Rack for In/Out dry stack storage

[SamF]

Hi,

About to become a new pontoon owner. Marina said I need a rack for them to be able forklift the boat in and out. Bennington also recommended a rack to save the pontoons from potential fork damage.

Problem is that I don't know where to find such a thing. Marina was not much help nor was dealer.

Can anyone tell me where to find such a thing - or even some photos, plans, specs blah blah blah. My internet searches turned up nothing.

Thanks in advance,
Sam

[ronb]

Somebody on here knows.. there's a thread with a picture..
Is in and out storage possible for a pontoon


I also found a listing for a used one.. $950
http://myrtlebeach.ebayclassifieds.com/ ... d=15127580

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Looks like a bunk style pontoon trailer without axles to me...
-ron

[SamF]

Ron thanks.

I did read that thread (I've read back over a year ) I figured someone might have a source here in Florida - I emailed someone on this forum who posted that they have one but no reply as of yet - so I thought I would broaden the request.

Your google powers are apparently much stronger than mine - thanks for the photos.

Hopefully someone will have a source here in Florida.

Sam

[ronb]

What can I say, an opportuntity to search for racks doesn't come up every day

Locally to you I would start calling the companies that sell boat docks or boat trailers, they may have something for you, or know who would be able to get you the right stuff.

Actually that first picture is giving me some bad ideas.. My Dad is a retired truck driver and along the journey, he has acquired 3 forklifts and he has this one large one that he never uses because the brakes are locked up on it..

In these Pictures the counterweight is taken off to make it easier to 'drag' around, I was planning on torching the drum brakes off of this and then adapting on some disc brakes for him to use, but now I have other ideas..




I have been wanting to lift my pontoon off my trailer for maintenance and to rebalance it and was thinking about building some A-frame structures. But if I can get this from Dad, I can use it for moving my pontoon around and loading haybales (round ones for the horses)

-ron

[Bamaman]

One gentleman posted pictures when a marina dented up his toons pretty bad with a forklift. That's what the first picture's about. The marina had to pay for repairs. I can see where they're particular.

RonB's pictures are of a triple first class commercially built rack. That rack looks like it'd weigh 1500 lbs. without the boat. It would probably have $2,000 in galvanized square tubing and probably cost well over $3,000 new.

You would probably have to go to a welding shop to have them fabricate one. Last week, I fabricated a flat 11' x 18' rack (5 crosspieces) to hang in my boathouse out of 4" channel iron for $500 in materials. If you used the commercial V bolster hangers (like in RonB's picture), it would be stable enough to do the job. The marina should have some input to what they'd require.

Warehouse marina storage is expensive enough without having to have a rack fabricated. Do you have less expensive alternatives, such as covered mini-storage just off lake? That would require trailering the boat just a short distance. Or, do they have boathouses that will allow a lift of some kind?

[slingshot]

I'd by a trailer and take the axle and wheels off and bolt on galvanized steel cross members for the forks to lift by. Keep the axle and under gear so you can use it as a trailer again in the future. You could get a trailer for about $1,500 to $2,000.

[SamF]

Thanks for the input guys.

We thought about modifying a trailer but we would need to add cross members, legs, and remove the tongue. Might be worth it if we could find a cheap used one.

Went back to the marina and found someone who could help me - got to see the stand. Had a lovely big Bennington sitting on it.

It is a nice looking aluminum catamaran cradle made by Float On - similar to the one below.

Cats have the same problem as pontoons and need racks for storage. Can't imagine what that thing cost - waiting to hear from Float On.