No more trailering!

[motorboater]

Hope its ok to boast. There is really no other purpose for this posting. The AR is finally in it's new home at the end of the dock, at our new lake cabin on the Gull Lake Chain in Minnesota! Early morning wakeboard runs just got a lot easier!

After 20 years of towing and public accesses, we now have our own space on the lake with a cabin 50 feet off the water! What to do with the extra time? I have my new Traeger pellet grill set up and ready to smoke some brisket (or something).

Getting the lift bunks adjusted to this hull has been tricky and still needs some tweaking. I ordered a bow stop attachment for the lift because with no outdrive to catch the lift's motor-stop we just sail right on through the lift! Also, these boats are so damn tall... the canopy had to be raised as high as possible! In this pic, thats as high as she can go!

 

[Glassman]

Looking Good!

I'm envious. Best of luck to you with your new digs!

 

[Bruce]

Congrats!

 

[Volffas]

VERY NICE!!!

 

[MikeyL]

Congrats @motorboater ! Living with a boat lift is a LIFTING EXPERIENCE to say the least.

1) As for your cover: A decent lift company CAN "extend" upwards your lift cover with what is called a Tower Kit.
This is NOT something you wanna do yourself. It's not overly expensive, and having a tower kit makes life a lot easier.

2) If you are sailing "through" your lift, like learning to "dock" your jet boat, you now need to learn to DOCK your boat on a lift.
You CANNOT Drive it on or in - You must kinda FLOAT it in. You should approach the lift at virtually "floating speed" and let it GENTLY come in.
You also use reverse to make it come to a dead stop when the bow is JUST "in". Then manually pull it in via the vertical sideposts with your hands/arms.

But if you think you can "Drive" the boat onto a lift, in my humble opinion, you are asking for trouble - AND
later fiberglass repair work.
If I can answer any other questions, please co ask. And again congrats. GREAT way to start off Memorial Day weekend !

Best Wishes, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[RightStuff]

Congrats, you picked a really nice chain of lakes to plant down on. Esp. with that neighbor across the lake, he has some beauties on that lake.

 

[motorboater]

Congrats, you picked a really nice chain of lakes to plant down on. Esp. with that neighbor across the lake, he has some beauties on that lake.

That he does! http://www.woodyboater.com/blog/201...art-1-bay-lake-anderson-classic-boats-museum/

 

[RightStuff]

Go swing over and get to know him a bit and see if he'll let us both inside for a tour! Having been around that lake (mostly on Gull/Margaret for fishing), it's amazing the collection he has up there.

 

[motorboater]

Sounds good. Apparently there is a museum on site too. They have a wood boat show at Bar Harbor each summer. Looking forward to that, perhaps introduce myself as the guy in the slums across the lake!

 

[MikeyL]

I would like to Respectfully, or dis-respectfully, or whatever, request:

PHOTOS from Anderson Boat Museum !!!!!!!!

Too Kewl !

Thanking you in advance, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[dan_hoog]

We have our 2015 242 LS on a lift. With the front guides at 8' and rear at 8'7, floating in very slowly as suggested by MikeyL, the boat just settles in the perfect spot. I use a slight burst of reverse at the last moment to keep the front guides from grabbing hard. Clearly, your lift needs settings particular to your boat.

The lift hardware and bunks are 2+ feet below the surface and don't touch the boat until I start to raise the lift.

I'm a newbie, but have had good experience 3 times already. I had the pilings coated with bumpers as well. It was a little tricky this weekend due to cross winds on the ICW.

Enjoy it. I just started boating and have never used a trailer. I have the trailer stored at the dealer and will likely trailer now and then sometime in the future, but learning the boat first. The post-salt water cleanup process on the lift is still a little tedious, but I'm getting better at it.

 

[motorboater]

Thanks Dan. That is exactly what I needed to know!

 

[motorboater]

How are your bunks set up? Or is that what you mean by guides?

 

[dan_hoog]

Mike/Motorboater - Not sure who you are addressed, but I'll give my info.

I have 12" deep wood bunks spaced 24" apart on the inner surface. The top of the bunks are cut at an angle to improve contact area and covered with carpet. The bunks and lift were not originally for my boat. It *seems* ok, but I'm not sure this is ideal for the boat. Yamaha provides no assistance, other than "do it like your trailer." It is inside the inner chines and certainly seems to hold the boat securely. Some metal plates at the rear are on the bunks, but don't appear strained when I look at it.

The guides are vertical aluminum poles covered with PVC that is supposed to rotate (not sure mine does that well). The guides contact the rub rails and center the boat on the lift. Once stable and positioned between the bow/stern guides, I start raising the lift with the remote. A short time later the bunks contact the hull. I stop just out of the water to make sure the boat is settled correctly, then raise the lift to convenient exit/cleanup height. After I'm all done and off the boat, I raise it another foot or so and rinse the bunks.

Best,
Dan

 

[motorboater]

My lift has large carpeted guides running lengthwise on each side. Similar result to your post guides I assume, but sounds like the post guides might be more flexible in terms of adjustment. My bunks are aluminum beams with some sort of plastic bunk slides snapped on. I didnt measure them, but they currently are set close together at the front and wider at the rear. They dont line up just right with the hull in the current config. I may try them evenly spaced as yours are. Nice thing about the aluminum bunks is the flex.

 

[d_coyne1984]

Go swing over and get to know him a bit and see if he'll let us both inside for a tour! Having been around that lake (mostly on Gull/Margaret for fishing), it's amazing the collection he has up there.

My uncle Dane does a lot of photography for Woody Boater in MN and knows the gentleman who runs the place pretty well. I was actually hoping to get him to arrange a tour for me as well so I can see if we can get a group visit setup and if we are lucky, maybe some boat rides.

Congrats on the new place @motorboater! Having the convenience of a lift is oh so worth the money. I am on Bay Lake about 30-40 min away, but have friends over there on Gull so I may see you out there.

 

[motorboater]

Stop in if you see the 240 on the lift, we probably wont be too far away!

 

[rkluck]

Interesting thread to me. My lift is a three way mount and I have to push the boat up the lift a little like on a trailer. The bunkers are made of the new plastic material. Sometimes I have a hard time getting off of the lift. I was about to buy some of the silicon spray used on trailers to help make the transition easier. I love having the boat up in the air but after reading this I am wondering if I something is not right. The front of the lift is mount to the dock and is designed to be the pivot point so it is out of the water. All in a great lift but maybe it needs more adjustment.

 

[d_coyne1984]

I would like to Respectfully, or dis-respectfully, or whatever, request:

PHOTOS from Anderson Boat Museum !!!!!!!!

Too Kewl !

Thanking you in advance, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

Here is the article from WoodyBoater.com:
http://www.woodyboater.com/blog/201...art-1-bay-lake-anderson-classic-boats-museum/

 

[MikeyL]

My lift has large carpeted guides running lengthwise on each side. Similar result to your post guides I assume, but sounds like the post guides might be more flexible in terms of adjustment. My bunks are aluminum beams with some sort of plastic bunk slides snapped on. I didnt measure them, but they currently are set close together at the front and wider at the rear. They dont line up just right with the hull in the current config. I may try them evenly spaced as yours are. Nice thing about the aluminum bunks is the flex.

It sure seems like you own a ShoreMaster lift ?
If so, everything you described in JamUp & JellyTight !
Now all ya need is a "tower kit" installed.

Good Luck, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA