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My First boat is a Bu ! - Now what?


CedarLakeSkier

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We just bought our first boat ever. A 2006 Malibu iRide. There aren't many options. We bought the boat after we bought our lake house, so there wasn't a whole lot of money left Biggrin.gif. We take delivery on the 20th of this month (we've already seen the boat, it was delivered to the dealer about a month ago).

Since I'm heading in to this full throttle (house on lake, new boat, new dock, etc..) we bought a boat lift.

In trying to save a few more dollars I figured I'd assemble and put it in the water myself. My dealer (also where I bought the boat) "surprised" us by assembling the lift and dropping it on our shoreline.

If any of you seasoned veterans have a set of instructions or suggestions on how to install this thing, I'd really appreciate a reply. It's a shorestation aluminum lift. The Shorestation instructions are really bad and assume you are floating the lift on a boat.

Some of my specific questions are:

How many people will I need to bribe to help me with this thing?

How long does it usually take to install?

On a scale of 1 to 10, what do you think the difficulty level is (1 being easy, 10 impossible)

The bottom of the lake is "mucky" and I've been told large pieces of 3/4" plywood under the legs will help keep it from settling in the muck.

I can't wait until it warms up. The lake temperature in Michigan is only about 56 degrees.

Thanks for any information anyone can provide.

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How big of a lift is it?

What does it have for feet?

I used to install them on Chippewa lake in Michigan for years.

One thing I used to do is get a few guys along with 4-6 truck tires on rims holding air.

I would drag it in the water so that I could get a tire under each corner.

The tires would allow it to float out to where I needed to drop it.

Just dont get your toes under it when you start pulling the tires.

Good luck and welcome to the site!

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Welcome to the crew! You will love living on the lake and you will love your 'bu!

Sorry I can't help with the shorestation, but being that danadog has experience installing them (and probably many others on the forum), I suspect you'll be in good hands!

Good luck and again, Welcome aboard!

JZ

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How big of a lift is it?

What does it have for feet?

I used to install them on Chippewa lake in Michigan for years.

One thing I used to do is get a few guys along with 4-6 truck tires on rims holding air.

I would drag it in the water so that I could get a tire under each corner.

The tires would allow it to float out to where I needed to drop it.

Just dont get your toes under it when you start pulling the tires.

Good luck and welcome to the site!

Danadog,

The lift is a 4000 lb aluminum lift. 124 inches wide, 120 inches long (outer dimensions) 475 lbs total weight without the canopy (I suspect the canopy would add another 100 or so lbs)

For feet, is has base pads (don't know the exact dimensions) but I plan on setting the pads on 3/4" pieces of plywood to help keep it from settling deep in the muck.

The tires (or anything that floats) is a good idea. I'm not sure where I would get a set though.

All others....

Thanks for the welcome. I've been browsing for a while already and I have seen the new boat gear list. We really are pumped for this summer....

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Congrats on the boat. I installed a Hewitt boat lift in a mucky lake last year and learned a couple lessons in doing it.

That is a pretty big lift and since you are putting the canopy on, I would let it sink into the muck. It will anchor it a bit when you don't have the boat on the lift and get some wind. Along those same lines, make sure that the canopy frame is 100% level when you install it and check it as the lift settles in. My lift weighed the same as yours. It took 4 of us to get it onto a trailer but only 2 people to actually do the install since we floated it in.

Putting some plywood under it is an option but it won't last. The muck will eat up the plywood pretty fast and then when it softens, you'll have to relevel, etc. We tried a couple things and just settled on letting the feet sink into the muck. The feet were pretty big on my lift (about 1 foot square) and they only sunk about 3" or so and didn't move all year.

We floated the lift into place using some old dock flotation. Strapped two pieces to the front and one piece to the rear, "launched" the lift off of a small trailer and then walked it into place. It was really easy. Total time was maybe an hour. I added a canopy as well and was folding the tower on my nautique each time we put it on the lift. I have a new VLX coming and have added extended legs to the canopy so I won't have to lower the tower anymore.

