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Old     (monkey_butt)      Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Twin Cities       06-14-2012, 8:12 AM Reply   
need to buy a boat lift ... but the good part is that it will be for my new place

Now the specs: Epic 23V (length is 22.8, beam is 98"), weight empty is 3400 lbs. w/o anything on it. I was thinking a 4500 lbs. rated lift would be sufficient considering gas and equipment and not a ton of people on the boat when getting on the lift but I may go higher than that just in case. Canopy for sure, ease of access to the boat from the dock is important (have 3 dogs).

The more important question is: Vertical or hydraulic? Living in MN - so lift has to come out of the water at the end of the season Should be powered - don't like to manually lift/lower boat. Any suggestions where to look up proper boat lift wiring (I'm pretty familiar with code inside/outside the house but have no experience with dock/lift wiring).

Should have paid more attention at the Minneapolis boat show but didn't think that the house came w/o a life
Old     (dahmsy686)      Join Date: Feb 2004       06-14-2012, 12:41 PM Reply   
I would go with a shorestation. Vertical lift with bunk supports. Check out craigslist. Plenty in the minnetonka area. Might have to hire someone to transport if you dont have a trailer. if you are in the west/south metro it should not be to bad.
Old     (cwkoch)      Join Date: Aug 2006       06-14-2012, 12:45 PM Reply   
I just got a new Pier Pleasure Hydrodynamic 6K, and put a Touchless Cover on it. Everything came from Niccum Dock here in Buffalo, MN.

Love the lift, it's SUPER fast (maybe 10 seconds, up or down). Love the cover, it completely protects the boat. However, The design of this lift means that the uprights for the canopy are very long, which means there's some movement on the canopy, it sways around a bit in the wind. So, I love both pieces of it, but not so sure they are a good match to eachother. The canopy is probably better suited to be on a vertical lift that has some tall, substantial uprights next to the boat when the boat is raised, so that there's less length on the actual canopy uprights.

The lift by itself. Mine is just like this, except a bow stop instead of a motor stop, and vertical guides that the rub rails hit, rather than those horizontal guides. The uprights in this photo are about 8 feet long total. We went with 12 feet long total so the tower can be left up.



Shots of the canopy.






And, during a heavy rain. Notice the calm water under the cover! The boat stays completely dry during a storm. I typically leave the back compartments of the boat open so that everything can dry thoroughly.

Old     (sidekicknicholas)      Join Date: Mar 2007       06-14-2012, 12:46 PM Reply   
Here is what we run at our place in Wisconsin (has to come in and out every year too)....

I guy down the lake had a FSBO sign on his house, we asked if the lift was part of the deal - he said he hadn't thought about it so offered him $800 and he took it. Lift + canopy ....Ours is only a 3500lb. lift though, works great for what we need, I highly suggest getting a motor for the cranking up, best $400 you'll ever spend.


Old     (monkey_butt)      Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Twin Cities       06-14-2012, 12:59 PM Reply   
@Charlie - how much did that setup set you short? And yes it looks funny during the rain but how does it hold up in heavier wind? And last piece - getting this thing in and out of the water - what's the weight of it? Shoreline is steeper and I don't have a lot of room to manouver the lift when I take it out. nice boat btw ...

@Dahmsy - check out cl - there was one in New Prague earlier but it was prior to me getting ready to buy :-(

@Nick - didn't think of that one - the pictures of the house were taken when a boat lift was there but when we looked at it - they were gone :-(
Old     (dahmsy686)      Join Date: Feb 2004       06-14-2012, 1:06 PM Reply   
WOW charlie that is a nice setup you have there! ! ! Baller set up!

Nicolas, I would say go with aluminum for sure, I am seeing a few Floe and Shorestations on CL right now. Might want to go with a bigger lift capacity wise, just because. I would say 5,000 lbs. I know my parents shorestation is holding more than it should and it makes me stand back every time i raise and lower it for fear of a snapped cable.

