We've relocated to the Tampa area and purchased a home on a canal with Sailboat access and we have our own dock. The pilings are in place for a boat lift. I'm looking for general advice about things I should consider when setting up a lift for our Hunter 25.5. Specifically, I'm wanting to know what size lift? The keel is 1,800 lbs and the rated displacement is 4,500 lbs. Thanks
How big of a lift?
- Thread starter Lpenrose
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I would investigate who has buillt lifts for keel sailboats and go with that person has he would have experience over others.
Forget those who say the wieght of the boat can be supported by bunk boards only as in time the boards will dimple in the hull somewhat and could adversely affect the boat. You want to set it up as if on a trailer or a cradle with a keel support where all the wieght will need to go with the bunk boards set up to hold the boat from tipping over.
Make sure all overhead wires and anything that juts out is removed and or refigured so it will not interfere with the rigging. One other thing on the canal if affected by low tide, make sure you have depth at mean low tide to also accomodate the cradle clearnace when putting the boat onto the lift..
Forget those who say the wieght of the boat can be supported by bunk boards only as in time the boards will dimple in the hull somewhat and could adversely affect the boat. You want to set it up as if on a trailer or a cradle with a keel support where all the wieght will need to go with the bunk boards set up to hold the boat from tipping over.
Make sure all overhead wires and anything that juts out is removed and or refigured so it will not interfere with the rigging. One other thing on the canal if affected by low tide, make sure you have depth at mean low tide to also accomodate the cradle clearnace when putting the boat onto the lift..
Lifts come in standard 5,000 and 10,000 # sizes. Differences are in beam size and cable. Cable is easily changed, beams not. IMHO you are to close to the 5,000 max. If it were me, I would go for 10,000. Not that much cost differential, at least not 10 years ago when I bought my lift.
Crazy Dave is right, get a lift with a center beam to support the keel and use pipe stands to support the hull. He is also right to check water depth at low tide for limiting your ability to use the boat.
Crazy Dave is right, get a lift with a center beam to support the keel and use pipe stands to support the hull. He is also right to check water depth at low tide for limiting your ability to use the boat.
Just a quick "extra" bit of info that I have experienced with boat lifts.
Make sure there is as much front overhang of the boat as possible when positioned on the lift because all sailboats are usually rear-end heavy, & if you just centralize the sailboat when docking,(same overhang front & rear) the front of the inflatables will fill with air 1st, & the boat will be at around a 35 degree angle until the rear of the inflatable lifts fill, then it will bob up with quite a surge.
Make sure there is as much front overhang of the boat as possible when positioned on the lift because all sailboats are usually rear-end heavy, & if you just centralize the sailboat when docking,(same overhang front & rear) the front of the inflatables will fill with air 1st, & the boat will be at around a 35 degree angle until the rear of the inflatable lifts fill, then it will bob up with quite a surge.
Unless you are in a canal with lots of boat traffic I would save the money. For about $30 a visit for a boat your size you can have a diver service clean the bottom every three to four weeks. With todays regulations on anti-foul paint you may need to paint the bottom every 2-3 years. Our winter tides are pretty deep and you may not have the clearance to operate a lift. I,m familiar with the Apollo Beach area. There should not be a problem with the ballasted keel hanging as it hangs anyways when the boat is in the water but make sure the hull support bunks adequately contoured to fit the hull. There is a private subdivion marina in the North shore of the main lagoon and there is a sailboat on a lift there as it is a high traffic area. You can take a look at it and use it for reference.
Please send your diver/cleaner to England, at that price I'll pay his airfare & feed him if he does a dozen boats at our Marina!!!
He charges US$1.25 a foot and that is slightly lower than the going rate but I have been with him for about 10 years. Our water temperatures here are tropical so we need cleaning all year round so considering around 15 visits we pay around US$600 per year. Don't know about the Wyre but I have seen the Thames and considering currents and visibility I could understand higher rates with perhaps less frequent cleanings. How much you pay a year?
I appreciate the advice. I've gone around the canals here and I've seen a couple of sailboats on lifts and I knew I needed to support the keel (thanks Dave & Bill). Benny, I've seen a number of used lifts for sale on the local Craigslist for under or around $1,000. At that price + installation costs I can prevent growth rather than fix it. If I was paying $5,000+ for a new lift I think you'd be right about being cheaper to have it cleaned. I just did a bottom job using PCA Gold antifouling paint with Irgarol from Westmarine.
Bill, I'm thinking oversized would probably be better especially if I wanted to get a larger boat in the future.
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