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Shorestation canopy help


goodmatt78

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We are buying a lakehouse with a shorestation vertical 4K lift.  I am going to raise the bunks for my VLX, but also looking to understand how high the canopy will go safely with the stock canopy legs.  Can anyone get their boats in with the tower up without buying extensions?  How long are the stock legs?

 

Thanks.

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We bought our 4k lift with a canopy last year off of craigslist and I maxed out the bunks as well to make sure my fins had clearance.  Our 2000VLX slides right in without issues and has plenty of room to spare. I should note that the front legs are removed and the cradle is bottomed out when we load due to the depth. Our older tower does not fold down like the newer ones either. Not 100% positive if the previous owner installed extensions or not on the canopy but ours is rock solid.

B0BDA800-AC2E-4472-A548-2D1EA853F953_zps

disregard our weathered cover for the moment...

 

Edited by MattyICE15
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That's promising....thanks!   Can you raise each leg individually by yourself?  Ours is on shore now and the lake is drained.  I should be able to see waterlines on the lift to get a better idea of the water level and how high I need to go.

 

Thanks.

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1 hour ago, goodmatt78 said:

We are buying a lakehouse with a shorestation vertical 4K lift.  I am going to raise the bunks for my VLX, but also looking to understand how high the canopy will go safely with the stock canopy legs.  Can anyone get their boats in with the tower up without buying extensions?  How long are the stock legs?

 

Thanks.

I have a 4,000# Shore Master and they're pretty close in specs to the Shore Station lifts.  No way could I get my boat in with the tower up without extensions.

There are lots of issues with raising the canopy: Stuff coming in from the side (why have a canopy?); Tree clearance (in or out of water); Stability/durability in storms.  Plan carefully.

What kind of tower do you have?

Shore Station info:  https://midwestindustries.partsmartweb.com/scripts/EmpartISAPI.dll?MF

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All 4 legs should be adjustable.  You'll want to adjust them individually to try and get your lift as close to level as possible.  It can get complicated once the lift is in the water and starts to settle a bit, but for the most part you shouldn't have an issue figuring it out. You can see my lift has settled a little uneven in the back but it wasn't bad enough to where I needed to make an additional adjustment (IMO - could be wrong here though).

Adjusting the canopy is probably a different story. We were lucky enough to not have to mess with it. Other uses may be a better source for that info.  

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Like MattyICE15 said ^^^

And if your bottom (or part of it) is silt/muck then get some 18 inch square thick concrete patio blocks and use them as bases for the legs.  I think I have one corner with about 6 of them down there.  As  long as we get the lift in the same place every Spring it's rock solid.  You may have to weight and un-weight the lift several times with the boat on it to get the legs/feet to settle in.  As has been said many times, ask neighbors with similar shore lines what they do.

  • Like 2
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Thanks guys.  The lift and dock will go right in where it is installed every year.  The dock guys will install everything for $150.  Therefore, It should already be set level to the existing floor.  I just need to deal with the bunks and canopy....hopefully on shore before they install.

I have the Titan tower on my 05 VLX.  It is kinda a pain to raise and lower.   I understand losing coverage with a high canopy, but I plan to cover also.  

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IMO, you will need extensions for the canopy. Couple of thoughts however, 1) we wanted a canopy for our boat and they are very expensive for the extensions etc... 2) your lift will not blow away with the boat on it, but if the boat is off of the lift and heavy winds come thru, it can move especially with a canopy that high up. You have to be concerned about your exposure to wind and storms. 3) unsightly. We found out that it blocks are view to the lake and looked quite awkward. 

Now, i still want one, but for now i cover and built skirts for the sides since the canopy wasn't going to cover the sides of my boat anyway. On most canopies, you need to always make sure your racks are facing in as well. Sometimes this is a huge pain when they are loaded up with boards. 

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1 minute ago, goodmatt78 said:

The dock guys will install everything for $150.  Therefore, It should already be set level to the existing floor.

