Lift Maintenance

[SkiSafe]

A lift for your nautique has several advantages, including the ability to keep the craft above the water, thereby making it easy to launch, and it will cut down on the natural wear and tear a boat sustains when kept in the water. However, as with most mechanical conveniences, it is essential to follow the manufacturer’s maintenance guidelines for boat lifts to ensure safe, long-term use. Without regular care, the boat lift may not be in proper mechanical condition, putting your craft at risk for substantial damage if it fails or collapses.

Here are some of our recommendations for maintaining a healthy boat lift that will help keep your boat safe.

Does anyone have additional suggestions?

1. Follow the weight warning: observe the lift’s weight limits. Boat lifts are designed with certain specifications and exceeding weight recommendations will lead to failure or collapse. Make sure that the lift can handle the weight of your boat PLUS anything you leave in it.
2. Remove drain plugs: if you don’t let rainwater drain out, it could quickly get too heavy for the lift to handle. If the lift is equipped with self-leveling and lowering mechanisms that responds to changes in weight, you will not have to remove drain plugs.
3. Inspect lift cables: lift cables should be regularly inspected for signs of wear and tear. Rust spots, broken strands, fraying, and kinks are all clear indications that the cables are faulty and probably need to be replaced.
4. Rinse all cables: exposure to salt water can cause abrasion and substantial damage, ultimately causing the lift to fail. You will need to regularly and thoroughly rinse the cables.
5. Remove all cables from the water: do not leave cables dangling in the water while the boat is stored on the lift.
6. Lubricate cables: galvanized and stainless-steel cables should be lubricated regularly with penetrating oil. This will help prevent abrasion and preserve galvanized coating. Please do not lubricate with grease. Grease will trap unwanted moisture inside the strands of the cables.
7. Replace cables when necessary: cables generally need to be replaced every two years and depending on conditions, even more frequently. If there are clear signs of damage, such as kinks, severe abrasion, or other deformities, it is time to replace them.
8. Inspect the bunk: make sure the bolts that hold the bunks into place are tight and they are lining up correctly with the hull of the boat. In addition, regularly inspect the condition of the carpet and the wood beneath the carpet.
9. Replace bunk when necessary: the carpet is susceptible to tears from frequent exposure to water and the wood beneath the carpet often cracks or rots. Both should be replaced periodically.
10. Lift Storage: if storing a boat lift during the off-season, make sure it is covered and that no area is exposed. Exposure to rain and snow will compromise long-term use. It is also important to remove and safely store the battery if there is a power hoist.

Keep in mind – boat lifts do not fare well in harsh weather conditions, such as hurricanes and nor’easters. Heavy winds and wave surges will shift the boat and harm the lift. If severe storm or flood watches or warnings are issued in your area, get your boat off the lift and store it more safely ashore. Storm surges and floods will, very predictably, have their way with your boat or jet ski. Overall, if there is an impending flood or storm, remove your craft from the lift and store it appropriately.

For more information, visit https://www.skisafe.com/blog/Entry/1...t-maintenance-

[GMLIII]

I want to lubricate my cables and I was going to use PB Blaster. Does anyone have any recommendations other than PB Blaster which may worker better for this application?

[charlesml3]

This is a good general guide but there are LOTS of different type of maintenance required depending on what kind of lift you have. A lift that uses motors, cables and bunks is very different than one that uses air tanks and a compressor to force the water out. The best thing to do is consult with the installation/maintenance company that sold or installed the lift and get detailed maintenance items specific to it.

-Charles

[scottb7]

i used to use a chain/cable lube...but i don't think it matters that much, as long as you use something. so this last time i just put some motor oil on a rag/poured on best i could...just so i could coat the cable for the winter...

[greggmck]

I for one would NEVER leave my plug out when keeping my boat on a lift. If I were worried about rain water build-up, I would cover my boat. I would much rather see my boat floating after a lift failure than see it sitting on the bottom...

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