It's boat lift time!

[thunder550]

Hey gang, long time no talk! Hope everyone is doing well

Got some good news this week, a slip opened up at our marina! So as of next weekend, our 252 will have a new home on the water at Lake Pleasant.

I want to get a lift slip as soon as reasonably possible. Looks like everyone at this marina uses the inflatable kind, and we have plenty of depth to work with. Seems like Hydrohoist is the main choice out there, not sure why exactly, but most slips with lifts seem to have them.

I'm trying to figure out what capacity I should look at. Boat dry weight is 4000 lbs per the catalog, and I weighed it on the trailer at 6460 lbs with gear and probably 1/2 tank of fuel. Is 6000 lbs sufficient? Should I look for a little more?

What have you guys paid for new vs used? The marina guy I talked to threw out a ballpark of $10k for a new one, and $1500-$3000 for used. Said he comes across a used one probably 3 or 4 times a year. I've started scanning craigslist, offerup, FB marketplace, etc but not sure what to look for yet.

What do you all recommend? Anyone been burned by a used purchase?

[Big Block Power]

Welcome back. If I was you I would buy used and put new parts on it so it cost more than a new one. Can we say new trailer. Na too early.
Buy used and get it floating for us in January. Can't wait to see it in person with Matt.

[thunder550]

That's always my plan, how can I do this in the most expensive way possible. It usually works out that way too, so I'd say it's pretty successful

[Big Block Power]

The good thing is you can buy it and overhaul it in less then 30 minutes. Congrats again. I know you've been waiting for this for some time. Add extra insurance for those freak stores there.

[Bfun220]

The good thing is you can buy it and overhaul it in less then 30 minutes. Congrats again. I know you've been waiting for this for some time. Add extra insurance for those freak stores there.

Please keep any freak store stories to yourselves.

[Big Block Power]

The good thing is you can buy it and overhaul it in less then 30 minutes. Congrats again. I know you've been waiting for this for some time. Add extra insurance for those freak stores there.

Please keep any freak store stories to yourselves.

Yep. Storms darn it. And don't tell me you didn't know what it meant to say

[AsLan7]

Wow, great to hear from ya T55500000. Sounds like a perfect set up. Surprised you’re not designing and fabricating it yourself with your skills. I’m sure you’d have it complete in less than 3-4 hours.

Looking forward to your documenting this process.

.

[tgrace98]

I’ve got a boat floater 6600# lift for my r7. Same lift I used for my 262. I paid 6500 for it brand new installed.

Same thing as a hydrohoist. Poly floats, 4 point lift, and 10 year warranty on all the parts. See if you can get one of those in your area. I loce mine

[jma2@fuse.net]

You should get a boat lift 1.5 times the weight, so in your case, I would not recommend a 6000# lift. Also, get a 4-point lift, as opposed to a hinged lift. The 4-point the lift totally submerges so you can drive your boat over the lift, which makes loading it on the lift much easier. Also, if necessary it enables you to back the boat into the slip. I don't like hinged because the lift doesn't totally submerge--rather it's attached to the dock and hinges down when the air is let out. In my experience, when you load your boat on a hinged lift you're contacting the rack with your hull. Sometimes you have to give it gas to get it centered over the lift and run it up on the racks, thus contacting your gelcoat with whatever material (and dirt) the rack is made of. Yikes!

[tgrace98]

You should get a boat lift 1.5 times the weight, so in your case, I would not recommend a 6000# lift. Also, get a 4-point lift, as opposed to a hinged lift. The 4-point the lift totally submerges so you can drive your boat over the lift, which makes loading it on the lift much easier. Also, if necessary it enables you to back the boat into the slip. I don't like hinged because the lift doesn't totally submerge--rather it's attached to the dock and hinges down when the air is let out. In my experience, when you load your boat on a hinged lift you're contacting the rack with your hull. Sometimes you have to give it gas to get it centered over the lift and run it up on the racks, thus contacting your gelcoat with whatever material (and dirt) the rack is made of. Yikes!

Some lakes that is not an option. I’m on a coe lake and have to hinge my lift to the dock. But it’s still hinges to the side of the dock which makes raising and lowering easy. Because the lake can go up or down 20ft in a season. Plus they move the position of the dock as the water fluctuates.

6600lbs is more than enough for a 252. Anything more than that is over kill. There are probably 10-12 r5’s and 7’s on my dock and we all run the same lift with no issues. Unless you want to plan for the day you have a 2 motor boat. If that were to ever happen.

[Driller]

Use the 6600# hydrolift for my 242. No problems.

[okielaker]

Found a 10,000# hydrohoist (old, fiberglass floats) for a reasonable price. Have to replace
a couple of straps, and get it moved. It's already rigged for back-in (longer swing arms).
Hoping to have it installed this week. Used can save you some money... I hope....
10,000# should be over-kill for my 5250# dry-weight 272.

[Driller]

Found a 10,000# hydrohoist (old, fiberglass floats) for a reasonable price. Have to replace
a couple of straps, and get it moved. It's already rigged for back-in (longer swing arms).
Hoping to have it installed this week. Used can save you some money... I hope....
10,000# should be over-kill for my 5250# dry-weight 272.

Think about replacing the hoses when you get time. Will cost a little money, but better than finding your boat in the drink. My neighbor at our dock bought a used lift and struggled with it as it was an older lift. Constant leaks where the hoses attached to the tanks, Mine was used also, and I've never had any problems, but seeing how yours has the fiberglass tanks it is likely more than just a few years old. Cheap insurance for a couple hundred dollars.

[thunder550]

Thanks all, sounds like 6600# is the ticket. I've been searching a bit for used, haven't seen much close by. Sent in a quote request for a new one on Sunday and haven't heard back yet. Anyway, move-in day is Saturday, will get some pics! Can't wait to be done with trailering, I think this is going to totally change the way we use the boat. Things like heading up for an hour or two in the morning then going home...doesn't make sense now, but with a slip would be easy.

Oh, and I think I found that slow leak that's been bugging me since last year. We were out at the lake last weekend in a shallow spot, so I had the drive in the trailer position. Leak picked up quite a bit to the point where the auto bilge was kicking in about every 15-20 mins. Made me think it had to be in the bellows somewhere. Took a close look at home and found a small hole in the shift cable bellows, right at the base of one of the valleys. It was situated in a way where it was pinched closed with the drive down and turned to the right, opened more with drive turned left, and stretched full open with the drive trailered. Makes sense now why it seemed to leak more when we were running more and less when we sat and floated, more driving = more turning = more time with the hole stretched open (that's what she said).

It's at the shop getting that and the u-joint bellows replaced. Dry bilge will make me more confident leaving her floating while I find the right lift

[thunder550]

Wow, great to hear from ya T55500000. Sounds like a perfect set up. Surprised you’re not designing and fabricating it yourself with your skills. I’m sure you’d have it complete in less than 3-4 hours.

Looking forward to your documenting this process.

.

Good to be back, amazing how time gets away sometimes. Miss you all!