Good luck with the installation.

Edited by Blank
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For feet, is has base pads (don't know the exact dimensions) but I plan on setting the pads on 3/4" pieces of plywood to help keep it from settling deep in the muck.
I'd head down to the local scrap yard and see if you could come up with some aluminum plates to use as foot plates. The plywood will rot rather quickly under water.
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B potts,

I would check with a garage and see if you get them a case of beer, if you could borrow 4 old tires on rims for the day. Chippewa lake is in nothern Michigan, my buddy ran a old garage he always had a lot of old tires around.

I would have to agree with Blank and just set it the mud and cross your fingers.

What lake are you lucky to be on in Michigan anyway?

edit for real bad spelling!

Edited by danadog
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I too strap on a 45 gallon barrel on the rear section of the lift so half of it floats, place the front legs wher I want them then drop the barrel. After that adjust the legs so the frame is level. To place the canvas of the canopy (don't know if that is how you call it...), I fold it in 3 on width wise and rool it length wise. I lift the boat in the lift, pass the rolled up canvass thru 2 barres, un-roll, center and unfold... lace-up and Voilà!! Biggrin.gif

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B potts,

I would check with a garage and see if you get them a case of beer, if you could borrow old 4 tires on rims for the day. Chippewa lake is in nothern Mihigan and my buddy ran a old garage he had a lot of old tires around.

I would have to agree with Blank and just set it the mud and cross your fingers.

What lake are you lucky to be on in Michigan anyway?

Or put your truck on blocks for the time you need the rims... Innocent.gif

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Thanks everyone for the ideas and suggestions.

I'm not sure what I would need to get this thing to float.

Danadog suggested tires.. do you need all four to get it to float?

1FootDan says a single barrel will float one side, where would I get a hold of a barrel?

Responding to everyone at once here...

Blank - I thought about just letting it sink, but when the guys were installing the dock this past weekend they were 8 - 12 inches in the muck just standing there. I think even with something underneath the feet it's going to sink several inches.

NorCaliBu - Good idea about something other than wood. The installers in the area suggested wood and I already got it for this year. I'll see what happens to it, but will look for something else for next years install.

Danadog - I'm in Southwestern Michigan between Paw Paw and Three Rivers (right between Lawton and Marcellus) on Big Cedar Lake. It's an inland lake that's around 300 acres. The lake seems pretty calm and often in the mornings is like glass. It should be just about right for skiing/wakeboarding.

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Is the lake Mucky or is more like a bog? I have noticed (with duck hunting) that alot of the lakes in upper Michigan are like a bog. Sorry I just realized that you are on the west side of the state.

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1FootDan says a single barrel will float one side, where would I get a hold of a barrel?

........

Call your buddies and empty a Beer Barrel... Beer.gifCheers.gif

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Welcome to the site. I hope you love your new boat.

I hurt my back trying to take OUT a lift with 4 people. So use caution. More people is better than not enough.

Instead of tires, boating stores around here sell 3 inch thick foam floating pads(4 ft. x 4 ft.) that kids can play with. Two of them will float our lift on one side. The other side could probably be lifted with 2 people, but 3 are better. 4 and you'll have someone to guide the lift better and adjust the legs if needed.

If you use plywood think about it deteriorating and splintering under the muck. Sounds like a nice splinter field then. I would take it out after this summer and not use it again if it looks like splinter material.

Now, for moving a lift or raising it from the muck(end of summer), I seen people strap a boat to the lift( I don't know how) and then lower the cradle, thus making the lift float. It looked crazy but worked. I would do it but wanted to tell you the option for removal.

And from my point of view, if you bought a lake house and a brand new boat, you have plenty of money!

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Welcome to the site. I hope you love your new boat.

I hurt my back trying to take OUT a lift with 4 people. So use caution. More people is better than not enough.

