Rented a Slip and Bought a Lift

[bradm]

Well, we decided to do it and rented a slip at a Marina close to our place on lake, and ordered a lift. Only have a courtesy dock, no dedicated slip at condos, and think will use the boat a lot more with in on lift and ready to go. On top of that, the lift is being set up where we can keep boat and Sea Doo on it, so get both in covered slip and out of water.

Have had lift with cuddy cabin boat, and buddy had go fast on lift in past, but no experience with pontoons on lifts. Should have lift in couple weeks. Reputable dealer installing and setting up for us. Will be floating lift, with bunks for all three logs plus bunks along side for jet ski. Going in a 16 wide slip.

Any suggestions or experiences folks have had in past would be appreciated. Pictures to come when installed and boat on it.

Thanks in advance!

Brad

[Bamaman]

Congratulations on the new lift. You'll be able to use your boat so much more, and you're protecting your investment in the boat.

[STEVEBRENDA]

I assume you are putting in two lifts? How long is the slip? Can you put the wave runner in front or behind the pontoon?
Do you need a rough water kit?

As I am handicapped, we offset the lift so there is only about a 10"-12" step onto the boat.
A dock box is nice, but hey can be expensive, especially if you are renting.

Leave you lift box unlocked. Anyone can let a lift down just by cuttint the hose., so why bother. On the flip side, if you boat lift looks a little low, some one may be nice and add a little air for you.

[bradm]

I assume you are putting in two lifts? How long is the slip? Can you put the wave runner in front or behind the pontoon?
Do you need a rough water kit?

As I am handicapped, we offset the lift so there is only about a 10"-12" step onto the boat.
A dock box is nice, but hey can be expensive, especially if you are renting.

Leave you lift box unlocked. Anyone can let a lift down just by cuttint the hose., so why bother. On the flip side, if you boat lift looks a little low, some one may be nice and add a little air for you.

Buying one lift, extra wide arms, with SeaDoo set a bit higher than the pontoon. Will have boat very close to port side to access entry door, and to put on cover from dock. Will walk on lift for other side. Slip 16 wide, longer than we really need, at 38 feet - will be very well protected

Good idea on leaving box unlocked. This is a pretty nice marina, don't expect to have problems. Will ask kids for dock box for Christmas - want one store cover in when we go out.

[OK Toon]

Wow, a 16' wide slip -- that would be nice. I get severe "pucker power" every time I pull into our 10' wide slip. I just look down the starboard side -- if I see I have about 4" clearance, I know the port side is good to go. But it still makes me very nervous and we pull in real slow.

[Bryden24shp]

Yes, that would be nice... Mine is 10" wide also. I love the dock box, I keep bumpers, tools, shop vac fishing poles and tackle. And my wash pump is mounted inside of it for washing the boat or cleaning fish in my sink I have mounted on the end of my finger.
At 38" long, you are really protected! Sounds very nice!
Pics, Pics, pics!

[bradm]

Not exactly sure when the lift will get installed - hopefully before Labor Day Weekend, but will get photos when it is put in.

My first slip was a 10 foot wide slip with a fiberglass cuddy, so I know what you mean seeming small.

This slip is really bigger than we wanted (which is political speak for it costs more) but was only thing available in the Marina without a multi year wait. Friend has been on list for 7 years for a 26 or 30 foot slip........

[TSip85]

wow!! 38x16 is an awesome slip. You've got room to build it out a little....maybe add a little deck or something. There are some great built out slips at our marina...makes me wish I'd have rented one much bigger than I "need." Maybe next year

Get a dock box for sure. I have one that stands vertically, like a closet, and I'm thinking about adding another. I keep a power washer in there along w/ my boat cover and a 15 gallon gas tank. Be ready for spiders...they love to hang out at the marina, I'm learning. I've read some great tips on here of how to "prevent" them and I may try a few, but I think yesterday I may have hired a "boat butler." There's a guy who lives on a 26' Carver a couple of slips down and he has a crew that takes care of a bunch of the boats in our marina. Said he's wash it weekly, keep the bugs out, and polish the toons every couple of months.

[bradm]

Got the lift installed and the boat on it. Still have some adjustments to make, a few mods to make to get it the way I want it. Adding some chains that limit how far will go down to make putting boat on easier, and some walk boards. The photo is from a phone, not sure how will show up.

[bradm]

Sorry - Try this one....

[Bamaman]

That's a very nice lift, and I see how high the boat is out of the water. And the covered slip is really great.

I promise you that you'll get much more use out of your boat. With the weather turning cooler this weekend, we have some beautiful weather in the upcoming week. Hopefully we'll see another 8 weeks of good boating weather.

Kentucky Lake is such a monster of a lake. I cannot imagine anyone has ever seen every foot of it @ over 180 miles long and an incredible shoreline.

[TN3Toon]

Damn, you're really making me want to rent a slip! Got me thinking... Those PWC bunks would be pretty awesome to build a small platform on to have a nice little loading ramp for your port side door.

[Bamaman]

I needed a lift for my new Waverunner. Aluminum hand crank lifts mounted on the side of docks are $1,100, with electric lifts costing $2,000. My davit boom on the pier just won't handle a 900 lb. PWC.

I cut the 3' walkway on the side of my boathouse and moved it out 7'. Put an slanted metal roof over the slip and a 3/4 hp 2800 lb. Ace lift that'd been in storage 25 years. I spent $450 total, and it works great.

[bradm]

Kentucky Lake is such a monster of a lake. I cannot imagine anyone has ever seen every foot of it @ over 180 miles long and an incredible shoreline.

Which of the Tennessee River Lakes do you boat on? Some friends in the past have boated all the way from Kentucky Lake to Chattanooga in years past on cruisers or houseboats. I'd love to make that trip sometime.

I am pretty familiar with the northern 10 miles or so of the lake from the past, but do most of our boating now on Barkley, which is pretty darn big in its own right. Have covered the entire length of Kentucky Lake to Pickwick on a trip or two, and been to the Kentucky/Tennessee line probably a half dozen times.

We are hoping to make a trip up Barkley and the Cumberland to Nashville next summer.

All I can say is we are really fortunate to have such a lake system so close!

[Bamaman]

I'm on Wilson Lake @ Muscle Shoals. We intended to tow our year old boat to Chattanooga and take 2 days coming back 200 miles home--spending the night in Guntersville. Never had time this Summer to do it, however.

We did put the boat on the trailer and moved it down to Pickwick. We ran the whole length of Pickwick--125 mile day total. I couldn't get over the incredible Pickwick houses that have been built in recent years. This was the first long trip we've made, and I've now got a good idea to the boat's range, etc. The skies were blue, the temperature was perfect and the water was like glass.

We often see Great Loopers come through here taking side trips up the Tennessee River. They say we're the premier cruising river in the U.S., as there are so many dams and traveling long distance is very safe. We'll probably see as far as Knoxville eventually--cruising segments of the river.