Do you have a budget for this? if you dont check out new ones. I would say that Charlies set him back a 10k or more.
Old     (dahmsy686)      Join Date: Feb 2004       06-14-2012, 1:07 PM Reply   
check this one

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hn...034092706.html
Old     (cwkoch)      Join Date: Aug 2006       06-14-2012, 1:07 PM Reply   
Well, if you paid full "retail" price, it's going to set you back in the $15K neighborhood with setup, install, everything.... I got a little bit of a deal on the setup.

For wind- the canopy is made in Florida, and designed to withstand a Class 2 storm, which is supposedly 100MPH wind. The weak point on this setup is going to be the uprights though. We haven't had any major storms here this year, but some winds around 30-40MPH I'd say. The cover doesn't really lift up at all, the frame in the bottom of the fabric is pretty heavy. We just get the swaying movement at the top of the canopy due to the long uprights.

Weight- I think the lift is in the 500LB range. Plus the canopy. All of the aluminum lifts are going to be pretty close in weight, there's not any major differences between them unless you look at an old steel lift.
Old     (cwkoch)      Join Date: Aug 2006       06-14-2012, 1:15 PM Reply   
I think that lift is supposed to retail for about $9k, plus uprights, guides, bow stop.

The canopy is a 26' with 7 foot curtains. Retail on that is about $5500.

When I was pricing new lifts, this setup was not really anymore than doing a Floe, ShoreStation, Shoremaster, Etc, and adding the 1 foot extensions they offer for the canopy. Keeping the sun off my black boat was a major priority for me. I'd like it to be as close to showroom new when I'm done with it, and ready to order a new one. I think the price difference was maybe $500 more for this canopy versus the othe canopies with extensions, and this one keeps the sun completely off the boat, and I also don't need to cover the boat when it's on the lift. The convienience factor is huge.

My $500 more estimate is considering some of the lifts like Floe, and Shorestation were considerably more than this Pier Pleasure hydraulic lift, so that was a total package price difference. Plus, this just seems like a better lift compared to those vertical lifts with all the cables, pulleys, etc....
Old     (monkey_butt)      Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Twin Cities       06-14-2012, 1:38 PM Reply   
I know it won't run cheap :-( but the convenience factor is worth something ...

@Dahmsy - will contact the guy on cl - that looks pretty neat for 7K - thanks for checking cl for me ... and yes - I was thinking about being rated for 5000 - so I don't need to worry - as said - boat, gas, dogs, beer, myself ... definitely over 4500 right there ...
Old     (cwkoch)      Join Date: Aug 2006       06-14-2012, 2:00 PM Reply   
I would definately look at 6K lifts as well. I think they're a bit mroe common, and it wouldn't hurt to be oversized!! Leaves you more options on future boats!
Old     (jeff_mn)      Join Date: Jul 2009       06-14-2012, 2:37 PM Reply   
Speaking from experience - get an aluminum one and pay a guy $100 in the spring and fall to put them in/out.. We had a steel one on Lake Marion for 4 summers and it was a "invite 8 friends out" kind of ordeal every time..

Get an aluminum set up similar to Charlies (full canopy garage is key) and make sure it's aluminum.. If you are on Tonka - I have a buddy who owns a dock/lift install company I can get you his name. If you are not on Tonka - most lakes have a guy or two who do the service.. Some things are just worth paying someone to do. They will show up with infaltables and a winch and it will be done in 20 minutes.
Old     (monkey_butt)      Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Twin Cities       06-14-2012, 3:16 PM Reply   
@everyone: First thanks again Dhamsy for the link on cl ... had to sacrifice the full canopy for now ... but bought the lift ... that was the easy part ... and I will probably pay someone to put it in ... now I better close on the house ...