Instead of tires, boating stores around here sell 3 inch thick foam floating pads(4 ft. x 4 ft.) that kids can play with. Two of them will float our lift on one side. The other side could probably be lifted with 2 people, but 3 are better. 4 and you'll have someone to guide the lift better and adjust the legs if needed.

If you use plywood think about it deteriorating and splintering under the muck. Sounds like a nice splinter field then. I would take it out after this summer and not use it again if it looks like splinter material.

Now, for moving a lift or raising it from the muck(end of summer), I seen people strap a boat to the lift( I don't know how) and then lower the cradle, thus making the lift float. It looked crazy but worked. I would do it but wanted to tell you the option for removal.

And from my point of view, if you bought a lake house and a brand new boat, you have plenty of money!

JasonK

Thanks for the information. I hope your back healed over the winter and you're ready to go again.

as for your statement "if you bought a lake house and a brand new boat, you have plenty of money!" I would correct it to say "did have plenty of money". Truth is I grew up water skiing in the summers with my Aunt and Uncle. I've been saving most of my life (I'm 40+ now) for this. I figured if I didn't do it soon I wouldn't be able to enjoy it. In addition, my kids are at just the right age to start enjoying it too.

Edited by B_Potts
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Just another perspective here. I'm in SE Michigan on a channel off of our lake, the channel has a very mucky bottom once you get about 12 ft away from the shore.

The first time I put my lift in, the rear of the lift sank a little bit under its own weight, but not too bad. (The front of the lift is able to sit on sand rather than muck.) I put the boat on the lift and started cranking her up. Only the lift wasn't actually raising the boat - it was just sinking itself deeper. Fortunately I realized what was happening before it got too deep, and with some effort was able to get it back out. (As I and a few others struggled with getting the lift back out, we discovered the muck was at least 4 ft deep. Not a good feeling when you sink into the muck past your knee, and the water is over your head! Shocking.gif )

I happened to have a sheet of 3/4" marine grade plywood (not just regular treated plywood) sitting in my garage. I cut it into two 4'x4' pieces, and put those under the rear legs. They've been there ever since - that was 9 years ago. Living in a channel, I don't have to pull the lift each winter. The lift is solidly in place, there is no give whatsoever, even under the weight of the boat. This most certainly would not be the case if the wood was rotting.

As for moving lifts in & out - I've got two buddies with lifts (including canopies) that have to be pulled each winter. We generally prefer to do it with 4 guys, but we have managed in a pinch with 3 and a pair of Obrien Delta Double tubes for floatation. It's a pretty good workout, but it can be done. Like was said before though - more is definitely better.

Edited by SunriseH2OSkier
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By the way, congrats on the new ride! And if you have the time, a few of us are meeting up on May 26th for a slalom clinic not too far from Brooklyn. The training slots are all full, but it should be a great opportunity to meet a few of the members here. Check this thread for details.

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Welcome to TMC and SW Michigan. I've got a cottage on Austin Lake in Kalamazoo/Portage and although I've got a sandy bottom, some of my buddies on the lake have muck. There are four of us that get together and put in each others docks, lifts, Malibu/Nautiques, jetskis, pontoons and sprinkler systems in one day of pain, sweat, swearing, blood and beer. I would network this summer like crazy and form the same kind of unholy alliance on your lake....all kidding aside it is a great way to get these kind of chores done and have some fun at the same time.

In regards to muck:

blow out the muck on your shoreline using a jetski or small runabout with an outboard motor. It will take a few hours but the results can be pretty amazing and you end up with a sandy bottom

float the lift out. 4 guys lifting and pushing a Shorestation in sand is a piece of cake....deep muck is a major PITA. We have a homemade float that we use. A 5' wide by 10' long aluminum frame with two 50 gallon barrels strapped underneath. On top of the frame we mount a 10' 6" long aluminum beam with a winch in the center that enables us to lower the cradle and at the same time winch the lift up.....float it out to the spot, reverse the winch and let 'er go.

Best of luck on the new place and I hope your wife doesn't use all your boat gas money decorating and furnishing.

