Mainship 400 on lift

[Seevee]

All

I’m thinking of putting my 2005 Mainship on a lift, most likely a 30,000 lb one. Some of the lift manufacturers have expresses concerns on this particular model.

Has anyone done this, or does anyone know of any issues?

Looking forward to getting the boat out of the saltwater.
Also going to post this on the Mainship Yahoo group also.

Anyone familiar with issues in putting trawlers on lifts?

Thx!

 

[Jgutten]

Seevee,

I've had my MS 400 on a lift twice with no problems. My marina lifted it without any concerns. What are the issues? We had none.

 

[Dwk]

Have a look at iqboatlifts.com Titan series using custom cradle systems for support. IMM Quality Boat Lifts | 17030 Alico Center Road | Fort Myers, FL 33967 | Toll Free (800) 545-5603
Ph: (239) 432-9110 | F: (239) 432-0119

 

[Mrwesson]

I know the manufacturer states a weight around 25k for your boat but be warned that they tend to gain weight off the showroom floor.

My Mainship is advertised @ 14k but most examples weigh in @ or just over 20k. I'd be surprised if you're not very near 30,000lbs.

 

[DavidM]

I would look for a higher capacity travel lift to do the lifting. You boat weighs at a minimum 25,000 lbs and as noted above may be pushing 30,000. In the heavy construction industry we never lifted anything at more than 80% of capacity.


But having said that lifting with a travel lift is simple and easy as long as the capacity is great enough and they position the slings at the lift points that Mainship specifies- usually with little decals on the sides below the rub rail.


It is much safer than other forms of boat lifting, particularly cradle elevator systems that are hard to position right.


David

 

[Dougcole]

I think he is asking about storing his boat on a dock lift, long term, not being hauled out by a travel lift for bottom work.


I'm not super sure, but I think the potential pitfalls are different for each scenario.


I do know that it's going to take a man sized lift for a MS 400, but I've seen bigger boats on lifts, so it's certainly possible.

 

[Seevee]

I'm talking about a permanent bunk lift, not an occasional travel life.

I've talked with some of the lift manufacturers and getting some info (including the ones mentioned above).

Just curious if anyone has done this with a Mainship.

And, yes, boats get fat over time. Wonder if there's a simple way to weigh them?

 

[Keysdisease]

Some Travel Lifts have scales built in, if you ever hauled at a yard with a relatively new lift they may have even recorded weight.

Why do you want a lift?

I think boats like being in the water, its what they were designed to do, float. Every time you take her up or down she's twisting and wracking, an SD hull is not an FD hull. Once a year for haul, no big deal, but on a regular basis?

I have nothing to support this, just a fan of Keep It Simple. A lift is just one more complex system to maintain.

Wonder if there's a simple way to weigh them?

 

[Seevee]

Some Travel Lifts have scales built in, if you ever hauled at a yard with a relatively new lift they may have even recorded weight.

Why do you want a lift?

I think boats like being in the water, its what they were designed to do, float. Every time you take her up or down she's twisting and wracking, an SD hull is not an FD hull. Once a year for haul, no big deal, but on a regular basis?

I have nothing to support this, just a fan of Keep It Simple. A lift is just one more complex system to maintain.

:social:

Lots of reasons.... keep it clean, access to the bottom, check or replace thru hulls, fix thrusters, etc. Eliminate bottom paint every 1 to 2 years, eliminate most of the bottom cleanings.

 

[DavidM]

Ah, dockside bunk lifts. I get it now.

Well, there are a few things I would check to be sure it is safe.

The manufacturer says it is good for 30,000 lbs. Does that include the bunks? Your bunks will weigh at least 2,000 lbs. Check the cable ratings. Most lifts use 8 lift points: one on each corner and a two part lift on each corner. I would want at least 6,000 lb cable breaking strength, a safety factor of 1.5:1, which requires 5/16" wire rope.

A newer Travel Lift might give you accurate weight with their built in load cells. But after a few years they go bad and many lift operators don't fix them.

Do you plan to ride out a hurricane on the lift? Wind forces will be tremendous on the boat, much less wave action if the surge gets up to the hull. That means you probably want to be able to lift 10' to be over most hurricane surge. That may be unwieldy.

Most lifts here on the canals of Punta Gorda use at most 9' exposed piles which only lets you lift 7'. So you would need 12' piles to have a decent chance of riding out a hurricane. I would double up the standard 4 piles to 8 to withstand the wind/wave forces of a hurricane.

