Using a trailer as a lift to boathouse

[dksask]

just wondering if anyone has seen or heard of using their boat trailer as a lift system into a boathouse?<br /><br />We have had a cottage and boathouse(used mainly for storage)for a few years and it came with a small fishing boat. For years I used to just pull the small boat up on the beach for storage when we are not there. Well I finally have saved enough cash to buy a bigger boat and I want to store it in the boathouse. I was thinking that I could use the boat trailer and winch back the trailer from the boathouse into the lake and drive the boat onto the trailer,just as I would at the launch, then winch the whole trailer and boat into the boathouse as a unit instead of buying a track lift system.<br /><br />I would put a ATV tire on the front which would allow the trailer to move freely without digging into the sand.<br /><br />Does anyone see any problems with this?<br /><br />Thanks

 

[JB]

Re: Using a trailer as a lift to boathouse

I have seen that done, Don. It looked like it worked fine.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Using a trailer as a lift to boathouse

Sounds like a brilliant solution to me, and the ATV wheel sounds like it would work perfectly.<br /><br />Depending on the soil type there at your lakeside, you might want to lay some concrete stepping stones as a track for the trailer tires, or, better yet, pour a ramp.

 

[umblecumbuz]

Re: Using a trailer as a lift to boathouse

It's gotta depend on ground hardness and angle of slope.<br /><br />If they're within limits, and you can get a straight pull, of course it'll work. On another thread, you'll see that where we boat we pull trailers up ramps and slopes like that all the time. Standard practice. If you're using wire on your winch, it's better for a long haul than webbing, because the webbing has a tendency to stretch like elastic when you're winding it in.

 

[BF]

Re: Using a trailer as a lift to boathouse

We used the trailer in our boathouse. But there was a track system there already. So we removed the trailer axle, fender assembly (had it's own little rectangular frame with the fenders lights etc on it). Then we just used the long side rails, tongue and rollers etc. Mounted a couple cross members across the existing steel-wheeled cart that the previous owner used for his smaller boat, and U-bolted the trailer frame onto it. We more or less drive the boat onto it (but there is still the trailer winch up front to pull it the last couple feet if need be). Then we winch the whole thing up the track into the boat house, pulling from the cart. It's been workin' for close to 20 years now. The weakness in our system is the rails not being rigid enough, which creates a dip just outside the boathouse door, which causes the front wheels of the cart to want to jump out of the tracks.<br /><br />When/if we redo the rail system, we'll make up a new cart with bunks. If you ever go to a rail system, make sure it comes out of the water for the winter. The hot ticket is having a pulley at the top of the boathouse and the rails hinged so for the winter you lift it up like a drawbridge. With ours, we have to lift/pull/slide the rails out of water in the fall (no fun).<br /><br />good luck.<br /><br />oh, and the biggest down-side for us is that we have no trailer to use. It's not that bad, since the boat never goes anywhere else, and I do all maintanance/repairs. But it can still be a pain. Working on the motor in the dark boathouse right at water's edge isn't always the best. You might want to consider whether you'd be able to get your trailer out to use if you break your boat mid season.

 

[Twidget]

Re: Using a trailer as a lift to boathouse

At the lake my Dad has a house on, that is a popular method of getting boats out of the water.<br /><br />When he bought the house, my Dads had some rails running to the water, with a trailer on the rails. The trailer had 12" wheels with the tires taken off. The rims rode the rails sort of like a train. There was an electric winch to pull the whole rig into the boathouse(read tin shed). <br /><br />It was an old rig when he bought the house, he used it for 10 more years, then built a floating dock.

 

[tommays]

Re: Using a trailer as a lift to boathouse

in the really grand scale i have a friend who does it with a 34 ft sailboat on rail he had put in his backyard <br /><br />not to sure it thrills the folks next door