Boat lifts for water ballast boats

[David H]

Does anyone have any experience with keeping a hunter water ballast boat on a boat lift. I purchased a lift from Hydrohoist to keep my boat at the marina year round, thus eliminating the chance of freezing and also eliminating the need for bottom painting. The local dealer was not helpful in the least in adjusting the lift to properly fit my boat. Should I be concern with this lift distorting the hull ... the dealer told me not to worry, there would be no problems.

 

[Ray]

WET or DRY?

David,Do you plan to raise this boat with the water ballast tank filled or empty? If empty, do you have a time delay to allow the tank to drain incrementally as it is raised? What type of support does your system have? Straps or cradle?

 

[StevenH]

Choke your dealer

Anything worth doing or having should be done right. Hydro-hoist is a good lift if installed properly. The keel should rest on a center support and hull runners should be adjusted to snuggly fit the hull just as if it were on a trailer. Stop the lift from bringing the boat all the way out of the water all at once. Drain the ballast and then finish raising the boat and everything should be fine. Steven H.

 

[Fred Feagin]

Who did you buy from Where can I get One ?

If you don't mind what kind of price range are they. I live in OKC,Ok an I interested in one for my slip at Lake Hefner? FAFEAGIN@AOL.COM

 

[David H]

Ray - Wet

Ray,Thanks for your interest. I raise the boat with the ballast plug open. It seems to raise slow enough that a fair amount of water drains during the processes, but not all .... probably no different that pullining it out of the water with a trailer.