Jeff - need to check and may have to ask neighbors (or seller) of the place who's doing it for them - not in the mood to hurt myself before even getting on the lake as it will get delivered assembled anyway ... but if you don't mind shooting me his business name/address that would be helpful
Old     (monkey_butt)      Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Twin Cities       06-14-2012, 5:01 PM Reply   
actually - one question is still open - hope Charlie/Jeff have some input on that one ... wiring: as said earlier - have rewired the current house, familiar with breaker box etc. but have never done anything around water.

Anyone here some rules/guidelines to follow how to properly wire the lift in? there's an existing dock - first part is very old and will replace that sooner rather than later but the wiring will probably have to go up first w/o all the dock replaced - wifey will kill me if I continue spending on the boat and the accessories w/o doing anything inside
Old     (dahmsy686)      Join Date: Feb 2004       06-14-2012, 6:40 PM Reply   
Nice work Nicolas! You still have not told us where you are going to be so we can come over! We gotta check out this new lift, maybe get a ride behind the epic.

From experience, my bro did some dock/lift removal with some buddies this past fall. Lets just say they only lasted one year. That stuff is not fun. Def pay the right peeps to take it in and out for you as jeff said those guys come prepared. The people who do my dads come with a crew of about 10 and some foam blocks and are done in 20 mins, pay em the 100 and its over with.

For your wiring question. Does this have a built in motor? i dont recall what the add said and its deleted. I know my dad bought an aftermarket power wheel and just runs a cord down the dock (yeah i know not safe) It works though and it is much better than cranking that thing up. I have seen people run their winches off of car type batterys and charge them with a solar power thing on top of the lift.

Congrats on the lift and more importantly the water front property!

Little jealous here
Old     (ilikebeaverandboats)      Join Date: Jul 2007       06-14-2012, 6:52 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by cwkoch View Post
I just got a new Pier Pleasure Hydrodynamic 6K, and put a Touchless Cover on it. Everything came from Niccum Dock here in Buffalo, MN.

Love the lift, it's SUPER fast (maybe 10 seconds, up or down). Love the cover, it completely protects the boat. However, The design of this lift means that the uprights for the canopy are very long, which means there's some movement on the canopy, it sways around a bit in the wind. So, I love both pieces of it, but not so sure they are a good match to eachother. The canopy is probably better suited to be on a vertical lift that has some tall, substantial uprights next to the boat when the boat is raised, so that there's less length on the actual canopy uprights.

The lift by itself. Mine is just like this, except a bow stop instead of a motor stop, and vertical guides that the rub rails hit, rather than those horizontal guides. The uprights in this photo are about 8 feet long total. We went with 12 feet long total so the tower can be left up.



Shots of the canopy.






And, during a heavy rain. Notice the calm water under the cover! The boat stays completely dry during a storm. I typically leave the back compartments of the boat open so that everything can dry thoroughly.

Off topic..... but your bu is gorgeous.....
Old     (monkey_butt)      Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Twin Cities       06-14-2012, 8:26 PM Reply   
Dahmsy - last post of the night ... can't jinx it - won't tell until I closed on it - but so much ... about 15 mins. north of Mpls ... so I guess you catch the drift ;-) thanks again for the link on cl ... was worth it - put money down and told him if it doesn't close I leave 500 on the table as non-refundable ... gotta be fair as I realized that this is probably the best deal I'm going to get ...

So if you want a pull - I'm out on Owasso tomorrow afternoon or usually on Thursday evening as well until ... see above ... then I'll be closer to your place :-) ... PM me if you want to join this or next week ...

and don't forget - took me 45 years to get my own boat and 46 to get lake shore ... plenty of guys on here who have figured the important things out faster than I did ;-)
Old     (cwkoch)      Join Date: Aug 2006       06-15-2012, 7:04 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by dahmsy686 View Post
Nice work Nicolas! You still have not told us where you are going to be so we can come over! We gotta check out this new lift, maybe get a ride behind the epic.

