Boat lift depth?

[phil]

Hey,

We are getting a shore station to keep the American Skier on the lake this year. I'm wondering what the ideal depth is. The one we purchased has a max depth of 7 feet. Obviously, it doesn't need to be that deep but would 4ft water depth be ideal?

[brandon]

Phil,
Kinda a loaded question with lots of variables (like does the lake level vary alot?)  To give you a short answer, if you can place the lift directly on the lake bottom and have enough lift without using extensions or blocks, that is the most ideal. (extensions or blocks will work, just won't be most ideal due to extra labor and not as stable)  The idea is for the beams to be deep enough to get the boat on without contact with them in all conditions, and then be able to raise the boat out of the water enough for your satisfaction.  Some people just want the hull out, others want the entire underwater gear out, some lakes have more/larger waves than others, etc.  I like 3-4 feet myself, usually enough to get the boat on and completely out of the water, and easiest to install and adjust.

[Midskier]

Phil don't forget you fins under you boat

we usually add  "Inboard Bunks" to lifts we install

this will keep the fins a safe distance from the cross rails

additionally we'll add either a bow stop or side rails or bumpers
so you do go in too far......... on my lift I have a piece of 1" pvc attached
vertically and lines up with my throttle lever, then I know the boat is in the right spot

water depth min max will also vary with the type of lift you are getting

a vertical lift has a much longer / larger lift height and some models can go all the way down to the
lake bottom, cantilever type lifts have a much much shorter lift height and require more min depth than a vertical

bottom line it's basic math to figure out a good starting point , then a little trial and error to get it just right

good luck

Dan T

[Joel]

Good luck Phil!   I still do it the OLD FASHIONED way...  on a trailer   

[phil]

Yeah, this will be our first time keeping it on the lift so I'm just trying to make sure we do things right..  Thanks for the advice guys.

[phil]

What about the width of the bunks? Should I put them the same as the trailer bunks? The bunks on the rear of the trailer are farther apart than the bunks on the front of the trailer.

[brandon]

I would try to set the bunks up similar to the trailer setup.  They designed the trailer for the best support while bouncing down the road, so that would be the best locations.  Note that the trailer bunks have a slight "bow" in them, so you won't be exact, and the bunk boards will bow out on their own over some time.  I would try to have the lift set slightly tilting towards the rear of the boat to help drain bilge water the center and rear drain plugs.