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Experience Boater? Have a Boat Lift? Wanna help?


tj_in_kc

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I purchased a new wakeboat this year. Because I want to keep it for a long time i decided to get a boatlift for my dock. (Not cheap) To make a long story short, there is only one kind of lift that would work for my situation. A front mounted floating lift. Got it installed. (econolift)

The issue I'm having is that as soon as i let the lift down, and before the bunks even touch the water the boat slides off the lift back into the water outta the dock. This is not that much of a problem if you are ready for it, boat is brand new so it starts everytime, don't have to worry about floating into the dock/boat right behind me really.

When the lift is down and i'm coming in for the day i line the boat up on the bunks, which are sticking out of the water at the front i have to Power the boat up onto the bunks. I then turn the boat off and go flip on the switch to start raising the lift (raises from the back).

THE PROBLEM. is that if you are not careful, when the lift starts raising the boat tries to slip out off the bunks and out of the dock. This weekend the rope with carabiners i had been attaching to the bow eye actually pulled straight out of the 2x4 on the dock, pulled the threads on the eye hook straight out of the dock board. and the boat slipped off and out of the dock.

MY QUESTION. Is this setup too steep?? Do you have or have you seen issues like this in the past?? How did you overcome it, what do you do differently now?

OPINION. wondering what you think about these options, and what suggestions you have on options i might not know about.

1.) Lowering the front of the lift on the mounting plate a couple notches. This would lower the nose of the lift, possibly fully submerging the bunks, possibly making the angle less? Not sure about this. Might also make the boats bow lower than its stern when boat is fully raised on lift in storage position making rain water run into the boat instead of off the back??

2.) Installing a winch at the front of the lift on the dock just like a trailer has. Don't have a ton of walking room on the dock as it is, this would take up some more. Would i winch the boat onto the lift or just attach it and winch it the last few inches after powering it up on??

3.) For now i took one of my transom tie downs and i'm hooking that into the eye as soon i power it up into position. it keeps it from slipping backwards but so much weight of the boat on it its scary to undue the tension after the boat is lifted up! don't want to keep that up or someones gonna get hurt.

4.) Fresh ideas...

here are some pics so you can see what i'm dealing with here...if you have any ideas please help me figure out what to do!

cound't figure out how to post the pics, so i made a slideshow on slide.com, just click the little thumbnails under the current pic to view the next one in line.

http://www.slide.com/r/PVlPs8Xe5j8q2UzR3Xi...p;view=original

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Seems to me that something is not adjusted properly. I'd be willing to bet that that style of lift is not designed for a V-drive (rear engine) boat also.

Talk to the installer. See if there are any adjustments that will help balance the boat on the lift better. Read the manual. Is there supposed to be a high tension tether at the bow normally? Get the installation manual from the installer. There has to be one...

Call the manufacturer. Find out if this is common on a rear engine boat.

I know you are looking for first hand advice (which I aint got...) I'm just giving you my $.02.

Good luck! Pat

<edit> looking at the photos again... it seems like this would be the case even with a DD boat. When you let the boat into the water, does your front tether go slack or is it still tight? If it goes slack, I'd have a cable made with a nice heavy stainless hook on the end that would be forever. If it stays tight, Id consider a small winch mounted to the steel frame rather than the dock. Lowering the front struts may help, but again, I'd get in touch with the manufacturer and installer.

Pat

Edited by Faceplant409
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looking at the pictures, it looks like the angle of that lift is way too steep. it almost seems like that need to add some type of pivot at the bow so that at the rear drops, that front drops proportionately with it...

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"MY QUESTION. Is this setup too steep?? "

Yes it is set to steep, lower the front.

Plus1.gif It looks like you could drop the front by a couple of inches.... it might make a big difference.

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I also agree the front needs to go down maybe a foot or more but than don't put as much air in the bladders so the lift is not so high in the rear. I am assuming you can control the amount of air in the bladders. The boat does not need to be lifted out of the water that high

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Thanks for your responses!

I'm going to have the lift company come out and lower it a few notches in front.

sixball, good point. i shouldn't be worried if the boat is level or not, there is nothing that says i have to fill the tank up all the way with air. i can just fill it up till its level and release some if needed.

yes the boat sits VERY high out of the water. that's the 20 inch special bunk brackets i needed so the prop would clear that metal frame on the back of the lift. haha gotta love inboards.

does have some benefits though....i can actually lay underneath it and wipe down the hull, and wax it which is nice.

Edited by tj_in_kc
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That lift is not installed properly! your boat should not be sliding off as you suggest. call the installer and have them come and adjust it. make sure your boat is there for him to work with. i have installed a few lifts in my career and can say that it should only take an hour to st it up right. you should not see the bunks sticking out of the water. they should rise up and cradle the boat with you standing on the dock and holding it in place.

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tj,

I've been using a lift like that for the last 10 years. Mine is made by Drive-On. My lift has a chain attached at the back end of the lift that limits the downward travel of the rear end. I'd say the chain is about 24" to 30" long. It's easier to attach a piece of chain to the back instead of disconnecting and lowering the nose. I wouldn't lower the nose. The bunks in the front are what keeps you from overshooting the bunks. Keep the nose high and raise the back. My boat boat requires moderate power, for about 2 seconds, to seat the boat on the bunks. Only time I have any issues keeping the boat on the lift is right after waxing the bottom.

Good luck. Shoot us any other questions you have.

...Mark

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Mark, you at Smithville? small world.

so you are saying if i limited it in back with the chain instead of letting the tank sink all the way till it hits bottom (approx 6ft) as it does now i might be better off?

this might level it out so the back bunks are barely underwater?

wouldn't the front bunks be even more out of the water then? would the overall angle be less though?

the less water the boat was floating in would make it harder to move around?

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tj,

I've been using a lift like that for the last 10 years. Mine is made by Drive-On. My lift has a chain attached at the back end of the lift that limits the downward travel of the rear end. I'd say the chain is about 24" to 30" long. It's easier to attach a piece of chain to the back instead of disconnecting and lowering the nose. I wouldn't lower the nose. The bunks in the front are what keeps you from overshooting the bunks. Keep the nose high and raise the back. My boat boat requires moderate power, for about 2 seconds, to seat the boat on the bunks. Only time I have any issues keeping the boat on the lift is right after waxing the bottom.

Good luck. Shoot us any other questions you have.

...Mark

I use a vertical lift and submerge the bunks. I just make a mental note spot on the boat and dock to line up. no problem over shooting as long as you don't come in to hot. No power launching or loading If I need to run the boat on the lift I can no Marks on the haul

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TJ,

Yep, it is a small world.

Raising the back end will flatten out the lift and put more bunk in contact with the hull, which is what you want.

...Mark

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