"It should already be" is the operative phrase.  After they put it in check it out by standing on all 4 corners of the raised bunk and jumping up and down.  If it moves then adjust legs or add patio blocks before putting the boat on it.  I have seen some busted/twisted lifts when people just assumed everything was fine - and then put their boats up.

Titan would be a pain.  My Illusion XS is pretty easy to fold down but even so we have a buoy to dock system for the Bu for during the day so it doesn't have to go on and off the lift all the time.

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All good points!  I will check carefully.   I do know there are at least 2 auger posts sitting on the lift.  I assume these are to secure the legs to the lake bottom to prevent wind issues.

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FWIW, I removed the end section of my canopy and built velcro slits in the cover so that I could pull into the lift without lowering the tower, and still crank it up enough to get most of it out of the water.  This was my weekend plan, so the tower always stayed up and the boat was held tight as we were in and out of it all weekend.  Then come Sunday night - drop the tower, and crank it up tight under the canopy, protected from wind/rain/sun.  This was a great set up for me.

Canopy - tower up.jpgCanopy coverage.jpgCanopy - tower folded.jpgLake frontage.jpg

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2 minutes ago, Michigan boarder said:

FWIW, I removed the end section of my canopy and built velcro slits in the cover so that I could pull into the lift without lowering the tower, and still crank it up enough to get most of it out of the water.  This was my weekend plan, so the tower always stayed up and the boat was held tight as we were in and out of it all weekend.  Then come Sunday night - drop the tower, and crank it up tight under the canopy, protected from wind/rain/sun.  This was a great set up for me.

Canopy - tower up.jpgCanopy coverage.jpgCanopy - tower folded.jpgLake frontage.jpg

Interesting concept.  I could do that if I raised the canopy a bit.  No Velcro slit since my canopy frame is level all the way around.  It would depend on who is using the boat and how many rollers there are.  For some of my group driving the boat onto the lift in rough water is a no-go.

Right now we get the top of the folded tower tight up against the canopy with the lift all the way up, but that's not really necessary.

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I have the SS 6000 with canopy and I can fit a 2007 with titan 3 tower as well as a 2015 247 with the G3.2 under there.  I do have the bunks all the way up and the front feet off the lift to allow it to go low enough in the muck to get off.  My canopy ends are on and I clear them by a few inches.  The canopy obviously sits fairly high above the boat but even when we have a good storm the cover is usually 95% dry.  It hardly gets a drop of water

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23 minutes ago, goodmatt78 said:

So...for those of you that lower the tower and raise tight to canopy....do you then NOT cover when gone for the week?

I can't lower my tower as mentioned before, but never have any issues with water intrusion.  As long as you cover the boat under the canopy you won't have to worry about water unless you get a crazy storm blowing rain in sideways.  I suppose it can happen but wouldn't be a normal scenario.

In the picture I posted previously you can see there is plenty of room for us to bring the boat up higher on the lift. We can get it fairly snug under the canopy and with the overhang there is plenty of coverage IMO.

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I am thinking that I could install a pulley on the canopy frame that could make dropping the tower after it is covered pretty easy and a single person job.  

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35 minutes ago, goodmatt78 said:

So...for those of you that lower the tower and raise tight to canopy....do you then NOT cover when gone for the week?

I lower the tower and put a big inexpensive drawstring cover over the whole boat, including the tower and swim platform.  We only do this during pollen and leaf falling seasons.  Other times we just raise the boat up tight without a cover.  Rarely get any rain in it from the side and it dries better without a cover.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016L45TXG/

I have a nice Malibu trailering cover that can be used with the tower partially down - but don't use it.  It's harder to put on and it does not go over the lowered tower.

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17 hours ago, Michigan boarder said:

FWIW, I removed the end section of my canopy and built velcro slits in the cover so that I could pull into the lift without lowering the tower, and still crank it up enough to get most of it out of the water.  This was my weekend plan, so the tower always stayed up and the boat was held tight as we were in and out of it all weekend.  Then come Sunday night - drop the tower, and crank it up tight under the canopy, protected from wind/rain/sun.  This was a great set up for me.