And it won't be cheap, at least $20,000.

An alternate may be to keep the boat in the water and use the TideSlide system. It still would require 12' exposed piles and I would set three large diameter piles to use with three TideSlides. If these piles were tied back to the shore side or a parallel conventional dock, they should be able to withstand the hurricane forces. You don't need to worry about tidal surge (up to a point!) with the TideSlide system.



You could probably install a three pile TideSlide system for $7,000 including piles.


It sounds seductive to have your boat on the lift for the reasons you mentioned. I keep my boat in the water and my neighbor keeps his on the lift. I probably jump on my boat 2-3 times a week for maintenance, checking on things, etc, even though I take it out only once a week at most. I would spend 5 minutes up and down each time I boarded if on the lift like my neighbor does.

Think about the convenience factor of keeping the boat in the water vs the cost of bottom jobs and an occasional non planned haulout, vs a bunch of bucks to install a suitable lift system.

David

 

[Riverguy]

Some Travel Lifts have scales built in, if you ever hauled at a yard with a relatively new lift they may have even recorded weight.

Why do you want a lift?

I think boats like being in the water, its what they were designed to do, float. Every time you take her up or down she's twisting and wracking, an SD hull is not an FD hull. Once a year for haul, no big deal, but on a regular basis?

I have nothing to support this, just a fan of Keep It Simple. A lift is just one more complex system to maintain.

I agree. Boat hulls are designed to be supported by water, not by lifting bunks. There are no engineers out there who know how to properly cradle your boat on a lift. Also, your antifouling paint needs to stay wet...and soaking in brine prevents rot, so a briney bilge is a healthy bilge. People get obsessed about the green stuff on their bronze seacocks and such, but it's totally harmless. Personally, I have seen more freshwater boats go to to the crusher prematurely than salt water boats, because rotten stringers mostly are a result of freshwater in the bilge. Keep her wet and salty, and she'll be happy.

 

[Shrew]

........ your antifouling paint needs to stay wet

This was my exact thought. All the boats I've seen on lifts don't have any antifouling paint on them. If you look at most manufacturers paints there is a minimum time between painting and splashing. If not repainted after a dry-out them some will call for a light sanding to remove the outer 'oxidized' (for lack of a better term) skin and 'reactivate' the paint.

I think you'd have to find a specific paint that would allow for repeated drying out without some intervention before launch.

 

[Dougcole]

If you keep your boat on a lift you don't paint the bottom. That's one of the benefits.

 

[Capitaine R]

I have purchased a 24000 lbs lift from a person who is upgrading to a heaver boat and lift. We plan to use it at our dock for our 32 NT. You have to remember that down here we have no need to take our boats out of service in the winter, so if we lift it out of the water we save $ on paint, we save $ on haul outs, and you dont have to worry about it taking on water while we are away. On our canal there are several 44+' motorsailers, and plaining boats on lifts. Boats up north are using boats stands on the hard for months every year. I can't think of any reason a lift would be any different. Boat lift in this area are highly sought after.

 

[Mrwesson]

If you keep your boat on a lift you don't paint the bottom. That's one of the benefits.

Boat on a lift but what about when you travel long distance or stay in the water over a few weeks

 

[Capitaine R]

Here is one of the motorsailors on a large lift.

 

[Comodave]

If you have an ablative paint it does not have to stay in the water.

 

[Bacchus]

If you have an ablative paint it does not have to stay in the water.

Exactly... you just need to read mfg specs and use recommendations. I'm in FW but use a multi season ablative and most years do nothing or minor touch up. Works just fine.
Interlux Micron CSC but there are others

 

[ralphcramden]

i am a mainship 40 owner. had prior boat on 33000 pound capacity lift. had to remove lift due to shoaling at dock and prevented (permits) to move config into deeper water. it can handle 24k mainship. on ebay for sale...totally refirbished after sandy.

 

[trawlerdeejay]

Mainship on a lift

All

I’m thinking of putting my 2005 Mainship on a lift, most likely a 30,000 lb one. Some of the lift manufacturers have expresses concerns on this particular model.

Has anyone done this, or does anyone know of any issues?

Looking forward to getting the boat out of the saltwater.
Also going to post this on the Mainship Yahoo group also.

Anyone familiar with issues in putting trawlers on lifts?

Thx!

