Docks and Lifts

RainDog wrote: Congrats on the lake house. My folks had a place on a channel between Catfish and Cranberry lakes for a few years. Fantastic boating. I hope you get up there frequently.

Steve, we looked at a house there too, near the bridge there (I think). I like that pump idea. I have to survey the shore once things thaw out to see what we're workin' with. This has become a dream come true for our family. We've been going up north my entire life, renting or staying at friends' houses.

Quick update on this- I'm going with a hybrid approach- home-built wooden pier sections with specialized store-bought hardware to link them together and support them. Each section will "hook in" to the adjacent section and have 2 adjustable legs with set-screw pads/feet. Should be extremely simple to set up and take down. All of the hardware for 3 lengthwise and 2 sideways (like a big "L") sections comes out to around 500.00 not including the Sch40 galvanized pipe which I still have to buy for the legs. Hoping to knock the deck building out next week before we head up there.

8122pbrainard wrote: Joel, Take your waders or at least hip boots with you! The water's still on the cool side.

I put the docks in at the club here in IL and froze my ass off! I can't imagine how cold the water is up there.

It should, by all accounts, be sandy. Should.

Fabricated and installed the dock over the weekend. Not the whole thing- just the 40' run straight out. I have an 8' kicker that I was going to run parallel to the last section to make a platform area at the end of the dock. However, I think I might sneak another 10' section in to get a little more depth first. At 40', I have about 3' exactly of water at the end of the dock. Is that enough for a lift? I can get another 1 foot of depth if I go out to 50'

I got the dock hardware from DH Docks (Link). The dock hardware was amazing. Even came with all the carriage bolts, washers, and nuts for each bracket.

This was the first time I saw our shoreline without ice- it was AWESOME! All sand bottom! Can't wait to get the boat up here.

Lookin good Joel! Keep in mind that the water is low up north this year but it also looks like you've left youself plenty of adjustment on the legs. Any luck on a lift yet?

Good luck on the lift. That sure would be handy in that you wouldn't need to deal with transporting it very far. Sitting on the top of a aluminum fishing boat works great.

You'll be very glad you found the place on Bass lake and not on the Eagle chain. It gets pretty bad over there. Not as bad as the Fox chain but at times close!!!

You're going to pay every bit of that and more if you're buying new M3Fan. Good lifts, such as RGC, are expensive, and so is the canopy.

ultrarunner wrote: You're going to pay every bit of that and more if you're buying new M3Fan. Good lifts, such as RGC, are expensive, and so is the canopy.

Used. Used for sure.

At 4K I could by an entire beater Ski Nautique and float it all year.

Joel,
On your way north, stop at Sportsmans just south of Three Lakes. They are a Hewitt dealer. See what they have to say. Also, they may have a used lift.

Quinner, a brand new RGC 3500 lb unit, with canopy, will run better than 6500 bucks.

Shorestation and Craftlander can be bought for about half that. I hadn't heard of Lakeside lift before. But I'm in the market for a new lift as well. I'll give them a call. Thanks for that tip Tim.

M3Fan wrote: Guys, what can I expect to pay for a used lift with a canopy? Most of the ones I've seen are in the 4K range. I thought I had a pretty solid budget at 2.5K. For 4K, I could get a very nice trailer or do very nice things to my house. I can't imagine spending that kind of bread on a boat lift. Am I completely in fantasy land at 2.5K?

Around here (NW IL) you are not in fantasy land at 2.5k, as that would get you a very nice lift. I paid $1000 for my 3000lb Hewitt cantilever lift with canopy many years ago, and I found a 3600lb vertical Shorestation lift with canopy and electric winch for $1100 which my dad bought for his boat. In addition, I found a 1500lb ShoreMaster for my dad's flat bottom boat last year for $400. My suggestion is to "patrol" the areas where you ski/boat and look for lifts that aren't in the water. Track the owner down and see if he/she wants to sell it. That's how I found mine and the the flat bottom lift for my dad.

I'm currently awaiting an answer on a 4000lb vertical lift (ShoreMaster) that hasn't been in the water for the last two years. I believe the owner is going to want to sell it, but he hasn't made a final choice yet. I'll let you know if he wants to sell as I don't need another lift.   

If you haven't found anything yet, another spot to check is Waterworks Specialists. I didn't see anything used that fits your needs on the site right now but if you let them know what you are looking for, they are good about keeping you posted when something turns up. One of my lifts came from them and and several friends have also had great service from them.Watercraft Sales in Three Lakes also has used lifts available and would be worth checking with as well.

Mark,
Here's the hard hat and shovel for sale thread. Ryan posted it (and got tons of heat for it ) but it's felt Kurt had something to do with it!!!

Congrats Joel! Be sure to buy some rubber snakes or some type of scare tactic for those pesky birds who try and make your new lift their home!