Has anyone put togeather a boat lift?

Hey there, I just purchased a Hewitt Cantilever lift and now I would like some advice.

The area where the lift will rest is not really roomy enough to build the lift on site and also, the grade down to the area is pretty steep and not so wide. There is a public boat launch maybe 1/2 mile down the lake.

The boat lift measures 9' wide by 9'6" long.

I was thinking that I could construct the main frame of the lift off site and stick it on a flatbed and haul it over. I live in Washington State and I was told that I could only haul a load of 8'6" without a special permit. I figured the extra 6" would hopefully go unnoticed.

Anyway, so now my dillema comes when I arrive at the site. Like I said, the grade is pretty steep so walking it down would be a bitch (the lift weighs about 375lbs.) So, the other option would be to float it over. Has anyone done this without hiring a pro? If so, how did you do it?

So, I guess I am just looking for some suggestions on the best way to do this on my own. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Scott

I built my lift, a Nyman Cantilever on my dock. We then tied 3 good size inner tubes, not the cheapy Walmart, but heavy duty tubes to the lift. We then slowly dropped the lift into the water and moved it into position. When it is in position, slowly let the air out of the tubes until it settles in. Worked perfectly. You should also put a larger pad on the legs, I cut up pressure treated plywood and attached it to each of the legs

That sounds like a great idea. The three tubes were able to hold the 375lbs okay? How far did you have to move it?

The tubes held up really well. I would probably use 4 tubes if you have to go far. Tie the tube to the lift first and then inflate, you don't have to tie it tight but make sure it doesn't slip off.