Boat lift pricing

[Levi900RR]

I was looking at mine this weekend (same lift and I need to adapt it to my new inboard boat as well), I also looked at some friends lifts to see how they were configured. Unfortunately, I do not have my boat home to take any measurements but I do not think it will need to be that high - I am thinking a couple of 2x8' sitting on the cross beam held in place by angle brackets will be enough to clear the prop shaft and put the center of mass for the engine in front of the rear beam (mine is a v-drive). Of friends lifts I looked at 2 others had horizontal (not v) cross beams, one had the bunks at ~11.5 inches over the beam (the boat on this one is an infinity with a center mount v-drive and the prop is 2.5 feet forward of the transom), the second has the bunks at ~14.5 inches I would almost think it would clear the prop.

Right now my mainstream plan is to use vertically mounted 2X? bunks (possibly with a 2x4 on top to form a T and angled slightly to match the bottom of the boat) - I willl answer the ? when I have the boat home and can take some accurate measurements. They will be held vertical with 5" piecs of 4x4x.25 aluminum angles bolted through the cedar and the top flange on the I-Beam with a backing plate of .25 aluminum. I plan to set it up so that the prop shaft will clear the beam buy at least an inch with the boat loaded and located (to prevent overtravel and running the prop into the beam) by tieing off from a rear post to a mid-ship cleat. I want the center of the engiine to be in front of the rear beam but I do not think it needs to be forward by much so I should be able to keep the prop well away from the beam.

I was also at the Shorestation dealer this weekend to pick-up my new winch tube and cables and while Shorestation does not offer a kit for these hoists, the dealer was willing to sell me one - it is basically 2 of the new aluminum bunks that rest on pipes that are u-bolted to the beam. I was not too keen on u-bolting to the aluminum I-beam but was told that it works. Price was ~$350 I beleive

Finally, Boat Lift and Dock does sell a kit for a 5.5 inch beam hoist - http://www.boatliftanddock.com/p-524-large-and-ski-boat-carpeted-hull-bunk-kit.aspx

This whole post is awesome. I may order up a set of those bunks from Boatlift and Dock and see if they work, for 150 bucks it might be worth a shot.

[l98ycar]

Thanks, let me know what you end up with, my boat will still be in storage for a more few weeks so I will not be able to sort mine out until then. If I come up with anything else, I will let you know.

[Levi900RR]

All,

I have two options for transportation to get this thing home... I am going to pretty much completly disassemble it as I want to replace all the hardware anyway.

1) 8X16 enclosed haulmark trailer.

2) 20ish' flatbed wrecker

What would you all use? The trailer will be way less stressful as I wont have to worry about anything flying off the back of the wrecker. But the wrecker will for sure have more space.

The guy says the longest single piece is 9 feet long.

[Michigan boarder]

All,

I have two options for transportation to get this thing home... I am going to pretty much completly disassemble it as I want to replace all the hardware anyway.

1) 8X16 enclosed haulmark trailer.

2) 20ish' flatbed wrecker

What would you all use? The trailer will be way less stressful as I wont have to worry about anything flying off the back of the wrecker. But the wrecker will for sure have more space.

The guy says the longest single piece is 9 feet long.

Both are borrowed, so no cost? If so, I'd go with the trailer. No worries about tying it down (as much), and missing parts. Why are you replacing all the hardware, just rusty? Going with galvanized or stainless?

[Levi900RR]

Both are borrowed, so no cost? If so, I'd go with the trailer. No worries about tying it down (as much), and missing parts. Why are you replacing all the hardware, just rusty? Going with galvanized or stainless?

Well, both are borrowed, the wrecker would probably cost me more in gas...

The hardware is rusty, I need to look into the best material to use to replace it. I dont want to end up with corroded alluminum cause I used the wrong stuff. I just haven't had time to research it yet.

I would really prefer to use the trailer for the reasons you stated.

[Michigan boarder]

Well, both are borrowed, the wrecker would probably cost me more in gas...

The hardware is rusty, I need to look into the best material to use to replace it. I dont want to end up with corroded alluminum cause I used the wrong stuff. I just haven't had time to research it yet.

I would really prefer to use the trailer for the reasons you stated.

Yep. How far?

[Levi900RR]

Yep. How far?

~150 miles

[Levi900RR]

Picked up my lift today!!!

Its nicer than I thought it was gonna be. I came apart OK, I broke just about every rusty bolt with my impact. I'm going to pick up my Stainless hardware this week and maybe next weekend put it back together.

