Anyone make their lift a "garage" ?

[Jeff W]

I'm contemplating making my new (used) lift into a garage for the boat. My mother-in-law sews fairly well so I'm thinking about going for it..

My thoughts were using small (maybe 1") PVC pipes as a frame and then use canvas that matches my canopy and make 3 "Walls" to keep the boat covered. Somehow the left side would have to be easily moveable to get in and out of the boat and the back I would leave open so you could drive in.

Aside from using 1" PVC or possibly even metal staking - what ideas would you have to make this garage? I was planning on having a few mesh vents on each panel for wind to blow through. The main idea for the garage is added sun protection and a false sense of security since the boat would be more out of sight to a passerby (if they want it - they will take it)..

Thanks for your ideas or experiences.

[wolfeman131]

Jeff,

I am doing the same with my neighbor and will take pics as we install this weekend. Check out my profile pics to see my boathouse & lift to determine if you can modify this plan to fit your situation. We have fixed, wooden boathouses with roofs and open sides with a slip and lift under the roof.

Here is what we're doing:

Ordered a mesh fabric from ebay that is made for use as tennis court windscreens. It is very durable and blocks 90+% of the UV rays.

Used a rope cutter to cut the fabric to length. It is 8 ft tall and perfect for what we need.

Ordered a grommet machine from ebay and inserted grommets every 12 in along all 4 edges. We folded the edges over 1 in for added strength.

We are going to run a plastic coated cable the length of the slip through bolt style eye hooks at the top & bottom of the slip. We will tighten the cable by cranking the bolts.

We are going to use carabiner clips to run through the grommets and attach to the cables. We'll be able to slide the entire "curtain" to allow easy access to the boat. The grommets on the sides of the curtains will allow us to cinch it all up and out of the way. The carabiners will allow us to easily take the curtains all the way off, if needed.

Hope this helps!

[Jeff W]

Damn Drew - that was exactly what I was thinking of doing it but it looks like you guys really took the high road on materials. I pictured mine much more ghetto than yours ;) but essentially accomplishing the same task. I didn't know the mesh could keep out as much of the sun. That may be a better option than vinyl.

I'll be waiting for the update!

[wolfeman131]

Not really that high road! The mesh was something like $100 for a 8 x 100 ft roll. The expensive part was going to be the shipping, but of all things, it was in a warehouse right where I lived so I picked it up myself.

[Jeff W]

Not really that high road! The mesh was something like $100 for a 8 x 100 ft roll. The expensive part was going to be the shipping, but of all things, it was in a warehouse right where I lived so I picked it up myself.


Wish I could have a set up like that. I don't own the property - I rent a slip and have my own lift. I'm I'm relegated to modifying my lift. The good thing is that if I slip somewhere else another year - my garage comes with.

I'll be watching how this progresses.