could have decided to upgrade to a different boat and traded their old lift in for a new one.

Good luck!!

 

[BigN8]

If I were you I would look hard online for a used boat lift. These things are very simple and have few moving parts, so that means they last forever. Here is a site with many listings, http://www.dockrealty.com/lifts-all-v2.asp?type=boat&new_construction=false&sortcapacity=ascending . I would also look at Craigslist and Google used boat lifts near large lakes, like the one near Branson, Missouri. I bought my Boat Floater used and have had it 6 years now. I bet I could turn around and sell it for what I paid for it.

 

[ENC boater]

There is a great company called Tide Tamer . We went with 7000# lift with aluminum bunks and enclosed stainless steel motors. Whatever brand/style get the remote feature and auto stop. Lift cost appx $7000 installed