Posted on August 4, 2022

Choosing the Right Type of Boat Lift

Written by ShoreMaster Marketing

When choosing the right type of boat lift, you’ll need to get out onto your water. After all, that’s where you’ll be spending your time and using it. You’ll need to keep four points in mind when you’re buying your boat lift: the water you’ll be installing the lift in, the boat that you’re lifting, the kind of life you lead on the water, and the dealer you’ll be buying your boat lift from.

 

 

Your Water

You should know the water that you’ll be installing your boat lift in before you install it. Is your water fresh or salty? Rough or smooth? Isolated or busy? How deep is the water, and does it change dramatically during the season? Is the bottom of your water solid or soft, assuming it’s not too deep to reach? This will affect whether a freestanding boat lift can be installed in the water, a floating boat lift anchored in deep water, or you mount your boat lift on a dock, seawall, or pilings.

Your Boat

Your boat lift will need to support your boat in its entirety, so you’ll need to know its size. Make sure you have the following:

• Your boat’s base dry weight, which you can find in your boat’s spec sheet;
• The weight of everything you’ll bring on board, including fuel, batteries, water, etc.;
• A 20% safety margin for weight lift capacity;
• The beam (widest portion) of your boat, with a four-inch cushion on either side (10 inches if you’re using guideposts);
• The draft of your boat;
• The style of your boat, including the shape of the hull (V-hull, pontoon, V-drive, etc.);
• Whether you have an inboard or outboard motor.

Your boat might have more special considerations depending on the type, like the pontoons on a pontoon or tritoon. Your dealer will be able to guide you in the right direction.

Your Lifestyle

Think about what you want out of your boat lift. If you value convenience and have access to a waterside power source, an electric winch to raise and lower your boat might be a good investment. If you’re planning on upgrading your boat in a few years, it might be worth the investment to get a higher weight capacity on the boat lift now to accommodate future purchases. If you’re not much of a DIYer, then having a sturdy boat lift made out of quality materials that need minimal care is good, and your local dealer can always help with installation.

Your Dealer

A trustworthy, reputable boat lift dealer will ask the right questions to get you exactly what you’re looking for. A local dealer will be able to do that, along with the added benefit of being familiar with your waterway. Rather than ordering from a catalog in a place across the country, wouldn’t it be better to get personalized recommendations from someone who knows your shoreline like you do?

ShoreMaster has an extensive network of dealers to help boaters like you create their dream waterways. We’re also the pioneers of industry-leading, high-performing aluminum boat docks well suited for all waterways. We also stand by our products with warranties, so you can relax knowing that your boat is safe. To get in touch with a local ShoreMaster dealer, fill out our online contact form.