PS, I got 9 MPG in my Tundra pulling the 16' Flat front enclosed trailer... nothing like putting 240 bucks in gas in your truck in one day!!!

[Levi900RR]

Thanks, let me know what you end up with, my boat will still be in storage for a more few weeks so I will not be able to sort mine out until then. If I come up with anything else, I will let you know.

Car,

Have you made any progress on your lift? Im sad to say mine is still in a heap from the day I picked it up...

[l98ycar]

I bought some aluminum angles and started fabricating my brackets to support (or actually hold vertical) 2X8 bunks. The angles (4"x4"x1/4") will clamp to the I -beam using a 3/4x3/4 aluminum bar as a spacer and a 1/4X2 aluminum bar as a clamp so I do not need to drill holes in the hoist and can adjust the bunk position if I need to. The brackets will hold 2 pairs of 2x8's that are planed down to match the bottom of the boat as much as possible - the 2x8's may not be quite tall enough so I might cap them with a 2x4 as required). The weather here has been too cold and windy to do too much work on the hoist outside. I drilled 112 holes in the aluminum stock last weekend, I need fastners and 2x8's before I can assemble anything. I also need to replace my cables so hopefully the weather will improve this weekend and I can get some work done on the hoist and start fitting the bunks.

I will post some pictures when I get some of the parts put together - I will also be able to put together a parts list if you are interested in doing something similar.

[Levi900RR]

Awesome, I got mine totally disassembled yesterday and have my hardware list. I am going to order a set of those bunks from Boatliftanddock.com today and start gathering my stainless hardware. Hopefully before the end of May I will have it ready to go!

Edited April 23, 2011 by Levi900RR

[l98ycar]

Finally got around to installing my bunks this weekend (between rain showers...) and I got my cables replaced last week. Here are some pictures of what I installed, I still need to carpet the bunks, finalize the distance from center, and work on the centering guides as I do not think they will be effective with the taller bunks. I ended up needing 2x12's to provide some clearance for the fins (2X10's should have worked but it would be close). If it ever stops raining here in southeast Michigan, I will hopefully be able to set the boat on it and finalize the set-up.

[Slayer]

Nice Job, I98ycar, I looked a lift very similar to yours when I was shopping. I too was working on my lift this weekend getting the bunks set up, etc. The rain is a HUGE downer.

Nice job btw on your bunks.

[Levi900RR]

Nice Job, I98ycar, I looked a lift very similar to yours when I was shopping. I too was working on my lift this weekend getting the bunks set up, etc. The rain is a HUGE downer.

Nice job btw on your bunks.

No joke, I bet the lake at my house won't be down enough for me to put my lift in untill mid June... We typically have about 40 feet of beach and its completly under water.

[Slayer]

No joke, I bet the lake at my house won't be down enough for me to put my lift in untill mid June... We typically have about 40 feet of beach and its completly under water.

I was able to get my lift set last week because the water went down. I then found out I needed deep water legs, so I ordered those with hopes of getting it reset today but the water is back up to nearly over my dock again. Since I have to move the lift out further, I need another dock section in the water and I have not been able to do that because the water is back up. Right now, we're about 30" higher than normal and by this time next week, God willing, the water levels should recede enough to allow me to finish the installation.

It's a real drag to have a new to me bu in the driveway and not on it's home in the lake.

[Levi900RR]

Update on my lift situation...

So my HOA wasn't too fond of my lift going in (Yes Bill, you called it...) I ran into the guy who owns the house right next to our beach. He has a nice dock with a pontooner on a lift. I got to talking to him about my situation and he mentioned to me that he had just replaced his docks and that his old ones were still down at the beach and he didnt know what he was going to do with them. He says if I help him put them all in and take them all out every year that I can HAVE his old docks and set up my lift in front of his place!

This is on the side of the beach where our stairs are so I will walk down the stairs and out the dock to my lift. I couldn't be more excited! I had kind of let the lift fall off the radar but now Im planning on getting it in the water this weekend!

I'll snap some pics of the whole set up once the Bu is resting in its summer home!

[Levi900RR]

So, I talked to this guy last night who is willing to "lease" me a spot in front of his house... He says he needs to take out a liability policy for 2Mil and wants to charge me $500 a year to "lease" the space.

I think that's fair??? Would I be getting taken to the cleaners for $500 a year?

This includes:

-About 45 feet of his dock (wooden, home made on big plastic wheels)

-A spot for my lift next to the dock

-A spot to winch the dock and lift up on his bank for winter storage.

