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I recently bought a lake house and the previous owner had a hydrohoist lift set up for a 276. I have a 246. Should I get the lift reconfigured or do you guys think it will be ok? I am very new to boats, etc...

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Hey CT. Welcome to the Cobaltchat forum. So glad you found us!

Pics will help with that question. Hulls vary in shape. Are the lift supports adjustable?

The good news is you’re going from a larger hull to a smaller hull so nothing will be hanging over which could result in a hooked hull near the transom.

Again welcome aboard mate!

thanks! glad to be here.. an extreme newbie!

what do you mean by hanging over? current i have about 2-3 feet in the back where the support beams stop. Is this not normal? this includes the swim platform.I guess my biggest concern was the lines in the hull (not sure what their called; they run the length of the hull). If i dont get the boat perfectly on the lift and the boat is resting on those, is it a cause for concern?

Try to get pics tomorrow.

coreytime wrote: Sun Jun 14, 2020 10:49 pm thanks! glad to be here.. an extreme newbie!

what do you mean by hanging over? current i have about 2-3 feet in the back where the support beams stop. Is this not normal? this includes the swim platform.I guess my biggest concern was the lines in the hull (not sure what their called; they run the length of the hull). If i dont get the boat perfectly on the lift and the boat is resting on those, is it a cause for concern?

Try to get pics tomorrow.

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The lines you are talking about are called chines. They vary on every hull. This is why I asked if your lift bunks are adjustable. You’ll want to support them correctly

Fiberglass is a porous material that can reshape over time. You’ll want the entire hull underside supported by the bunks. The heaviest part of your boat is the stern where the engine and outdrive sit. If the portion of that hull where your outdrive is attached hangs over it can develop a hook over time. This is true for trailer bunks too. Bottom line, make sure the hull is supported to the point on the transom where the outdrive is attached.


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Let me know what you think! Thanks so much.

Yes you for sure need to get the lift adjusted. Call around local lift dealers and see if you can get someone out to adjust it to fit your boat.

tgrace98 wrote: Mon Jun 15, 2020 9:34 am Yes you for sure need to get the lift adjusted. Call around local lift dealers and see if you can get someone out to adjust it to fit your boat.

Thanks. Do you think it will be ok for the time being until someone comes out? We live about an hour away and probably won't be back for a week or two. Not to mention, I've heard it is a pain to get anyone out right now as these lift guys are swamped.

I have owned and installed Hydrohoist lifts. They are very adjustable to whatever width and height you need. If you go to the Hydrohoist website, the installation manual can be downloaded. It is pretty simple but as mentioned the local dealer or marina will adjust it for you for a small charge.

I think you should check the following.

1. the boat should be supported from within a few inches of the transom (not the swim deck). That is the heaviest part of the boat. Move the bunks as needed.
2. Set the bunk width to support the boat on the inside or outside of the chines. I would use the chine nearest the hull centerline and set the bunks outside the chines. In the pictures it looks like you may need to set the bunks a little wider so the chine is not sitting on the bunk. Adjust the bunk angle to match the hull.
3. Be sure the height of the supports for the bunks is adjusted so the hull has at least 2" clearance to the lift frame which is heavy steel.

The vertical supports for the bunks can be moved in/out and up/down and the bunks can be positioned lengthwise in the lift to get to the transom area. The bunks can also be set at the hull angle so they support the hull over a larger area.

Hope this is helpful.

+1 on the above posts. Nothing will explode overnight with the way it's sitting but the sooner you can address this the better.
(btw rotated the pics for ya'. The site likes pics uploaded in landscape mode or if you screenshot them first and then upload. Portrait mode is hit or miss if it will need rotated or not.)

^^^^^^^ I'll second what these guys have said. Definitely get someone out to make the adjustments, the sooner the better.. It won't hurt anything for the short term, but in the long run you want the hull fully supported all the way to the transom and not hitting on the edge of a chine.


WAIT! I just re-looked at the pics. THE KEEL IS NOT RESTING ON THE STEEL CROSSBEAM IS IT? IF SO, GET THAT FIXED IMMEDIATELY. Could be easily done, by sliding the bunks in a notch.

I dont think so. But I can see why you are saying that. I'm not 100% sure. How serious is this? I'm an hour away.....it is a shallow lift..

For me, it's serious enough that I'd have someone local go check right away. Then if it's indeed fiberglass on steel, I'd be driving to the boat.

Holy Smokes wrote: Mon Jun 15, 2020 10:43 am For me, it's serious enough that I'd have someone local go check right away. Then if it's indeed fiberglass on steel, I'd be driving to the boat.

+1 that is why I mentioned to call around. Chances are they can go take care of it without you even being there. They can just drop the boat in the water and pull it back on with some dock lines

Ok.... we are going down to get boat off the lift and will leave it in the water. The quickest I can get Someone out is Thursday. How much damage will I do by leaving it in the water that long?

It will be fine sitting in the water til then. No worries.