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I just had my lift modified to accommodate my new 242 limited. I asked the lift guy if I could back in or not and he said its one or the other but not both. He said he would have to modify the placement of the float things if I wanted to back in. My lift is a 6800 lb lift, so weight should not be a problem.
So my question for you is...have you specifically had your float things setup for backing in? Or was my lift guy just looking for a few more bucks?
I have no clue. He is spacing out my bunks this week. I didn't now there was a difference?? Nor did we even talk about me backing in. I just assumed I would pull in normal until I got to chatting with all of you! I am not going to bug him at this point, I'm just glad I have a place to put it. If I can back in then great, if not OH well! It will prolly be to late but after I get down there on Sunday (pending weather) I will give it a try and let you know the results. At least you will know if the guy is BS or not. Or it may be specific to the type of lift??
Yeah possibly lift specific. I know on mine, the float things are definitely in the back 2/3 of where the boat sits. I don't think a 4k lb boat on a 6800 lb lift would be an issue backed in or not...I am going to find out this Saturday when I finally take possession.
I keep my 242 on a lift in a covered slip - pull straight in as I have the Thrust Vector XLs and the installer determined could be an issue if I tried to back it in. I keep the plug in and the bilge on, connected to shore power when on the lift. I also roll the cover off stern to bow and then back on from the inside bow to stern, pooling poles first then pull it back over the windshield. You can step on the cover on the swim deck to get the stern straps clipped on. I keep two dock lines with carabiner spring clips from the front corners of the slip to the bow eye in case of lift failure - easy to clip on and off with the carabiners and good peace of mind.
I keep my 242 on a lift in a covered slip - pull straight in as I have the Thrust Vector XLs and the installer determined could be an issue if I tried to back it in. I keep the plug in and the bilge on, connected to shore power when on the lift. I also roll the cover off stern to bow and then back on from the inside bow to stern, pooling poles first then pull it back over the windshield. You can step on the cover on the swim deck to get the stern straps clipped on. I keep two dock lines with carabiner spring clips from the front corners of the slip to the bow eye in case of lift failure - easy to clip on and off with the carabiners and good peace of mind.
Your guy is shooting you straight on configuring the lift for back in or pull in. If it were me I would pull in bow first. Two reasons, if it's windy it is pure hell trying to back these boats into anything. You have much more control with forward thrust. Backing out of the slip in high wind is no problem, backing in is a whole different story. Second, if you have a covered slip the only part of your boat that could get wind blown rain on it is the stern if you pull it in bow first. I for one would rather have the stern getting dirty rather than the bow.
On backing in, there is a guy straight across from me that has a 232, or 230 which ever. Anyway, a summer storm blew in with down drafts that created winds around 40+ mph. we got in okay, but he really struggled. He backs his boat in and he was solo. So me and a buddy ran around to his side of the docks, and we had to grab his stern once he got it close and manually pull the boat in while he provided thrust.
I just had my lift modified to accommodate my new 242 limited. I asked the lift guy if I could back in or not and he said its one or the other but not both. He said he would have to modify the placement of the float things if I wanted to back in. My lift is a 6800 lb lift, so weight should not be a problem.
So my question for you is...have you specifically had your float things setup for backing in? Or was my lift guy just looking for a few more bucks?
When they installed my lift I asked about backing it in and they indicated that it probably wouldn't work. They admitted though that they did not have much experience with jet boats. But I tried it the next day and it was fine. Works great as is for pulling in or backing in. Either way, our boat is completely covered and we always put the cover on. I would suggest backing in as far as you can, then as it lifts check the rail placements.
@BigN8, thanks for the insight on the wind. That is one aspect I would not have thought of. Having the boat centered properly over the floats is important, but if you have a large enough lift you may have the option of putting the boat on either way. The biggest thing we have to worry about with jets is if we have fins, nothing protrudes below the hull. If you run your boat naked and the bunks are parallel, seems to me it might work either way if you have the guide ropes set right
Disclaimer, I am not a lift expert...but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once!
I'm sure different lift companies configure differently. mine is a 6500# slip and it uses 2 bunks just like a trailer, and they are far enough apart and high enough that the fins are not relevant to whether you pull in or back in.
I keep my LX on a lift at my house. At first, when the lift was installed, the front and back lifts were the same height so I could have backed in or come in bow first, it didn't matter. The problem was that any water in the compartments wasn't draining out through the hull. So, I had the company that installed my lift raise the front lift about 4 inches so that the boat would drain properly. Having done that it wouldn't be possible to back in now, or at least it wouldn't make sense.
There are a couple of other options, one is to use a small boat to get to the drain plug before and after--I have a small rubber boat for this but it is too inconvenient to use every time. Another option is to install a SeaSense 1-Way drain plug This is more for someone who might forget to re-install the drain plug but it could also be used if you had any fear of your bilge pump failing--of course you would be back to the same problem of removing and replacing the plug insert for each trip if you wanted to be completely safe.
Thanks for all the advice prior to our first outing and first time using the lift. It made the process very smooth. It looks like I will have no problem backing in, I will just have to ensure that the rear of the boat is back (up) far enough so the fins pass the bunks. Doesn't look like any modifications will need to be done.
When it came to covering, I just used the snap-on cabin and bow cover. That was cake compared to the mooring cover.
Couldn't believe there were two other Yami's in our row (242LS, 240SX). Not sure if either one of them vistit this site but we will see.
On a side not for anyone that is following... I completly forgot to blow out the engines after the boat was put up (remembered when I got home) will that effect anything after sitting for a week or two? I also forgot my quickie sauce at home an had no way of wiping th boat down. It was freshly waxed prior to the trip but i coupld already see water spots forming before I left. Nothing I can do about it now but should I be expecting a PITA kind of day when I go back, getting all the spots off?
I wouldn't worry about not having blown out the engines for a week or two - really most important prior to any long term storage and critical before any freezing weather. The water spots will bake on a little but nothing a little hot sauce won't take off. You mentioned Quickie sauce, in my opinion that would be overkill for every outing (others may dispute this), I stick with a quick hot sauce of the boat after every ride, takes 10 minutes to the whole boat inside and out. If you're on a lift it's easier to accomplish getting at the hard to reach spots with a micro fibre cloth on a telescoping broom handle(telescoping for easier storage). I only wax or quickie it twice a season, and I won't ride in it unless its spotless.
Her she is all buttoned up, waiting for our next adventure. Oh.. HOT SAUCE IS AWESOME!!! Sooooo easy to use. Thanks for that heads up on that also. I will look into the Quickie, I don't think I realized there was a difference.
I can see why a member mentioned the problem on some lifts with backing in and water draining to the front, making it useless to pull the drain plug. I would assume that on some lift designs that can't be regulated. Our lift hinges to the dock and the ballast tanks are at the other end. This allows us to have the boat level or tilted to either the front or back, just by how much air is put in.
