moveing a boat lift

[Cheers]

I am looking for advise on how to move my boat lift in and out , It is not on wheels, it has pads on the legs. I used to winch it in and out by driving my 4 wheeler out on the dock but I lost my dock in the flood this year and it wont be rebuilt until spring. So for now I have to figure another method . The obvious solution is to get 4 people and lift it but I dont have 4 people available and want to be able to do it myself . The other issue will be when the water cools down in the fall it makes it harder to get wet . I tried floating a boat over top and using a board straddled across the gunnels and a winch on each end with the rope attached to the bottom of the lift frame . It seems like it should work but the plank wanted to roll and tip . Perhaps my approach is flawed, or maybe the way I attached to the lift frame needs to be changed . I know you folks deal with lifts all the time . Any suggestions ?

Thanks

Cheers

[leech~~]

We just use two big float tubs we pull the kids around the lake on under each end. It floats my lift with a canopy frame on it as well. Just put the one on the "wheel side" a little closer to that side.

[Cheers]

I think I am missing something here . You suspend the lift with float tubes ? How do you get the lift to suspend ?

[leechlake]

you push the floats under part of the lift that is near the surface of the water and it will lift it off of the bottom so you can then easily push it to shore or close to shore. At that point you need to drag it on to dry land or lift it on to dry land.

[Tom7227]

I have a device that does the job fairly well on a vertical lift. It is an aluminum tube that is about 3x4 and long enough so that it fits over the ends of the cradle. There is a standard boat trailer winch in the middle and two pulleys, one on either end. The are mounted so that they are on the top of the tube. A rope that is mounted on the winch goes through the pulleys and there are hooks on the end of the ropes. You have to have a piece of chain attached to the bottom frame of the boat lift, one on each end. You raise the lift cradle and put a boat, canoe or float tubes under the cradle. You lower the cradle while you are cranking on the winch. This forces the cradle down and the lift comes up. It takes a bit to get my setup free of the muck but once it does it only has to be raise a bit more to clear the bottom. You can then walk the lift in fairly close to shore and then winch it in from there using a strap and a truck or 4 wheeler.

A friend has a smaller setup that is an inverted T shaped device. It has a boat trailer winch on it. He places it on one end of the lift and attaches the winch cable to the lower frame. This helps pull that end of the lift out of the muck and gives him the room to put on the wheels. Same thing on the other end of the lift and he can wheel it up to shore.

If you are serious about having to do this alone I would recommend that you get four wheels for your lift. If you only have two it seems to get hung up every time you go up onto the land or down into the water.

The final option is to hire it out. I have decided to let someone else freeze their keisters off.

[solbes]

I missed out on my lift guy coming out one spring. I had to move our lift 120 feet down the shore with my wife, Mom, and myself. I ended up floating it with two innertubes. Cranked it all the way up, dropped the tubes underneath, and cranked it down. She floated right up. So I was able to walk it over myself and plop it in the water quite easily. The only hard thing was getting it off the shore and into the water. I still write a check every other time though with no regrets.

[SteveD]

I was curious about the boat lift question. I just hit google YouTube and asked "Moving a boat lift" and there were several interesting ideas. This one looks pretty ingenious:

[JollyJoker]

I move about 4-6 lifts in and out every year by myself using a 2 wheeled dolly. Just put it under the main cross frame on the front or back (depends on if you are going in or out to the lake or shore). I hook the winch line from my 4 wheeler to it and when you pull it first lifts up the lift and then pulls/moves the lift. In the spring I do the same but put a pully on the last dock post to pull it out. If you do it yourself it is nice to have a wireless remote for the 4 wheeler winch.

[timjones]

If you have the money check out Boat Lift Helper. That's what I have on mine. In the spring I connect up the air compressor and inflate the bags and the wife and I walk the lift down the dock to where I want it and then let the air out. In the fall I inflate the bags to lift the lift off the bottom and then we walk it down the dock to shore. Don't even have to get in the water.

[leech~~]

If you have the money check out Boat Lift Helper. That's what I have on mine. In the spring I connect up the air compressor and inflate the bags and the wife and I walk the lift down the dock to where I want it and then let the air out. In the fall I inflate the bags to lift the lift off the bottom and then we walk it down the dock to shore. Don't even have to get in the water.

I love the way that thing works but, like you say if you have the money? They are a bit on the spendy side.

[Cheers]

Boat Lift Helper $1395 OUCH!

[ottertailguy]

This is how I do the lift by my self. I can roll it in and then i have to use a jack to lift it up to take the wheels off. I put duck tape over the holes on the otter wheels and then it will float in or out. In the fall I strap it up to my truck and pull it over the rip rap. Not sure what I paid for everything but probably under $200.

[magicstix]

Some good ideas given here. Never thought about inner tubes.

We used 15 gal. plastic barrels and pushed them down under the bars and rachet straped them to the bars to float lift.