Seems like a deal to me. OR if I can get my HOA to budge he said he would sell me the dock for a grand... I'm gonna work the association but in the meantime wanted to get some feed back on his "lease" price...

[cbmalibu98]

Good luck with your HOA. I hate HOA's they are usually a bunch of people that stick their nose in other peoples business. I understand the need to protect their investment but usually there are always a few that love the power of telling other people what they can and cannot do. Anyway the $500 to $1000 is a fair price. I had to do the same thing on my dock and i had to pay about $750 for the same coverage.

Good Luck

CB

[Levi900RR]

Another update on my situation... After a few beers with the HOA officers it seems there may be a way for me to get my lift in at the beach after all I really dont want to ADD $500 a year to my boat budget (I'm saving for a v-drive ) I might have to wade out to the boat as it looks like a dock is out of the question.

We have an official HOA meeting on Wednesday next week so I'll know after that.

Meanwhile, I ordered the hardware for my lift from boatliftanddock.com yesterday so I should be able to erect that thing eitherway.

[Michigan boarder]

Another update on my situation... After a few beers with the HOA officers it seems there may be a way for me to get my lift in at the beach after all I really dont want to ADD $500 a year to my boat budget (I'm saving for a v-drive ) I might have to wade out to the boat as it looks like a dock is out of the question.

We have an official HOA meeting on Wednesday next week so I'll know after that.

Meanwhile, I ordered the hardware for my lift from boatliftanddock.com yesterday so I should be able to erect that thing eitherway.

I dunno, I think I'd go for the $500 lease. Someday that may turn into a sale of a sliver of frontage to you. Plus my wife/kids, stuff in and out of the boat, that's a PITA to wade. Also, you can put your pier and lift in sometime in April and use the boat, but wading out to the boat in 45 degree water is painful. So the lease will likely get you an extra month of usage, maybe 20% more for the season?

[Levi900RR]

I dunno, I think I'd go for the $500 lease. Someday that may turn into a sale of a sliver of frontage to you. Plus my wife/kids, stuff in and out of the boat, that's a PITA to wade. Also, you can put your pier and lift in sometime in April and use the boat, but wading out to the boat in 45 degree water is painful. So the lease will likely get you an extra month of usage, maybe 20% more for the season?

I hear ya man, I gotta think about it some more... My thought is that I get my lift in and in a few years I'll try and sway the HOA into letting me do a dock.

[Levi900RR]

This has been quite the ride...

I went to the first HOA meeting in 8 years last Wednesday. I managed to get elected president of the association and got approval for me to put my lift AND a dock in at the beach.

I am super pumped. I gotta get that lift rebuilt and in the water and start keeping my eyes open for 50ish feet of used dock!

[Michigan boarder]

This has been quite the ride...

I went to the first HOA meeting in 8 years last Wednesday. I managed to get elected president of the association and got approval for me to put my lift AND a dock in at the beach.

I am super pumped. I gotta get that lift rebuilt and in the water and start keeping my eyes open for 50ish feet of used dock!

Sweet! That is great news.

That's funny on the election, my first year at our lake I got elected pres. The second year nobody wanted to be secretary, so I took that over too. During that meeting after 5 minutes of looking for a volunteer with no takers and I elected myself, people were looking at each other and mumbling "Can he do that? He can't do that. Can he?" There's me "Moving on to other new business....". After the meeting one of the neighbors came up and volunteered to be secretary. You're darn right, lady. Your association and board members are insured, correct?

Good luck with the pier sourcing, that's a tough find. If you end up building or buying, make sure to go 4' wide.

[Levi900RR]

Sweet! That is great news.

That's funny on the election, my first year at our lake I got elected pres. The second year nobody wanted to be secretary, so I took that over too. During that meeting after 5 minutes of looking for a volunteer with no takers and I elected myself, people were looking at each other and mumbling "Can he do that? He can't do that. Can he?" There's me "Moving on to other new business....". After the meeting one of the neighbors came up and volunteered to be secretary. You're darn right, lady. Your association and board members are insured, correct?

Good luck with the pier sourcing, that's a tough find. If you end up building or buying, make sure to go 4' wide.

The one dude who was going to lease me to dock space has some old wood docks that he wants to sell me for a grand. I think its a little steep as they are pretty old and crappy.

[BREZ]

I build docks 4' wide with treated lumber for about $15/ft for materials depending on current lumber prices. Cost includes dock sections & braces. Yes they are heavier than aluminum docks but hey are very sturdy. If interested I can provide you instructions.