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RockLakeMoomba
06-01-2007, 08:07 PM
First time posting, just picked up a brand new 07 Outback today. Love the boat. Will post some pictures soon. I bought a used Hewitt cantilever lift from my dealer, who said the lift would work. Dropped the boat in the water today, and the bunks in the back are definitely not high enough for the prop to clear. I probably need to double the height that the bunks are currently sitting at in the back. Currently, they are at their highest setting. Any of you guys run into an issue like this before? Can I buy larger extension poles than what I currently have for the bunks or just screw in some additional height by using some wood in between the carpeted bunks and the poles that attach to the lift. Thanks in advance.

deerfield
06-01-2007, 10:51 PM
RockLake - Congratulations on the 07 Outback. Looking forward to seeing pictures. Sorry I can't help you on the lift question. Hope it gets worked out okay. - Deerfield (Blk/Rd 07 Outback)

freyse
06-04-2007, 01:37 PM
I had a cantilever lift but had to cut some aluminum 2X4 pieces to get the bunks high enough for the drive shaft not to hit .I found that the boat sat to high out of the water and made the lift a little unstable.Decided not to risk boat falling off ,bought a new Shore Station veritcle lift works great and give piece of mind that boat fits and works awseome.

RockLakeMoomba
06-04-2007, 02:06 PM
That's what I'm afraid of having to do. I've contacted some local Hewitt lift dealers to see if there is a standard part that will raise up the bunks safely or not. Either, way I'm definitely upset with my dealer who sold me the lift knowing that I was buying an Outback and telling me that the lift would work fine as is. Thanks for the info.

Sled491
06-05-2007, 06:38 PM
I bought a new outback this year as well congrats, mine is awsum. Heres the deal with your lift. I had a cantaliver lift but it didn't hold enough weight so I bought my buddies cantilever lift (Trition). He has an 06 outback. He bought the bunk extnesions and it works great. My old lift was a Hewitt, and I talked to the guys frow Hewitt at the boat show about using it for my new boat. They had all the parts including the bunk extnesions. The only reason I bought my buddies lift is because his had a cannopy and mine didn't, and the only reason he bought his new lift was because he had to lower his Wakeboard rack everytime to get the boat on the lift. I don't have a wakeboard rack so it was perfect.

I guess the bottom line is that it will work! Good luck

BensonWdby
06-05-2007, 06:44 PM
I bought a 3600# lift from Vibo Marine. Their cradle on the cantilever has a cutout for the drive shaft for inboard ski boats.

They are the only ones I found that do this. Others claim it weakens the lift, but I have no evidence of that. I also do not attempt to load the lift with the boat and ballast.

The advantage is that I can have the lift in shallower water.

I did have to extend the front bunks a bit because the cable was hitting the bow.

Dave

RockLakeMoomba
06-05-2007, 06:57 PM
Thanks for the info guys. I've talked with a few Hewitt dealers, and getting the extensions for the bunks shouldn't be a problem, so that is what I'm going to do.

Otto_man
06-06-2007, 12:53 PM
It seems that the problem is resolved but I'll add my similar experience.

I bought a cantilevered Port-a-dock lift and had begun to regret it by the end of the season. Since our entry is pretty shallow I felt I needed to go with the cantilever, and this one doesn't have a cutout for the driveshaft, but I was carefull to mark where I should stop ( after my first prop ding that is). The real problem was that the bunk supports we just a little bit shorter at full extension than the stabilizer fins. Going forward, the fins would slide over, eventually scoring a little line on the aluminum cradle, but backing out they would catch like a fish-hook barb. To get off the lift everyone would have to jump out and lift the boat to get unstuck.

Port-a-Dock sent extensions and now at least I know that if I can float on, I can float off.

Now, if I could just keep the cable on the pulleys...