From experience, my bro did some dock/lift removal with some buddies this past fall. Lets just say they only lasted one year. That stuff is not fun. Def pay the right peeps to take it in and out for you as jeff said those guys come prepared. The people who do my dads come with a crew of about 10 and some foam blocks and are done in 20 mins, pay em the 100 and its over with.

For your wiring question. Does this have a built in motor? i dont recall what the add said and its deleted. I know my dad bought an aftermarket power wheel and just runs a cord down the dock (yeah i know not safe) It works though and it is much better than cranking that thing up. I have seen people run their winches off of car type batterys and charge them with a solar power thing on top of the lift.

Congrats on the lift and more importantly the water front property!

Little jealous here
For your wiring- All you need is a GFI outlet near the water. Just run and extension cord out the dock. I tie-wrapped mine underneath. I''ve only had the GFI tripped once since I ran the cord out there, and up near shore it's underwater, due to current high water on our lake.

My setup has a 12V battery inside the dock box with the hydraulic pump. That has a trickle charger on it to maintain the battery. I have 120V up into the canopy to operate the motor for the curtains, power an ultrasonic bird repeller (seems to work actually!!), and for the onboard charger on the boat.
Old     (Giddyup)      Join Date: Aug 2011       06-15-2012, 7:39 AM Reply   
has anyone tried the hewitt lift and canopy, they have an little differant look to the canopy, look good for the tower, but still gives you more protection on the front and sides, just wondering
Old     (cwkoch)      Join Date: Aug 2006       06-15-2012, 7:49 AM Reply   
Yeah- I looked at Hewitt. I wasn't real impressed with their design.

As far as that canopy goes- A guy just down the shore from me has one, and it's ugly!!! It looks like a barn once you get the fabric on there!!
Old     (monkey_butt)      Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Twin Cities       06-15-2012, 9:53 AM Reply   
yeah just realized - my onboard trickle charger needs power too ;-) ... GFCI is easy to install - will bury main cable from the house down once I figured out the electrical cluster f#$% inside ...
Old     (jeff_mn)      Join Date: Jul 2009       06-15-2012, 11:02 AM Reply   
Forrest Lake? Another WW / Bro of ours just bought a place on the lake this spring..

I think you're dialed on the electric. You're talking about running a line out, GFCI, 12 volt if you want and you are set. Shouldn't be too hard to keep your chord dry...

You'll regret not having a canopy in due time but sometimes you just gotta get it out of the water and figure out the rest down the road. Congrats on the new place - wherever it is.

I'll be in for that "all of the WW crew over to ride" day... Forrest Lake has got to be 90 minutes from us South Metro Shredders but we can carpool and make a day of it ;-)
Old     (jeff_mn)      Join Date: Jul 2009       06-15-2012, 11:04 AM Reply   
Oh and my guy *only* does Tonka... He has plenty of work to keep them busy their.. They keep all of the equipment on a modified pontoon and just pull up to your shoreline, pop it in and move on to your neighbors. He doesn't travel.

There is guarenteed SOMONE up there that does it.. It's jsut a shirt job unless you have a zero entry lake, an aluminum lift and 3-4 buddies.
Old     (monkey_butt)      Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Twin Cities       06-15-2012, 11:46 AM Reply   
found 2 guys advertising on cl for that now too - so I think I'm going to be covered ... but thanks for checking - as you said before - 'worth the money' and I would add 'but not the shirt' ;-)
Old     (trdon)      Join Date: Sep 2007       06-16-2012, 12:51 PM Reply   
Jeff, is this a different Forrest lake than I am thinking of? It is only 30 min from downtown st Paul.

Not to thread jack, but my dad just bought a place on Linwood lake in Anoka county. That is close to me and he encouraged me to buy a lift and put my 210 there. I take it from this thread that I am looking at 5k minimum for a new covered lift? I just dropped 5k on a new trailer last year. That could hurt. Convienent but a lot of money for a house I don't own and I don't know how long they will stay there. What is the ease of resale of a lift for a boat like mine if I had to sell it?

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