Boat Lift Install

[Pulleye16]

Yep, I get to bother you folks with more cabin questions...

First time "owning" a boat lift. All set up and ready for the water! My question is pretty simple...what depth? LOL  It's a Newmans cantilever lift. It's not rocket science as I'm sure I'll figure it own with trial and error but If anyone has any helpful hints, please send away. Obviously, it needs to be deep enough to allow the boat to float when down. 

I have center wheels on it now but thinking of adding Smarte jacks to simplify the installing process but don't know anyone that owns them for real life experience. 

By the way, I wish I could have recorded the wife and I placing a massive boat lift w/canopy on a snowmobile trailer! Somehow me did it with no cussing! However, the 4 mile drive back to the cabin was pretty white knuckles...can those power lines be any lower???

[mike89]

yes they can be interesting when moving them!!!  I had wheels on the 4 corners but that way should work too..   I put mine out as far as I could and keep the boat out of the water...  remember you can adjust the pads on the lift too...  if you don't have a steering wheel spinner knob on it get one...   

[Gunner55]

We've got a Hewitt cantilever lift that has 1999 stamped on the gearbox. I've found that as long as the middle cross brace in the front of carriage when it's all the way up is in about 1" of water our boat will be fine. But to start the season, as the water level usually goes down, I usually like to start with that middle 3 1/2" cross member 2-3" under the water. That way I don't have to move it deeper right away. Ours didn't come with wheels but has a place on the frame where spindles will fit so we made our own. Our lift sits on the wheels all the time. I use our boat so often that I usually just crank it up far enough to get the boat out of the water unless we're leaving for a period of time, then it comes all the way up. A lot of skiers & bad weather will get me to bring it a little farther up too.

[LPS]

Fun subject.  Noone has boat lifts on the river since if fluctuates so much.  Bummer.  I would have one if I could. 

[Gunner55]

I should also mention that we bought a bigger lift than we needed originally, just in case we ever decided we wanted a bigger boat. Dad's 16 1/2' side console Alumacraft was the 1st boat we used the lift for. The lift we bought was a 2400# lift that would handle a Lund Tyee though, if we ever went bigger. We have a 17' 3 " Crestliner Fish Hawk that sets on it now.

[mike89]

I should also mention that we bought a bigger lift than we needed originally, just in case we ever decided we wanted a bigger boat. Dad's 16 1/2' side console Alumacraft was the 1st boat we used the lift for. The lift we bought was a 2400# lift that would handle a Lund Tyee though, if we ever went bigger. We have a 17' 3 " Crestliner Fish Hawk that sets on it now.

as did I too

[Cooperman]

I have the smart jacks. I really like them, just put a 9/16” socket on a ratchet or variable speed drill the move pretty good. My smart jacks were in the middle. FYI, (Smart jacks) every year drip some oil down the shaft so it gets on the gear. I had one seize up, and had to be completely torn apart.

[Gunner55]

Got tired of cranking it up & down early last year too, so we put 1 of these on it.  https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Max-3012-4509-Generation-Direct/dp/B0CXBT44CZ/ref=sr_1_3?adgrpid=1345802803229 Got it on Ebay though.

[Bobberineyes]

Ours sits in 3-4 feet of water. It's a Hewitt with adjustable legs but they've been in the same position since new. Usually during late summer we'll move it out about 5 feet with the low water but it slides pretty easy.  We have wheels to put it in or out but we take them off with a "T" jack I call it. Crank up one side and slide the wheels off. If your running power to the dock I highly recommend an electric motor. You can use a gear drivin motor like gunner has or you can run a wheel drivin motor. They both work great and neither are cheap, but the only draw back to removing the wheel for a gear one is if you lose power you have no wheel to manually crank it up is what I see.

[Bobberineyes]

Another thing learn from my mistakes. I'm sure your putting a canopy on it, they come with different tie downs ( velcro or strings) but we took the boat to town, while the boat was off a storm came thru and chucked the lift down the shore, the canopy grabs some wind with no weight on it.

[glenn57]

Another thing learn from my mistakes. I'm sure your putting a canopy on it, they come with different tie downs ( velcro or strings) but we took the boat to town, while the boat was off a storm came thru and chucked the lift down the shore, the canopy grabs some wind with no weight on it.

how many  sheepshead did it kill.

[Bobberineyes]

Another thing learn from my mistakes. I'm sure your putting a canopy on it, they come with different tie downs ( velcro or strings) but we took the boat to town, while the boat was off a storm came thru and chucked the lift down the shore, the canopy grabs some wind with no weight on it.

how many  sheepshead did it kill.

Why did I know you would come around..

[glenn57]

 

[mike89]

Another thing learn from my mistakes. I'm sure your putting a canopy on it, they come with different tie downs ( velcro or strings) but we took the boat to town, while the boat was off a storm came thru and chucked the lift down the shore, the canopy grabs some wind with no weight on it.

seen that happen with the boat too!!!  ugly!!!

[Gunner55]

Our power is never out for more than 30 seconds as that's about when our LP generator automatically kicks in. Yeah, we learned the empty lift lesson the hard way too, Bobber. Got part of our dock as well, good thing we made sure it was all insured.