boat lift vs. boat hoist

[NautiqueJeff]

Ok, I heard back from Nautique, and they said that a cradle would be a better option for a G, but that it could be lifted by the rings with no issues.

[RTGibson668]

Great info NautiqueJeff thank you. and will be looking forward to the follow up

[Bevostein]

That is great info. Thanks for taking the time to check

[shag]

Good question, but it hasn't been much of an issue as far as I know. You could always tie the boat off to the boathouse supports if necessary. With the G weighing over 6,000 pounds with gas and gear, it would take a really strong wind to move it much.

Here's another shot of his boathouse.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n474191[/ATTACH]

^^^Holy crap thats a long way down!!!

[shag]

I love the hydraulic lifts.... No cables at all to worry about and a very clean installation...

[NautiqueJeff]

^^^Holy crap thats a long way down!!!

Yep, the water was really low at that time. It is normally not that far down. And the roof is pretty high compared to others.

[vision]

As Jeff indicated, hanging from lifting rings has several advantages and some disadvantages. Wind can be an issue but if you simply cross tie the boat to the pylons or better yet use an automatic cover system, it is not a problem. The 4 wire cradle systems swing less, but it is still not zero.

The main concern with lifting ring hoists is the event of significant water getting in the boat (storm and a leaking cover). Pretty rare likelihood fortunately and no matter whether cradle or lift ring style, excessive weight can lead to lift failure. But the stress on the hull is much greater with a ring system if the boat were to accidentally take on a significant amount of weight (water) during a storm.

[shag]

My cradle that I had a few years back cleared the dock with about 3-4" on either side.... and I had firehose as padding all the way around. If I knew a storm was coming - I would be sure the cradle sides were even with the fascia board and then I knew there would be almost zero movement..

[NautiqueJeff]

Water is at a more normal level now.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[skiinxs]

I like lifting by the rings, very simple, no bunks to scuff the bottom or possibly cause blistering from constant moisture, easy access to the bottom for cleaning. The only real downside I see is that you have to keep weight on the cables to keep them from getting out of place where they wind. I have no problems but once in a while someone will be trying to help and unclip the cable and lift it and the weight up giving it lots of slack. Mine is also a little slow, takes around a minute to lift or lower. A limit switch (which I don't have) would be a nice safety feature, one of these days I am going to get distracted and forget it is going up and forget to stop it. Wind has never been an issue, even before the touchless cover was installed. If money was no object I would go with a Sunstream hydraulic lift. They are very fast and have a remote control allowing operation from the driver's seat. here are a few photos of my cable lift.

[RTGibson668]

very nice clean setup!

[NautiqueJeff]

skiinxs How do you like the Touchless Cover? I love the concept of those, but would like to hear your thoughts on how well they work in the real world.

[skiinxs]

skiinxs How do you like the Touchless Cover? I love the concept of those, but would like to hear your thoughts on how well they work in the real world.

Jeff - I am very pleased with the touchless cover. Zero effort covering and uncovering the boat, and full protection from the elements and sun. No issues with geese or birds on the swim platform. I have had it for three seasons now with zero maintenance issues. I wash down the the cover a couple times a year and give it a coat of 303 at least once a year on the outside. I do get under it a couple times a year with my jon boat and spray for spiders to keep them under control so the boat stays spider-free. There is a mesh vent that runs all the way around the perimeter at the the top which is covered by a flap to keep water out which allows it to breath really well eliminating any potential moisture problems. I am pretty adament about keeping my carpet and the inside of my boat dry, but that would be a real plus if a user puts their boat away with wet carpet. As you can see from the photos, my dock has a really large roof so there is no direct rain on it, but it is really nice to have for blowing rain and dust from storms. It is much tougher than I expected. I had a small tornado and really bad hailstorm this spring that caused over $100,000 damage. (18 windows, roofs on house, dock, shed, doors, and much more). The hail even chipped off pieces of brick. Even though the end of the touchless cover was taking direct hits from the hail being driven by the wind, it didn't have a mark on it and the boat underneath was tucked away cozy, clean, dry, and undamaged, while the hail totaled my car sitting in the driveway!
Dave

[NautiqueJeff]

Wow, sounds like it works very well. I'll certainly be buying one of those in the future. Thanks for the review.

[4th ski-doo]