width of boat lifts

[fivebucks]

Still thinking of getting a boat lift. The beam of my boat is 86". How much clearance do you have on your lifts or better yet what do you reccomend? A friend might be upgrading his but it is 90" across and to me that seems a little tight. What are your opinions?

[Wavey Davey]

My lift is quite a bit wider than my boat.
I installed guide-ons like you would on a trailer and works great. You want a tight fit when driving on in windy conditions.
So, in my opinion the 4" of clearance you would have (2" on each side) should be OK.
I would put some type of bumper or padding on the posts. Lifts are spendy $$$, so if you can get a deal on one go for it.

[fivebucks]

Thanks Wavey Davey. I appreciate the input. Any other opinions?

[Wavey Davey]

fivebucks,

Looks like you're not getting many replies.
The guide-ons on my lift allow approx. 2" - 4" total clearance, I have 2 sets, both front and back. This positions the boat perfectly from side to side on the bunks.
I also have a motor stop bumper on the back,
drive on and when the motor hits the stop bumper it's correctly positioned forward.

As mentioned before, works great, just power the boat on in any conditions and it positions itself on the lift. If you bought a wider lift you'd end up doing something like this anyway. The reason I suggest bumpers or pads on the posts is to protect your boat with the tight fit if you hit one driving on. The guide-ons I have are the flexable PVC type, so I don't need any.

I'd say the 4" clearance you would have is ideal.

Another thought, if your friend has the lift you're considering in the water, why not try putting your boat on it?

[This message has been edited by Wavey Davey (edited 05-21-2004).]

[fivebucks]

Thanks Wavey,
That's a great idea about trying it out. I should be able to do that. I appreciate the input.

[MT Net]

We get the west wind, about 2 miles of open water winds to contend with. The boat bumpers worked fine. I had 2 mounted, front and back, each side. I ended up bolting a 2x8 about 10 feet long front to back on each side. Glued marine carpet to the inside. The boat just bumps along and corrects itself no matter the wind or waves. Motor stop is the way to go.