Boat Lift Queastion

[Audiofn]

I want to get a lift for my boat. I left the boat in the water for a few weeks at the end of last year and was totally bummed out that it got so dirty and what not. I found two lifts that seem like good deals but am not 100% sure what the totall max weight of my Donzi is. I have a 1981 18 2+3 with a big block and TRS drive. Any help would be great. The lifts that I am looking at are 3600 pounds and 4000 pounds.

Jon

[Greg]

I have a Donzi catalog from around the era of your boat. It states that the Gross Weight is 2,250 lbs. That is with a small block, so yours will be heavier. Also keep in mind that you will be loading it with people and beer. If your passengers are like mine, for some reason they all want to stay in the boat until it cranked up. So either one should work. I have a 3300lb. Scarab on a 4000lb. lift with no problems. Hope this helps.

[Moody Blu']

well i know my 1988 catalog states 2600 pounds for a 18 classic with sbc and omc drive 2800-2900 for yours?

[mrfixxall]

I bought a flo 4500k for mine,,the bigger the rating the easier it is to crank it up but mines electric also.
http://www.floeintl.com/boat_lifts/vert_boat_lift_capacities.html

[Audiofn]

I bought a flo 4500k for mine,,the bigger the rating the easier it is to crank it up but mines electric also.
http://www.floeintl.com/boat_lifts/vert_boat_lift_capacities.html

Your link had a link for NADA and the weight of the boat showed as 2250 pounds. Now that was I am assuming a 350 and Volvo Drive. At any rate, even if I say that we are going to add 500 pounds for those options we are well under the capacity of the lift.

Jon

[mrfixxall]

Your link had a link for NADA and the weight of the boat showed as 2250 pounds. Now that was I am assuming a 350 and Volvo Drive. At any rate, even if I say that we are going to add 500 pounds for those options we are well under the capacity of the lift.
Jon

I bought the vsd 4500 for future plans...

[Sofa King]

I recommend a 12,500-15k # lift so u have the flexibility to go with a bigger boat in the future.

Arip

[Forrest]

I agree. Pony up and go to the bigger lift now. You won't regret that decision later. If the lift is going to be used in salt water, forget those nice lake lifts, they won't cut it in salt water. You'll need either a good aluminum four-pile cradle lift or an aluminum elevator lift depending on your canal depth, seawall configuration, etc. If you do it yourself, make sure to have the piles driven into the bottom rather than you jetting them in with a water hose. Besides, most locales, both fresh and salt, won't let you jet piles in anymore anyway due to all the silt that is kicked up from the bottom during the process.
I keep my Magnum on a 10,000 pound elevator lift, but it works equally well on my X-18 Donzi without any bunk adjustment.

[Audiofn]

Thanks for all the input. There is no way that I can put a bigger boat were this lift is going to go. As it is I am going to have to dredge a a little bit. If the Formula ever gets back in the water then I will worry about a larger lift. This is fresh water.

Jon

[Forrest]

In your case a nice lake lift will do the job. You can buy it as a kit and install it yourself. I thinking about buying this all aluminum free-standing lake lift (http://www.qualityaluminumboatlifts.com/lake.htm) for my place on Lake Eufaula.

http://www.qualityboatlift.com/lake.htm

[Greg]

Jon, Since our boats are so heavy in the back, I went with a verticle lift rather than a cantilever one. When I tried my boat on a cantilever lift it always seemed like wanted to go over backwards. Don't know if it ever would have or not, but it used to scare the cr#p out of me.

[BigGrizzly]

No discussion on which is better but I have a Hydro hoyst and have had it for 14 years without a problem. In rough ewater set off by the dam wake boarders and stupid drivers, the lift holds up great.

[Audiofn]

Jon, Since our boats are so heavy in the back, I went with a verticle lift rather than a cantilever one. When I tried my boat on a cantilever lift it always seemed like wanted to go over backwards. Don't know if it ever would have or not, but it used to scare the cr#p out of me.

Greg: A freind of mine has a cantaliver one that is hydrolic and when I see him drop his boats in the water with the thing it freeks me out also. I think his may have something wrong with it because when he drops it into the water the thing bounces like uncontrolably.

Jon

[Audiofn]

No discussion on which is better but I have a Hydro hoyst and have had it for 14 years without a problem. In rough ewater set off by the dam wake boarders and stupid drivers, the lift holds up great.

I looked at a few hydro's but the water is not deep enough for them. What I really wanted was a Jetfloat Dock but at almost 8 grand for one there was NO WAY.