Help Getting Boat Out of Lift

(oulaxster25) · (oulaxster25) **Join Date: Feb 2004** 09-09-2005, 7:04 AM

Just wondering if any body has had this happen to them and how they fixed it.

We have not used our boat in about a month due to work, new house and weddings. Well yesterday we went to take the boat out of the shorestation and due to lack of rain and water evaporation we put the lift all the way down. When we went to back it out the tracking fins would get caught on the bottom of the lift. Now we have a boat that wont get out of the hoist.

Any ideas on how to get it off the lift would be great.

bens 09-09-2005, 7:21 AM

How much more clearance do you need? If you just need a few inches you could try getting as much weight out of the boat as possible (gear, people, maybe gas???).
I don't know what lake you're on, but our marina has a boat w/ a crane on it that could probably assist w/ this.

Good luck.

(oulaxster25) · (oulaxster25) **Join Date: Feb 2004** 09-09-2005, 7:57 AM

Need about 2 inches at the most. It is a private lake no boat with cranes. All of the gear is out and about 12 - 15 gallons of gas in it now.

(wiltok) · (wiltok) **Join Date: Feb 2003** 09-09-2005, 8:15 AM

What kind of lift do you have? I had the same problem - I was able to lower the boat into the water and lower the legs on the lift to get it out (I have a harbormaster). In any event, if you only need 2 inches drain the fuel, take out the seats, anything you can do to remove weight. It will surprise you how much the boat will rise with reduced weight.

(peter_c) · (peter_c) **Join Date: Sep 2001** 09-09-2005, 8:50 AM

People power! They built the pyramids by hand.

(peterc4) · (peterc4) **Join Date: Aug 2005** 09-09-2005, 9:03 AM

I agree with Peter. Get a few guys over there.

(themann39) · (themann39) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 09-09-2005, 10:57 AM

Just a thought couldnt you lower the boat onto some tubes and then slide it out like that. Thats how we move our lift around. Then just pull them out when you done.

wakecastle 09-09-2005, 1:41 PM

Do you have room to slide a deflated air mattress under the stern of the boat? If so, use an air compressor to fill it while it's underwater. This might give you the lift to get it off. I've seen it done on a reef.

(njskier) · (njskier) **Join Date: Jul 2005** 09-09-2005, 2:48 PM

I agree with the innertube idea. Put a bunch of tubes under the bow, float it off the lift.
Is it that the lift is hitting the bottom of the lake? Or are you at the end of the lift travel?
If so, can you re-adjust your lift travel distance?

(billybobfl2001)

If your lake has a sandy bottom try using a garden hose or high pressure sprayer to remove the sand under the rear legs. The Shorestation that I have has some skids for the feet of each leg, but with a little effort you should be able to erode the sand under the legs enough to float the boat off without damaging the tracking fins. All you should need is a couple of inches. I have had this happen to me during the dry season.

This would probably also work with a muck bottom lake.

(liveoz) · (liveoz) **Join Date: May 2002** 09-09-2005, 5:26 PM

It seems like a few guys treading water could lift the boat 2" Just get it rocking. then one guy just pushes the nose back until you are clear. Maybe you also create a wake and push it back as rocking up the wake. .02

(oulaxster25) · (oulaxster25) **Join Date: Feb 2004** 09-09-2005, 6:20 PM

I think I am going to start by trying the tube idea. The bottom is real sandy and have tried to move some sand from under the skids but not tried very hard yet.

I tried to lower the legs on the station, but it seems like to much pressure from the boat is still on the lift to get the pins out. Once the boat is off the lift the plan was to just lower the legs for the extra room needed.

At least I am not the only person that has had this problem. Thanks for the ideas, keep em' coming if any ones else has some more.

wakeboard_neb22 09-09-2005, 7:10 PM

Hey Dale, i work at a marina and primarily on shorestations so i see this problem at least once a week, you wont be able to get the pins out of the legs untill u have the lift floating, to float the lift use to aluminium small john fishing boats, each pin hole is 2 inches apart so i would move the back down 2 holes and the front down one once you have the boat off, if this seems like too much work and u want a temporary fix borrow a power washer and blast the sand away under neith the legs of the lift, it should be very simple because you have a sandy bottom
- tom

natxbrotha 09-09-2005, 9:45 PM

i would try using something like a wench with a strap... put that under the boat then pull out the lift strap, and lower it with the wench. sounds possible right?