pine island fred
Lieutenant Junior Grade
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2002
- Messages
- 1,144
Made an interesting discovery, never occured to me. Pretty much responsible for an absent neighbors 2 boat lifts. One is an ACE steel, the other aluminum. Few week ago had the steel cradles replaced on the ACE and moved a derelict cruiser off the alum. one as I noticed the cables were very skewed to the point the lift could not be fully raised. At the same time the people that assisted in the steel lift rebuild were in a boat and helped untangle the cables. They looked perfect.
Last week it was time to send the derelect on its final voyage so I took it off the steel lift and placed it back on the alumin. with the bow headed in the right direction for towing. Had removed 200 lbs. of lead ballest from the bow so it was easy to menuver. Got it on the lift and it would only go so high as once again the cables got all tangled and jambed. On this lift the pipes are not exposed and you cant see whats going on until it is to late. Next day was time to lower the lift and tow the boat away. Could not float the boat off the lift??? Keep letting the lift down and it still would not come off without a lot of shouving. Did get it off finally and the derelect is now history.
Next day, went out and tried to figure out what was wrong. Once again I streightened the cables and made an interesting discovery. The lift was just about floating. Has wood bunks and just about floats when they are underwater. Even has heavy steel pipes as liners for the plastic guides and that does not overcome the boyancy of the wood. Anyone that has put their lift on the bottom and taken just a bit of tension off the cables can sure identify with what kind of a mess you wind up with.
Told the woman owner to go back to the scrap yard and buy back all the lead ballast she had sold them at 9 cents a lb. Its gone so now I am figuring out how to attach some heavy pipe or concrete to the cradles or talk her into springing for aluminum extruision bunks. regards FRED
Last week it was time to send the derelect on its final voyage so I took it off the steel lift and placed it back on the alumin. with the bow headed in the right direction for towing. Had removed 200 lbs. of lead ballest from the bow so it was easy to menuver. Got it on the lift and it would only go so high as once again the cables got all tangled and jambed. On this lift the pipes are not exposed and you cant see whats going on until it is to late. Next day was time to lower the lift and tow the boat away. Could not float the boat off the lift??? Keep letting the lift down and it still would not come off without a lot of shouving. Did get it off finally and the derelect is now history.
Next day, went out and tried to figure out what was wrong. Once again I streightened the cables and made an interesting discovery. The lift was just about floating. Has wood bunks and just about floats when they are underwater. Even has heavy steel pipes as liners for the plastic guides and that does not overcome the boyancy of the wood. Anyone that has put their lift on the bottom and taken just a bit of tension off the cables can sure identify with what kind of a mess you wind up with.
Told the woman owner to go back to the scrap yard and buy back all the lead ballast she had sold them at 9 cents a lb. Its gone so now I am figuring out how to attach some heavy pipe or concrete to the cradles or talk her into springing for aluminum extruision bunks. regards FRED