Canopy - tower up.jpgCanopy coverage.jpgCanopy - tower folded.jpgLake frontage.jpg

I do this same thing.  Raise it up without the cover on during the weekend when we are using it.  Drop tower and put the cover on and get it high and tight up to the canopy during the week while gone.  New boat is coming with the cover that goes on over the folded tower which will be nice because I always had the issue of spider webs all over the tower and speakers.  Nice idea on removing the end section and velcro.  Did that weaken the structure of the canopy at all?  Depending upon the water level on the lake we usually need to lower the tower to get it in the lift.

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3 minutes ago, Skin2Win said:

I do this same thing.  Raise it up without the cover on during the weekend when we are using it.  Drop tower and put the cover on and get it high and tight up to the canopy during the week while gone.  New boat is coming with the cover that goes on over the folded tower which will be nice because I always had the issue of spider webs all over the tower and speakers.  Nice idea on removing the end section and velcro.  Did that weaken the structure of the canopy at all?  Depending upon the water level on the lake we usually need to lower the tower to get it in the lift.

I am sure removing the gable end weakened it "on paper", but I had it that way for 3 years without a single problem and lots of high winds.  It was a 23' canopy.  The velcro held really tight too, so tight that I had to make sure to pull it open to break it free before backing out, otherwise the velcro would hold and a corner seam would tear (did it...once).

We sold that place and I have a slip now.  When we lived at the lake full time it made sense to have the canopy, we were in and out of the boat all of the time.  But now that we have a slip we do not use it as much, so I sold the canopy and just keep the boat on a lift and use the cover.  An over-the-tower cover would be the perfect way to go, that's a great idea, really no point in having a canopy if you do that.

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10 minutes ago, Michigan boarder said:

An over-the-tower cover would be the perfect way to go, that's a great idea, really no point in having a canopy if you do that.

I should have explained more fully.  My over the tower cover is not a fitted cover and would fill up with water if it got rained on.  It is more of a dust cover to keep blown debris out of the boat.  The lift canopy is still necessary.

  • Like 1
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I cove my boat under the canopy even if its over night. Not between uses on any given day. It just keeps the boat clean. The amount of pollen spider poop and whatever. If you don't live full time its hard to keep birds from nesting under the canopy. It also keep people from looking into the boat. I may be anal but its my baby. 

  • Like 3
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Don't know but you will want to be able to float on no power loading. Also if you lake has water level changes you need to address them.  With 3.5 feet I would think you should be able to do what you need.  Bunks should not be much wider then the stringers or even match them. So the boat should not sit low between the bunks.   

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The main reason for buying a lift apart from keeping the bottom clean should be so u don't need to cover the boat. Covering leads to trapped moisture and mildew. Get upright extensions and canopy side extension from Shorestation or local dealer. A little pricey but u will never look back. No need to lower tower or cover boat and it will air out and stay fresh and clean.. assuming your canopy extensions are long enough. Or add a MAX deep dish canopy for about the same cost with open zip up back end. Again it gets expensive but well worth it vs covering and cleaning mildew every week not to mention smelly boat if u put her up wet for the week. 

If u need bunk extension they are pretty cheap from a SS dealer or u can make your own with some Holly tube pretty cheap! Just make sure your lined up before lifting!

Also a good way to hold lift down is with a few deep augers and straps on each side or all 4 corners depending on extreme conditions in your area. 

I personally haven't had much luck with concrete pads in the past they seem to easily break, with muck most folks around here will get 3-4ft long 2*12" pressure treated and attached to foot pads like giant skies.. makes taking the lift out a bit difficult if doing by hand without lift pontoon as breaking the suction is difficult if u can't slide it first.. 

 

Good luck! Welcome to the PIAs of boat lifts. 

Edited by The Hulk
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