Most boaters develop 2 foot-itis (urge for a bigger boat) sooner or later and it will cost more to upgrade when the disease strikes (usually within 2 years of buying your boat of a lifetime!) Beyond 27 feet in length the price of the lift goes up as did the price of the boat. Dual motor systems and other pricier components become necessary at this point.
Since the lift motor is 1 H.P. and requires 13 amps the boathouse will need a dedicated 15 amp household outlet near where the switch for the lift is intended to mount.
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OVERHEAD BEAMS
Typically the lift requires two overhead beams. They can be steel I beams or engineered wood beams. We do not install on trusses or fir beams
The stern beam needs to be somewhere over the motor, however the critical placement is 6 inches more than the height of the garage door since the door will only open until it runs into the lift cables. In other words if you have a 7 foot high door on the slip then the lifting beam needs to be a minimum of 7 feet 6 inches in from the door opening. If your door is 8 feet high then the stern beam would be 8 feet 6 inches in from the door opening.
Typically the lift requires two overhead beams. They can be steel I beams or engineered wood beams. We do not install on trusses or fir beams
The stern beam needs to be somewhere over the motor, however the critical placement is 6 inches more than the height of the garage door since the door will only open until it runs into the lift cables. In other words if you have a 7 foot high door on the slip then the lifting beam needs to be a minimum of 7 feet 6 inches in from the door opening. If your door is 8 feet high then the stern beam would be 8 feet 6 inches in from the door opening.
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Too far in the slip could place it beyond the balance point of the boat. Not a good thing. The second beam needs to be 8 to 10 feet in front of the stern beam. This generally places it at the steering wheel/windshield. This placement is not critical compared to the stern beam. If a sling lift is required beams should be no more than 8’ apart. For flat top buildings the lift beams need to be independent of the roof joists as the weight of the boat can cause a flat roof to sag.
Existing Boathouses In a lot of existing boathouses the overhead lifting beams are already there and in a satisfactory position for a lift and the door to function properly. In some cases if the door will not totally open it may meet the customer’s needs to adjust how high the door opens. If new beams are required we can provide and install them at additional cost. |
Designing a New Boathouse
Many new boathouses do not have a solid plan for boatlifts even though the owner has specified the requirement. As stated above for a lift to work properly there are some basic requirements that boathouse designers are not necessarily aware of especially if they have never done boathouse work. We need to be involved at the start of design to ensure that everyone gets it right and your boathouse doesn’t require reengineering. We have had to tell too many contractors that the design was not going to work for boatlifts and needed to change.
Onsite Evaluation
Prior to any installation we arrange a no charge onsite evaluation. At this point we ensure there will not be any surprises the day of installation. We also determine any added work required beyond the actual lift installation and what it will cost. Before the installation you will know the total cost of the project and that will not change later. We do not accept deposit/down payment but expect payment upon satisfactory completion of the lift. Actual installation date will usually be agreed upon at this point unless there are known factors that could hold up a firm date.
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Ace Boat Lifts of Muskoka
phone (705) 641-1723 text (705) 641-1723 |
