Boat Lift Use/Storage Suggestions

[z28ke]

It has finally happened, after 15 years of trying to get my parents on board, we just closed a lake house! Lake Gaston, NC and the house is about 65 minutes door to door from my house.

Doozie lifts (local company) has already started upgrading the 4,000 lb lift to a dual motor 8,000 lb.

This is where the murder max will reside for the summer months, then back to storage in my home shop during the winter:



What suggestions do y’all have for lift use, and boat storage/maintenance on a lift?

I’m already looking at getting a cheap, lightweight oversized eBay cover that can cover the boat with the tower down, and is easy to get on and off by myself. Since the lift has a roof I really just need something for bugs and dust.

I’m also installing a camera security system once I have internet up there (before I bring the boat).

Thanks for any insight/tips!

[JesseC]

Congrats on the lake house and lift! I love being able to just flip a switch and ride out! On the cover, I use my good Moomba cover because of the wind during storms. I’ve seen wind whip across the water and blow this cheap covers all around and beat the boat. Your situation is like mine, boat on the lift for summer and back in the garage for cooler months. Use a good cover you can tighten to the boat. It will be in the weather for up to 5 months or so and a cheap cover slapping all that black all day and night may make you upset when you get it back home for winter. Don’t worry about what the cover doesn’t “cover” you have a roof and the minimal sun won’t hurt. Just get your interior locked down with your good cover and let it ride!


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[haknslash]

Congrats!! I'd love to have a lake house one day.

[MJHSupra]

It has finally happened, after 15 years of trying to get my parents on board, we just closed a lake house! Lake Gaston, NC and the house is about 65 minutes door to door from my house.

Doozie lifts (local company) has already started upgrading the 4,000 lb lift to a dual motor 8,000 lb.

This is where the murder max will reside for the summer months, then back to storage in my home shop during the winter:



What suggestions do y’all have for lift use, and boat storage/maintenance on a lift?

I’m already looking at getting a cheap, lightweight oversized eBay cover that can cover the boat with the tower down, and is easy to get on and off by myself. Since the lift has a roof I really just need something for bugs and dust.

I’m also installing a camera security system once I have internet up there (before I bring the boat).

Thanks for any insight/tips!

For your lift, did you shop around or just easier to upgrade from the current brand?

Asking from a standpoint of not knowing much about those style of lifts. Everyone around my lake lot has these style lifts.

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[z28ke]

Good point about wind and a cheap cover JesseC, I have the ratcheting Moomba cover that came with the boat but it’s a pain to put on imo. I was hoping to get something lightweight to throw over it, the guy next to my in-laws lake house uses king size bed sheets.

I didn’t shop around since the existing lift was a Doozie, and they are local to Lake Gaston. Cost less too since I essentially “traded-in” the 4,000 lb lift.

[z28ke]

Some more pics of the place:





The key was finding a house with a boathouse tall enough for my boat in our modest price range. We looked for close to a year. Hopefully I can get it out of the water with the tower up, but during the week I’ll fold it down to lift the boat as high as possible.

[FamilyMan]

I'm bringing in my boat the week of 3/16-20th to Dallas Canvas to make an over the bimini cover. Seen their work at my marina and they make good stuff. Have to bring in my Max because they don't have a pattern for it yet. Won't be as cheep as sheets, looking at $1700, but my goal is to leave the boards on the rack and swiveled in, then place the cover on the bimini, roll forward - roll backwards and cinch. They also put in zippered entrances from the side and it covers the deck. They will make a cover that covers the freeboard as well, but I plan on just quickly wiping that down, pretty easy as hydrohoist lifts have rails to stand on. They claim it breaths real well.

Once I get it, will let you know if I made a somewhat expensive blunder. Don't know how many birds you have, but the reason I really want the over the tower cover and I greatly dislike lowering and raising it for some odd reason, is due to the occasional bird crap that gets on my bimini/tower. Plus, it can't be any worse to put on than the original cover. Congrats on the place, thats the dream right there!

[JesseC]

After a good hard rain with wind that cover will be very wet and a bed sheet will just trap mildew in the boat. Every day there will be fog/dew in the air that settles on the boat every morning. I use the ratcheting Moomba cover since I wont lay eyes on the boat for a week. Sometimes if the forecasting says rain all day 2 weekends in a row, we can go almost 2-3 weeks without seeing the boat and I don’t want to drive an hour to go check the cover. The Moomba cover is a pain but it is worth the peace of mind. The wife and I can snatch that thing off in 2 minutes. Same for putting it back on.

If you don’t have a swim platform cover, get one immediately. Birds love to sit on the swim platform and that is the last thing I want to deal with before heading out.


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[gtsum2]

Some more pics of the place:





The key was finding a house with a boathouse tall enough for my boat in our modest price range. We looked for close to a year. Hopefully I can get it out of the water with the tower up, but during the week I’ll fold it down to lift the boat as high as possible.

Congrats!!! We looked at that place awhile back. Right now the inventory is slim pickings at Gaston...hopefully it gets a little better here before the summer months.


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[ghebert1111]

Congratulations and get ready for 2 of everything, lawn mowers, tools, salt and pepper shakers...

Your setup sounds a lot like mine, 68 minutes from door to door, boat on the lift from May 1 to Nov 1. I was getting a lot of morning sun on one side of the boat so I bought the items below. Installation was about 45 minute and I was surprised at how much sun that screen blocked.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...YO1060UD&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/Kotap-BB-6B-B...s%2C256&sr=8-6