Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

[EricJRW]

Bad year for water in Lake Granbury, Texas.

There is water under my boat, but the cables don't reach the water. It's close, maybe another foot or two, but it's not quite there.

I'm trying to figure out a relatively easy way to add a bit of cable.

I've uploaded a couple of pictures. One shows the pulley setup (one at the top, one on the sling) and how close the boat is to the water with almost all the cable played out.

I have a couple ideas, but since this a new problem for me, I thought I would ask the question first (before possibly doing things the hard way, even if not on purpose).

Thanks in advance,

Eric

 

[Another retired guy]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

How deep is the water below the boat? If not too deep maybe you could build a temporary trestle to support one end of the boat. Then lower it on to the trestle, splice extra cable onto the two cables at that end, then do the other end???

If water is too deep for that, maybe build a raft using enough drums to hold up one end??

 

[rallyart]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

Put the lift up. Strap up one side. Lower the lift until the cable is loose. Put on a longer cable. Repeat on the other side.

.

 

[colbyt]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

How does the cable attach to the toon? Common sense says it must be a 4 cable system, is it? How much weight would need to be supported on a temporary basis to add some extra feet.

 

[EricJRW]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

The pontoon is in a sling (one fore one aft). Somewhere I have the weight of the boat, but I'm not at the lake this weekend. I need to figure out a few things, boat weight is one, lift capacity is the other. The cables attach to a pipe that runs the length of the dock. two cables, one fore on aft, go through the pipe and wrap around the pipe. From the pipe the four ends go to the upper outer edge of the dock. A pulley (at the top) allows to the cable to go straight down to the sling. The cable goes around pulley on sling and the end of the cable attaches back at the top of the dock. To clarify, the cable runs through a pulley (total of four, one at each corner) on the sling.

The issue I see is that adding permanent length (as opposed to replacing the cables) to the existing cables means the boat might not go all the way back up, as the "extension attachment" would not be able to pass through the pulleys.

One idea I was given is to bypass the pulley on the sling, but that requires knowing the weight and lift capacity. Personally I like having more capacity than I need, as sometimes I work on the boat while it;s in the sling.

I think there is plenty of water under the boat to float it, but that is another thing I need to investigate.

Thank you for your continued help.

Eric

PS. Bubba1235, we irrigate from the lake too, and I tried running the pump all night to fill the lake but it didn't make a bit difference. :facepalm:

 

[colbyt]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

Well here is what I was thinking and if you think it has any merit we can discuss it more.

If you bought enough cable to support the boat at the highest elevation that would allow you to reach the water then rigged a a short extension cables for the 4 points from the same grade of cable as the installed one. Then roll it up and take off the temp.

When the water level rises you remove the temp additions.

I did a terrible job of explaining that.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

The only thing I can think of is 4 chain falls and 4 strap extensions.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

ok here is your answer:

First go up to home depot and buy some rope, I think 1/2" Double braid will be more then adequate when used at all four corners of your boat, probably talking 50' total length needed and cut the 50' into 4 equal lengths.

Raise your boat to within 10 inches of the lifts max and tie your boat to the frame of the lift or in your case the structure and then to all four corners of your boat and then lower the boat and take the weight off your lift, then you can extend the cables as needed and simply raise your boat off the ropes and your off and running.

Piece of cake.

On another note, once you have your boat on the ropes and off the lift I would then raise your lift as high as possible, I think your max will be where your pulleys on each corner of the boat max out on height, so instead of lengthening your cables I would add length to your pulleys via chain or something, I think it would be much easier and would allow you to adjust things as water levels increase or decrease, keep in mind I would change nothing on your lift I would simply add chain below the pulleys at the four corners of your boat, make sense?

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

Get one long strap that will support in excess of half the weight of the toon. Crank up the lift as high as it will go and secure the new long strap to the rafters. Lower the lift until the new strap is holding the weight, unhook and extend the old cable. Raise the lift until the weight is off the new strap and remove it. Repeat for the other end.

 

[EricJRW]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

I really like the idea of adding length between the pulley and the strap as this would mean not having to mess with the existing cables...

However, the pulley is welded to the metal plates that clamp the strap.

The idea of hanging the boat with rope to manipulate the setup is good. That may come in handy. I think hanging several feet below max up would allow me: suspend boat, decouple, add extension (location TBD), raise to take up slack, remove ropes. When (if) lake returns to normal levels, reverse process. Now I just need to look more closely at the setup.

Thanks for giving me so much to think about.

Eric

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

can you get me a pic of the pulley setup and the way the pulleys attach to your boat? I got a couple ideas banging around in my squash....

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

I've been told that with conventional boat lifts you are never supposed to take the weight of the frame off the cable, such as by hitting bottom; they have to always stay tight. It has to do with the way the cables wrap the drum. That may not be the case in your set up, but still, be careful.

 

[colbyt]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

Bolding added to quote

I've been told that with conventional boat lifts you are never supposed to take the weight of the frame off the cable, such as by hitting bottom; they have to always stay tight. It has to do with the way the cables wrap the drum. That may not be the case in your set up, but still, be careful.

Extremely good point and most likely very accurate. Probably can be revised to say "never release the tension from the cable" or it will unwind like a spring. So some capture / tension method must be devised as well as the length issue.

 

[scubacuda]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

make safety chains good idea to have them any way, lol bubba so close yet so far

 

[EricJRW]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

can you get me a pic of the pulley setup and the way the pulleys attach to your boat? I got a couple ideas banging around in my squash....

I'm attaching a few more pictures. While I don't have a good picture that shows everything in one picture, the attached pictures may paint the necessary picture. I will definitely take better pictures next time I am down. I've also attached of a picture of the lake level of years past (pulley and strap can also be seen).

Oh, and very good point about keeping tension on the cables. I friend re-did his cables and it took five of us (one each corner, one on the switch) to get them put back on properly (i.e. wound snug).

How low can you go? Not low enough.
Upper pulley and "pipe" the cable wraps around. Note end of cable, from pulley on strap, wrapped around dock structure.
Lower pulley and strap
Expected lake level (sadly Lake Granbury is not a "constant level" lake, and this year its showing badly - Even the main boat ramp for the lake is closed)

Thank you for your continued help, and sense of humor.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

what I am looking for is how the pulleys attach to the straps, a pic of that would be great if you have it.

 

[EricJRW]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

what I am looking for is how the pulleys attach to the straps, a pic of that would be great if you have it.

I looked, but that's the one picture I don't have... As I recall the pulley is welded to the metal plates that clamp the strap. I remember specifically looking at this and coming to the conclusion that the pulley can't be removed (easily) from the strap... But you got me thinking, I wonder if I could attach a pulley to the pulley? This pulley-pulley connection would give me extra length. the only questions is if a "double-pulley" exists? I guess the double pulley is the same as the block part of a block and tackle. The only problem I see is that the load would not be distributed evenly (down on one pulley, up on the other). Time to do some googling.

Continued thanks,

Eric

 

[snowman48047]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?



Undo the crimps at these 4 locations and add a section of chain? There looks to be a foot or more of cable wrapped around the post.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

Can you float and motor out with the lake at that level?

 

[The_Kid]

Re: Lake is low, cables don't reach water. Solution?

If the center pin is removable on the strap pulleys you could move it to a second pulley which would attach to the original pulley with a length of cable. Attached is a crude drawing of what I mean.

Blue is the original cable moved to new pulley.
Red is new cable attaching new pulley to original pulley/belt.



4 of these pulleys would hold the load. BLD Riggin' Block only w/ Shackle | Boat Lift Distributors, Inc.