Boat Lift Recomendations?

[Bedwards]

I just got a spot on a small lake here in upstate NY. Any suggestions on a good boat lift? What style (vertical, cantilever, etc)? Better manufac than another? My dry weight is 3700. Plus 40 gal of fuel (approx. 300lbs), 350 lbs of lead, and 100-200 lbs of misc gear. I was thinking I should go with a 6k lift. Will a 4 or 5k be enough? I've seen a couple on the lake with I/o's on them. Doesn't look like they have the clearance for an inboard. Do you just move the bunks up? Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

[ericinmich]

Yes, 6k, and probably go with what is sold locally. I prefer hydraulic with no cables. Buddy has Hewitt.

[dmbisbest]

I have a craftlander 5k. Vertical... It's been great for the two summers I have had it. Just got the electric motor for it also.... Works like a champ.

[M&M]

2000 ci Missouri Ozarks. I have had a Hydrahoist for many years very dependable low up keep. I think I have changed the motor twice in 30 years. I have had 2 boats on the lift. The company just charged a service call to set up for the new boat. M&M!cid_304.jpg

[Iwndr]

Sweet setup M!

[IDBoating]

Every time someone asks this question, I answer the same way: AirDock. You'll spend half the money and have a better setup than any mechanical lift of any type. Do a search here, I've listed the advantages several times so no need to retype them. I bought one for my original boat, and liked it so much that I bought two more for our jetskis. As for size/weight, they go up to 47 foot hulls and 24,000 pounds capacity so no worries there. I have the C/B model for my 24Ve which is longer and probably heavier than your Z1, but you can go as big as you want. We've visited the factory - very nice people. Personally, I would not even consider anything else, the advantages are too great. Highly, highly recommended.

http://www.airdock.com/

[Tomp]

I just bought a Captains call hydrolic hoist for my new Z3
Made in michigan and factory direct pricing was a better deal and a no brainer to go with.

easy to take out since it powers in both extend and retract.

[Dan C]

Mine

[Bedwards]

Thanks for all the info! WA, I saw their website prior to posting but have never seen one in person. Everyone seems to go with the conventional lifts. How long have they been around? Although conventional lifts have moving parts, it seemed to me there would be more to go wrong with the air dock (just at first glance). I will seriously consider if they are that much cheaper and come highly recommended. I will also check out your other posts and dig a bit deeper in their website. Thanks again everyone!!!!

[IDBoating]

WA, I saw their website prior to posting but have never seen one in person. Everyone seems to go with the conventional lifts. How long have they been around?

Their website says 1999. I've had mine since the Spring of 2006 (8+ years) and if lightning vaporized it today, I'd buy an exact replacement tomorrow. They're that good.

Although conventional lifts have moving parts, it seemed to me there would be more to go wrong with the air dock (just at first glance). I will seriously consider if they are that much cheaper and come highly recommended.

They aren't that well known. In fact, I came across them while researching building one of my own. My original plan was to use a boat trailer, install some ballast chambers on it, and either flood them or drain them to lower or raise the lift. But then I came across these guys. Their idea of airbags was WAY better than my idea of bunks on a trailer (or bunks on a "conventional" lift) because instead of all the weight of the boat being concentrated on a small surface area (high pounds per square inch on the hull), the weight is evenly distributed all over the hull's surface (low PSI). In fact, my airbags are less than 1 PSI when the boat is out of the water. When I step on the airbags my foot sinks way in, because my foot has far more PSI on it than the hull. I like the fact that my boat is softly and gently cradled with its weight spread out all over the hull - you know, like if it's in water!

Not sure what "more" there would be to go wrong with the airbag system compared to a mechanical lift. It's pretty simple: An airpump, three hoses, and three bags. That's it for the "working" parts. No cables, no bearings, no metal in the water, etc.

Time to take it out for the season? Unhook the hoses, pull the bags out of the water, roll them up, and put them away somewhere. Time to put it in for the season? Unroll the bags, shove them into the water, hook up the hoses, done.

Lake water level rises or falls? Go boating while your neighbors waste a day moving their mechanical docks... your bags float up and down with the water level, no adjustments required all season long.

The list goes on and on. Everyone who sees our AirDock loves it. Lots of boats make a sudden turn at the end of our dock to get closer and examine it. We've had lots of conversations when we happen to be on the dock when they do that. Most of them end with some variation of "Wish I had that instead of my big ol' metal nightmare".

And did I mention it's about half the cost? That's because it's simpler than the alternatives. Simpler equals less expensive, less maintenance, more reliable... you get the picture.

Hope this helps!

[flyboy]

I have a Hewitt without the motor....been 5 years without any issues for my 05 20 CSi..I can move it around in the lake myself, but need at least one other to lift it out at season end.

[ericinmich]

Here is my boat lift. Actually, not a lift but cradle that takes her into a boat house. Had to change it from a keel rest to adjustable bunks.

The cradle and track has been in use since the 60s. Same motor and cable too....IMG_20140704_101234146_HDR.jpg

[Bedwards]

@ eric- If I only had a boat house.......

Hewitt and Shore Station seem like popular/reliable choices. From what I've heard, they are not hard to assemble, take only a couple people to install, and you can move/take out by yourself.

The Airdock looks easy to setup, install, remove. Costs about half as much. One negative- no canopy.
What about a hole in one bag? Will the boat go down on its side? I am a little leary of a cable breaking on a conventional lift, but if it does, the whole boat would drop uniformly. What happens to the boat with a hole or leak in just one bag?

[IDBoating]

The Airdock looks easy to setup, install, remove. Costs about half as much. One negative- no canopy.

I have long thought about adding a canopy, and a local friend with waterfront property is working on the same thing. We think if you doubled up on the frame rails (the PVC pipe running along either side) it would support a typical aluminum canopy. I plan to do this someday.

What about a hole in one bag? Will the boat go down on its side? I am a little leary of a cable breaking on a conventional lift, but if it does, the whole boat would drop uniformly. What happens to the boat with a hole or leak in just one bag?

You don't raise the boat very far out of the water, so a fully deflated bag just lets the boat tip a bit in that direction. My boat's keel is only a couple of inches above the water (the prop and rudder are still partly submerged). I had that happen once when I didn't close the valve all the way. Next morning, the boat is listed over but no big deal. I deflated the other two bags just to make certain everything was centered, then inflated all three again and that was the end of it.

Besides, our boats are used to being listed way over, right?

[Bedwards]

Thanks WA. I am probably goin with air dock per your recommendations. The dollars/benefits seem to be worth it. You can't touch a 5k+ conventional lift for less than than $4500 new. For almost half, I can try out a Air and if I totally dislike (which I'm sure I won't) I can go a different route. I'll tell em that they should give u a commission for all of ur work on TO