Speaking of waterfront homes...

(tommyg) · (tommyg) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 09-30-2011, 7:37 AM

never quite seen anything like this before...apparently called an electric catwalk.

(durty_curt) · (durty_curt) **Join Date: Apr 2008** 09-30-2011, 7:49 AM

That's pretty crazy looking, I'm guessing that is in an area were winterizing your boat/ lake freezing over is a seasonal.

(timmyb) · (timmyb) **Join Date: Apr 2007** 09-30-2011, 7:51 AM

That's cool as hell!

(kbob) · (kbob) **Join Date: Aug 2009** 09-30-2011, 7:57 AM

My grandparents had one of those at their lake house on Lake Brownwood. Now that I think of it, a lot of the houses on that lake have them. It had a cable winch that raised and lowered the trolly into the water. The boat house was up on hill about 10 ft above the water level, made things nice for unexpected flooding as well as low levels from lack of rain.

(lifetimewarranty)

Yeah - Durty - look at all the snow on the hills in the first pic. That is so flippin cool.

Thanks for sharing. And now there is one more thing on my list of "wants".

(durty_curt) · (durty_curt) **Join Date: Apr 2008** 09-30-2011, 8:23 AM

Hahaha! Honestly I didn't even notice the snow in that pic. All my attention was on the boats personal roller coaster, and the tread mill...

(denverd1)

Prc ftw

(bill_airjunky) · (bill_airjunky) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 09-30-2011, 8:38 AM

Yea, there are quite a few of those on the lakes here in WA state too. Rail systems going into the water like that are pretty much outlawed all together by the EPA now days. I guess the old ones are grandfathered in & can be kept & used though. I've seen a few guys on Sammamish who have upgraded the winch, cart & boathouse to take advantage of it. But the two guys I know who have them don't use them very often because their so slow.

(polarbill) · (polarbill) **Join Date: Jun 2003** 09-30-2011, 8:44 AM

I love the idea. You only have to have to go to the boat launch twice a year or potentially never but you get to keep the boat in a locked garage. Brilliant.

(bcrider) · (bcrider) **Join Date: Apr 2006** 09-30-2011, 8:49 AM

Quite a few people have those up here on the ocean for their boats. Used to just use railway for the tracks. Not sure either if your still allowed but as a kid used to see those all the time.

(kirk) · (kirk) **Join Date: May 2003** 09-30-2011, 8:55 AM

We had something like that at my dads house on Camano Island on Puget sound. It was nice to be able to pull the boat out of the salt water. It had about 100' of railroad track going down the beach because of the tidal changes.

(crosenhahn) · (crosenhahn) **Join Date: Feb 2008** 09-30-2011, 9:04 AM

How about the engine lift built into the ceiling of that garage...thats pretty cool too!

(hatepain) · (hatepain) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 09-30-2011, 9:15 AM

We too have a few of those on my lake. I remember a lot more when I was a kid but like Air junky said they are pretty much no more, I don't think a single one is still in use these days. I always thought it was a cool idea though.

(tommyg) · (tommyg) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 09-30-2011, 9:40 AM

the pic is from Tahoe. Doesn't freeze over in the winter time, but it certainly does get cold!

(rallyart) · (rallyart) **Join Date: Nov 2006** 09-30-2011, 9:41 AM

My neighbour at the lake has one he built himself. His rails are used drill stem pipe and his lift runs on bare 13" wheels. Its just set on concrete foundation blocks.
His boat never sits on the water.

(ian_ashton) · (ian_ashton) **Join Date: Jul 2008** 09-30-2011, 10:43 AM

That is sweet; why would the EPA outlaw them?

(tommyg) · (tommyg) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 09-30-2011, 12:17 PM

place is for sale BTW. If you've got $6.5mm and a thing for green carpet, might be the place for you...

http://www.cblaketahoe.com/realestate/listing/2900601

(sidekicknicholas)

Quote:

If you've got $6.5mm

They've dropped the price 2.5 million already.... I bet they're open to offers.

(cowwboy) · (cowwboy) **Join Date: Jul 2008** 09-30-2011, 1:18 PM

Grand lake here in oklahoma has those all over it.

(holdsworth) · (holdsworth) **Join Date: Jan 2010** 09-30-2011, 3:16 PM

My dad built one of these for a good friend of ours at his private lake. I think it went in like, 8 or so years ago and it's still working great, just needs a little grease and it's like new again.

(tn_rider) · (tn_rider) **Join Date: Dec 2009** 09-30-2011, 3:33 PM

Those are allll over the lake here. They are nice, BUT what if the water goes wayyy down? Thats the problem with them here

(illini88) · (illini88) **Join Date: Oct 2007** 09-30-2011, 4:39 PM

We built a low budget version of one of those years ago for our IO. We just dug a few railroad ties into the bottom/yard, and then laid 2 16 foot beams out into the lake to serve as a track. We then took the axle off our boat trailer. After taking the axle off, we built a cradle that had 4 iron wheels on it (2 on each side). The wheels came off of an irrigation pivot. The cradle was then attached to the boat trailer to replace the axle. It worked pretty well, but the downside, was that if you needed to pull the boat for maintenance, you had to put the axle back on.

(cadunkle)

There's one of those on the lake my grandparents have a house on up north. It's never been used so long as I can remember, and I've been going there since I was born. I suspect the rails are sunk in and not usable in the water after so many years of neglect, but I'd repair it if I had one and use it. I don't understand why the EPA would outlaw them? There's nothing to harm anything. Add to the list of why I hate the EPA and wish they were abolished.

(pdub) · (pdub) **Join Date: Jul 2009** 10-01-2011, 7:45 AM

that garage and rail set up looks great. when i built our new home and with the way it sits on our lot i put in my own launch, comes in very handy