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JasonK

Thanks for the information. I hope your back healed over the winter and you're ready to go again.

as for your statement "if you bought a lake house and a brand new boat, you have plenty of money!" I would correct it to say "did have plenty of money". Truth is I grew up water skiing in the summers with my Aunt and Uncle. I've been saving most of my life (I'm 40+ now) for this. I figured if I didn't do it soon I wouldn't be able to enjoy it. In addition, my kids are at just the right age to start enjoying it too.

My Parents did the same thing and it was worth every penny. The only thing that get's kinda old is the fact that we don't take the boat anywhere anymore to explore new lakes. Why do that when your boat is on a lift, a 100 yards from your house? But it's nice because you can go out early in the morning, get a few glass runs in, take the boat to the lift when all of the people come out on the lake, tool around at the house, do some work, play off the dock, etc. and then later in the afternoon when everyone goes home, take the boat out again. This is big for us because our lake is 1.5 hours from Washington, D.C. so we get a LOT of the "bring your boat down for the day" boaters. That's probably 80% of the boats on the lake, so if we can get out before and after them, we're set.

Again, Congratulations on the house and the bu! You'll love them.

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Installation will be a breeze. Just time consuming getting the legs set at the proper length. To get mine in position, I float it on old tubes. One on each end, goes extremely fast. I sometimes put mine in by myself, otherwise I do it with one other guy. I've got a 4000lb but only 108 inches wide. If you don't have tubes yet, go to Boaters World and pick up a couple plus the extended service policy. At the end of the season you can stick a knife in them and get brand new ones.

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I had the unfortunate timing to show up at my buddy's cottage while he was placing his lift.

We used the foam floats that JASONK mentions above and it worked great. We used 6 of them if I remember correctly.

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Inner tubes work great. We put a number of lifts in our lake every spring and take them out in fall using 4 tubes. We take the lifts to the lake on a flat deck trailer, back it down the boat launch and then slide the lifts off of the trailer putting the tubes under the frame as we go. Then just float the lift to where you want and pull the tubes. A little more difficult in the fall as you need a bit more muscle to get the lift unstuck but just lift one end at a time and put the tubes under. No problem. Put in 4 lifts (4000 and 5000lb shoremasters) yesterday, 2 pwc lifts and some dock sections in less than two hours including the time it takes to get the lifts from our lot to the boat launch.

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I just wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions.

We got the lift where we wanted it this weekend. The water was kind of cold, but bearable. We borrowed some barrells from our neighbor. I rigged up a pulleys on the bottom of the frame and ran rope from the barrells to the actual lift. By raising the lift it pulled the barrels into the water so we could float the lift.

It didn't work as well as I expected, but it did work.

My problem now is that when I lower the lift I don't know if it is deep enough. It hasn't had time to sink into the muck. I think once I have the boat on it, it will sink a few more inches.

I know the draft on the iRide is 24 inches, but how low does the cross beam on the lift have to be in order to get the boat on the lift? I think it's about 21 inches below the water surface right now.

Also, the bunks are set as high as they can go and are only a few inches below the water surface. I have a feeling these will have to be adjusted down. Does anyone know how far down the bunks can be moved and still have clearance?

I'm sure all of these questions will be answered when I have the boat (I pick it up in 2 weeks !!) but I was hoping to have some of this figured out before hand.

Thanks again to everyone for their advice.

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It sounds to me like your lift might not be deep enough. If you have your legs in as far as they can go and your bunks are only a couple inches from the water surface you are not going to be able to float the boat off the lift. Sometimes in the fall we get to that point and you have to physically shove the boat off the lift which is a real pain. As for the cross members, its going to sort of depend on your boat but if you have the distance maxed out between the bunks and the cross member you should be fine. Remember the draft probably refers more to the rudder/prop which is the lowest point on an inboard and this doesn't need to clear the cross member. The main thing that needs to clear the cross bars are the tracking fins. To be safe, you might want to push the boat into the lift to make sure it clears as opposed to driving it in.

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