I keep my 2006 34' Mainship trawler on a 4 piling, 4 motor lift. Has worked well for some time. Mainship sits on its keel on a center steel lift beam and has supports bow and stern to keep boat from tipping over. There are 4 10' PVC guide posts that brush against the boat as it comes onto the lift to keep the boat properly aligned on the lift.Recently noted 2 pilings leaning. Have lift people and pile driver coming on 4/6/19 to replace these 4 pilings with 13"-14" Class B commercial grade pilings. Also replacing lift mechanisms with e-drives.

A 30,000lb (and over) lift requires an entirely different set up. It uses an 8 piling configuration (2 pilings at each of the 4 corners) and a lift mechanism that runs the cable up and down a premolded groved track running between each set of 2 pilings. Works great. Even comes with a remote.

 

[Seevee]

I keep my 2006 34' Mainship trawler on a 4 piling, 4 motor lift. Has worked well for some time. Mainship sits on its keel on a center steel lift beam and has supports bow and stern to keep boat from tipping over. There are 4 10' PVC guide posts that brush against the boat as it comes onto the lift to keep the boat properly aligned on the lift.Recently noted 2 pilings leaning. Have lift people and pile driver coming on 4/6/19 to replace these 4 pilings with 13"-14" Class B commercial grade pilings. Also replacing lift mechanisms with e-drives.

A 30,000lb (and over) lift requires an entirely different set up. It uses an 8 piling configuration (2 pilings at each of the 4 corners) and a lift mechanism that runs the cable up and down a premolded groved track running between each set of 2 pilings. Works great. Even comes with a remote.

Thanks much Deejay,

Whose lift do you have? And what's an E drive? And what does your boat weigh?

I did find a 33,000 lb lift that has 4 poles, 2 motors that I'm seriously considering.

Thx,

 

[timb]

an edrive is a self contained ram with a enclosed ball screw

 

[trawlerdeejay]

Mainship on a lift

Old lift is a Magnum boat lift. New lift being manufactured by "Up and Out Boat Lifts" of Pasadena, MD

Boat Lifts in Pasadena, MD. E drive is gear driven as opposed to belt.
I cannot imagine a lift like you are describing with only 4 piles and only 2 motors. It must be a different kind of lift than mine. I will be running 4 commercial pilings, 4 motors, and 3/8" cable.

Whose lift do you have? And what's an E drive? And what does your boat weigh?

I did find a 33,000 lb lift that has 4 poles, 2 motors that I'm seriously consid

 

[trawlerdeejay]

Mainship on a lift

Old lift is a Magnum boat lift. New lift being manufactured by "Up and Out Boat Lifts" of Pasadena, MD

Boat Lifts in Pasadena, MD. E drive is gear driven as opposed to belt.
I cannot imagine a lift like you are describing with only 4 piles and only 2 motors. It must be a different kind of lift than mine. I will be running 4 commercial pilings, 4 motors, and 3/8" cable.

Whose lift do you have? And what's an E drive? And what does your boat weigh?

I did find a 33,000 lb lift that has 4 poles, 2 motors that I'm seriously consid

Here is photo of my lift. Beam closest in photo is stern beam. Note the 2 raised pads that keep Mainship from tipping over. The other beam is for the bow of theMainship. Look carefully and you will se the "V" setup that keeps front of Mainship from tipping over. The I-beam in the center of the photo is the beam that keel sits on. The 2 other padded beams on both sides of this center beam were part of an earlier lift for a smaller boat. Their purpose now is only to keep all the beams from shifting.

 

[Seevee]

Here is photo of my lift. Beam closest in photo is stern beam. Note the 2 raised pads that keep Mainship from tipping over. The other beam is for the bow of theMainship. Look carefully and you will se the "V" setup that keeps front of Mainship from tipping over. The I-beam in the center of the photo is the beam that keel sits on. The 2 other padded beams on both sides of this center beam were part of an earlier lift for a smaller boat. Their purpose now is only to keep all the beams from shifting.

Trawlerdeejay,

What Mainship do you have on this lift? And how was the angle and spacing of the side supports determined?

 

[trawlerdeejay]

Boats on lift

Trawlerdeejay,

What Mainship do you have on this lift? And how was the angle and spacing of the side supports determined?

34 trawler 2006. Trial and error. Lift firm took it up partially , checked, let it down, and I moved boat off for adjusting.. Took several such adjustments to get it right.