I purchased a new wakeboat this year. Because I want to keep it for a long time i decided to get a boatlift for my dock. (Not cheap) To make a long story short, there is only one kind of lift that would work for my situation. A front mounted floating lift. Got it installed. (econolift)
The issue I'm having is that as soon as i let the lift down, and before the bunks even touch the water the boat slides off the lift back into the water outta the dock. This is not that much of a problem if you are ready for it, boat is brand new so it starts everytime, don't have to worry about floating into the dock/boat right behind me really.
When the lift is down and i'm coming in for the day i line the boat up on the bunks, which are sticking out of the water at the front i have to Power the boat up onto the bunks. I then turn the boat off and go flip on the switch to start raising the lift (raises from the back).
THE PROBLEM. is that if you are not careful, when the lift starts raising the boat tries to slip out off the bunks and out of the dock. This weekend the rope with carabiners i had been attaching to the bow eye actually pulled straight out of the 2x4 on the dock, pulled the threads on the eye hook straight out of the dock board. and the boat slipped off and out of the dock.
MY QUESTION. Is this setup too steep?? Do you have or have you seen issues like this in the past?? How did you overcome it, what do you do differently now?
OPINION. wondering what you think about these options, and what suggestions you have on options i might not know about.
1.) Lowering the front of the lift on the mounting plate a couple notches. This would lower the nose of the lift, possibly fully submerging the bunks, possibly making the angle less? Not sure about this. Might also make the boats bow lower than its stern when boat is fully raised on lift in storage position making rain water run into the boat instead of off the back??
2.) Installing a winch at the front of the lift on the dock just like a trailer has. Don't have a ton of walking room on the dock as it is, this would take up some more. Would i winch the boat onto the lift or just attach it and winch it the last few inches after powering it up on??
3.) For now i took one of my transom tie downs and i'm hooking that into the eye as soon i power it up into position. it keeps it from slipping backwards but so much weight of the boat on it its scary to undue the tension after the boat is lifted up! don't want to keep that up or someones gonna get hurt.
4.) Fresh ideas...
here are some pics so you can see what i'm dealing with here...if you have any ideas please help me figure out what to do!
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