boat lifts

we are putting in a boat lift at the lake this summer. Is there i certain type i should get? are there lifts that are bad for the hull?

so there are lifts that can do damage? i can't the floating type because of my dock (i don't think).

I would have poles driven. Build a boat house and go the cradle route. You would have a house for you boat and a deck to entertain guest.

I have a hydraulic FLOE lift. Its a great lift. I love watching all the people on our lake w/crank lifts roll their big lift-wheels when they go out/come back from boating.

Now if you get a shorestation with the electric motor and a solar panel thats the way to go!

I do like our canopy a little more, seems to provide a little more protection from sun and rain. I think the only difference is that our frame allows the boat to go up into the canopy a little more than a shore station or similar lift.

Here's a pic of the boat a little over half way up.

Gary S wrote: I had a Hewitt cantilever and did not like it. In shallower water it didn't go down enough and did not seem as well made as a shorestation.

I agree that the Shorestation is the best build but it'd also the most expensive.

I disagree with a cantilever not going deep enough. Because it cantelevers out, the cradle usually is in deeper water. Gary, are you sure you didn't have the Hewitt in bacerds??

I've got a Shoremaster. Served me well for 29 years. I'm on my second canopy and I did replace the cable a couple years ago.

I have had 3 Shorestations. Two currently in use. I have the 5000 for the SuperAir, and a 3000 for the Mustang. I have the solar system on the big one, and love it. I also put extensions on the canopy and a full height 3 sided curtain on it.
A friend has a Sunlift solar/hydraulic unit. That is a very nice system, and hoists his boat in like 10 seconds. I do not really care for the canopies on them, but his is under a dock style canopy so does not require the lifts canopy. They are pricey, but super cool.

here is a photo of a '93 on a Hewitt cantilever...not cranked all the way up in this photo...

ShoreStations are super easy to move.

Any Hydraulic lift is going to raise/lower WAY faster then the cable type with or without a motor, also quite a bit more expensive.

This is what i am working with. i just dont know my options.

Hollywood wrote: Well Pete the cradle can't go below the legs, so it doesn't matter that it goes towards deeper water. They are also a PITA to get the boat in the right spot before lifting.

Well Kevin, you're partially correct as it really depends on the manufacturer of the lift. With a Hewitt, their vertical lift will go down lower than their cantilever because the cradle fits between the fore and aft frame cross members. On all other verticals I've seen including Shore Stations, the cradles cross member is directly over the frame cross member so the lowest it will go is the height of both members plus the distance to the bottom of the feet. I'd estimate that to be about 10" to the top of the cradle plus the "V". My cantilever Shoremasters cradle will go down until the rear diagonals hit the frame cross members. both are 2x2 square tubing plus the feet. They actually touch the bottom 2x2 so thats less than 5" to the top of the cradle. The other trick you do with a cantilever is to set the rear slightly lower than the front so as the cradle is lowered, it actually will go deeper in the water than the lift itself.

2 summers ago with our lower lake levels up north, the marinas water crews were spending lots of time moving and even jetting the feet of lifts into the bottom so people could use their lifts. One day that summer, I happened to be over at Watercraft (Shorestation dealer) discussing this. I commented that I didn't have a problem. The service manage commented that's because my lift was a cantilever. Most of the problem were with the verticals.

Pete the water in front of my house is so shallow I'd have to move it out 50'. Since they put in flood gates here in Algonquin they keep it lower than it used to be.I use one now with straps which has the added benefit of doing a stringer stress test-

Brian,
What is the dock indentation for on each side of the slip. Looks like something was being planned. Cradle style lifts don't need a roof but the height of the cable reels determines the height of the lift.

the people i had build it want around 10k for the lift (thats with out having electricity brought to the dock). i was just hoping yall might have some ideas that might be more cost efficient. no roofs are allowed.

We are running power. Just trying to save on the lift after putting this dock in.