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I have a FloatAir boat lift with 2"x2" steel guid posts covered in 3.5" PVC guide poles. With a new R5 on the way, I want something a little softer than PVC to rub up against my boat. Most trailer guide poles appear to be too small interior wise to fit a 2"x2" post. Any suggestions on where to find a post with a 3" ID or something that fits a 2x2 post. I need 36" and 72" lengths.

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What about foam noodle or foam/rubber pipe insulators? I use those things for multiple purposes.

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AsLan7 wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:47 am .
What about foam noodle or foam/rubber pipe insulators? I use those things for multiple purposes.

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Thanks, That might work if I can find something 3.5" ID. 3" is as big as I'm finding. If it is too buoyant, though, it my float the guides off the post when the lift is down as they are only gravity fit.

Honestly your ss rub rail should hit it anyways. If pvc hurts the stainless you have bigger problems.

I played bumper boats with these hard plastic protectors and they worked great.

I guess I wouldn't worry too much about pvc.

Big Block Power wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 10:24 am Honestly your ss rub rail should hit it anyways. If pvc hurts the stainless you have bigger problems.

I played bumper boats with these hard plastic protectors and they worked great.

I guess I wouldn't worry too much about pvc.

My forward guides are fixed at ~40" high which should be ok. The lift is a lever type so the rear guides are 8' when the lift is up and less than 36" when the lift is down. It is the rear guides that concern me. And if you ever wondered what a beaver can do to a boat lift, here is a sample:

That's a $1200 snack, right there.

Ouch. Darn animals.
I get you now. They are pretty low when the lift is down. I would think larger noodles would work?

Big Block Power wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:52 pm Ouch. Darn animals.
I get you now. They are pretty low when the lift is down. I would think larger noodles would work?

If I can't find a way to wrap them, then I will put longer PVC on them.

scottsyott wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:02 pm

Big Block Power wrote: Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:52 pm Ouch. Darn animals.
I get you now. They are pretty low when the lift is down. I would think larger noodles would work?

If I can't find a way to wrap them, then I will put longer PVC on them.

60" covers on ebay.

Looks like that's a front mount lift. If so, I'm at a loss as to why you need the guide poles. Doesn't the front of the lift "catch" the bow and automatically center the hull on the lift as it comes up? The SS rub rail would make contact with the post bumpers with any sideways movement as you pull into the slip.

OH! I can't imagine the face full WHOOSH of air that beaver got when he punched through the tank!!!

I guess in practice, those guides are more about covering up the 2x2 steel posts that they rest on instead of keeping me centered. Yes, the bunks, assuming no cross current caused by boat traffic or wind, would center the boat up nicely, but on my part of the lake, a wake boat can put you in the railing pretty easily. Honestly, and in retrospect, I would put in a HydroHoist lift if I were to ever buy another.

Holy Smokes wrote: Sun Oct 18, 2020 12:39 pm OH! I can't imagine the face full WHOOSH of air that beaver got when he punched through the tank!!!

There was also a forehead full of .22 caliber WHOOSH when I caught him swimming across the cove headed toward my dock.

Search for boat trailer guide pole covers on Amazon. That’s where I got my covers for the guide pole covers for my trailer. They have them in all lengths. They fit perfectly on schedule 40 pvc, you can put a zip tie on the bottom of them if you are worried about them floating off.

scottsyott wrote: Sun Oct 18, 2020 3:33 pm I guess in practice, those guides are more about covering up the 2x2 steel posts that they rest on instead of keeping me centered. Yes, the bunks, assuming no cross current caused by boat traffic or wind, would center the boat up nicely, but on my part of the lake, a wake boat can put you in the railing pretty easily. Honestly, and in retrospect, I would put in a HydroHoist lift if I were to ever buy another.

I placed ropes with loops or snaps to connect to the front cleats and rear tie-downs,
measured to hold the boat correctly over the bunks.
The front ropes have an elastic component so they can stretch and move a small amount.
Haven't had any problems, since. The lift is an older (fiberglass floats) Hydro-Hoist.

okielaker wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 2:10 pm I placed ropes with loops or snaps to connect to the front cleats and rear tie-downs,
measured to hold the boat correctly over the bunks.
The front ropes have an elastic component so they can stretch and move a small amount.
Haven't had any problems, since. The lift is an older (fiberglass floats) Hydro-Hoist.

What concerns me most is when I am docking, it isn't difficult usually to center up on the bunks, but I am parallel to wave action caused by other craft on the main water. That can, and does occasionally, push me sideways into the guide poles. I don't **think** it will be an issue, but my new boat is three times the price of my old ones, so there is some pucker factor there.

scottsyott wrote: Fri Oct 23, 2020 10:02 am

okielaker wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 2:10 pm I placed ropes with loops or snaps to connect to the front cleats and rear tie-downs,
measured to hold the boat correctly over the bunks.
The front ropes have an elastic component so they can stretch and move a small amount.
Haven't had any problems, since. The lift is an older (fiberglass floats) Hydro-Hoist.

What concerns me most is when I am docking, it isn't difficult usually to center up on the bunks, but I am parallel to wave action caused by other craft on the main water. That can, and does occasionally, push me sideways into the guide poles. I don't **think** it will be an issue, but my new boat is three times the price of my old ones, so there is some pucker factor there.

Ah, ok... I'm behind a decent breakwater, so waves from other boats is rarely a problem.
Wind, on the other hand, gives me fits, sometimes. Getting better with practice, as YT
said would happen.