Floating Lift Questions

More questions, guys . Looking at a floating dock and floating lift for a new 22 foot pontoon. One of my dealers is promoting a Shoremaster galvanized steel frame dock and lift with Hewitt canopy and frame. They are suggesting a concrete decking on the dock for durability and keeping the surface cool in the summer.

Anyone have experience with Shoremaster?

Re: Floating Lift Questions

Nothing to add other than it sounds as if that setup could be as much or more than you paid for the boat.

Re: Floating Lift Questions

Our family has a Shoremaster vertical lift system. We use it for the 24' Pontoon or the 26' Crownline. The Crownline is very heavy.

There are two bunks inward for the Crown and four bunks outward for the pontoon.

It is attached to the roof of the open boat house, is electrically operated and has a handy remote control.

Three years now, no issues.

Re: Floating Lift Questions

Hewitt and Shoremaster are big brands in the boathouse world.

Concrete decks are heavy and expensive when being installed on floating docks. The concrete has to be a special lightweight version that's cast in factories in squares.

I'd suggest you installing 5/4" x 6 wood on the dock--#1 quality. I went with #2 and it's not holding up as well as I'd like.

Re: Floating Lift Questions

Bamaman1 said:

I'd suggest you installing 5/4" x 6 wood on the dock--#1 quality. I went with #2 and it's not holding up as well as I'd like.

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I put 5/4" x 6 decking boards on part of our dock (the uncovered swim area). They didn't last but a year or so and started warping and busting screw heads off. Just replaced all of that this year with marine grade plywood and applied 2 coats of Rustoleum Restore on the wood to seal it more and to provide a nonslick surface. Looks great, we'll just have to see how long that lasts. I was going to use some of that composite decking material. But I would have had to use the 2" thick boards due to the 2' joist spacing -- just the material was going to cost $2K.

As far as Shoremaster, sorry, but I don't have any experience there. We have a very old hydrohoist that I finally got working again. Now I'm adding new pontoon brackets and bunks -- it was previously set up for dad's v-hull.