All About Boat Lifts

If you have a Commander Boat Lift Motor with a touch pad and would like to change the PIN code, here is what you do.

If the unit's code has never been changed from the factory;

1. First enter the code "1", "2", "3", "4"
2. Press and hold the code key down and at the same time, press the "2" button and release them at the same time
3. Once the red LED starts blinking, enter your own custom 4 digit code
4. The LED will automatically go out and your system has accepted the new code

If you would like to change your custom code;

1. First enter your code to unlock the unit
2. Press and hold the code key down and at the same time, press the "2" button and release them at the same time
3. Once the red LED starts blinking, enter your own custom 4 digit code
4. The LED will stop flashing once the 4th digit is entered and your new code will be active

 

To program or re-program your Key Fob remotes, here is what you do.

1. On the touch pad, press and hold the Code key down and press the "1" key and release them at the same time
2. The red LED on the touchpad will activate for 5 seconds
3. Press the Up button on the Key Fob
4. The red LED light will go out once the signal is received

 

Hope this helps...have a great day!

 

ShoreStation has been in the boat lift industry for over 50 years.  Many of the older freestanding lifts you see on lakes today are ShoreStation lifts.

This year ShoreStation will be releasing a newly designed aluminum cradle for there freestanding lifts. The "MS" model lifts will offer an all aluminum cradle and a lift wide stainless steel and brass fasteners package. They will still offer the galvanized steel cradle and zinc plated fasteners on the manual lifts. They will also offer a retro fit kit that would allow the owner of a ShoreStation to replace their lift cradle with the new all aluminum cradle.

This new aluminum platform is uniquely designed with an extrusion that allow the bunks, side guides and motor stop to be easily attached. There are channels extruded into the cradle design in to front and rear cross tube. The corner guides have also been redesigned and do not surround the upright.

ShoreStation now has a lot of options for their lifts, they now offer;

• Manual lifts
• Standard hull or pontoon kits
• AC and DC direct drive powered
• AC and DC hydraulic powered
• All aluminum with stainless steel and brass fasteners
• Deep water kits

Key features of a ShoreStation;

• Stainless steel cables
• Vinyl and aluminum Ultrabunks
• Sealed roller bearings in winch tube
• Motor stop included

 

Choosing a boat lift motor for your freestanding boat lift can be less confusing if you know the different options that are now available.  When it comes to after market boat lift motors, the two most popular types are the direct drive or chain drive winch mount and the wheel to wheel drive.

Winch Mount Direct Drive and Chain Drive

Winch mount units like the Lift Tech Marine (shown above), the Shore Commander and the chain driven Sidewinder have become very popular and work for many different brands of lifts. They replace the wheel on your lift and can be operated with the turn of a key, toggle swith or key fob remote. These units can be powered with 12v DC or 110v AC. The Lift Tech Marine DC unit allows the user to use 12v or 24v and the lift speed doubles when using 24v.  Each unit also has a back-up that allows you to use the unit even if your power source has failed.

Lift Tech Marine features:

• 110v AC or 12v/24v DC power options
• turn key or remote operation
• easy installation and low maintenance
• fairly quite operation
• comes with back-up bit that allows you to use a battery powered drill to raise and lower lift
• 2 year warranty on motor
• Optional Accessories - Push button pendant and Solar Panel
• Average price $685 with key operation, $900 with remote

Sidewinder features:

• 110v AC or 12v DC power options
• toggle switch or remote operation
• comes with back-up handle to manually crank lift up and down
• 1 year warranty on motor
• Average price $625 with key operation, $900 with remote

Shore Commander features:

Note: Shore Commander is no longer in business, but there are many of their motors still on the market. If you have a motor that is grey in color and has a grey plastic enclosure, the 2 year warranty on the motor is still honored by the company that makes the motors, not Shore Commander. If you are looking at buying one of these units, make sure it has the grey motor and plastic enclosure. For more information, contact www.boatliftanddock.com.

 

Wheel to Wheel Drives or Wheel Assists

The wheel to wheel units or Wheel Assists like the Lift Mate and Shore Riser allow you to keep the wheel on your lift. The unit is mounted to the upright, below the winch while the rubber wheel is placed up against the lifts wheel. With the flip of a toggle or push button remote, the rubber wheel begins to turn the wheel on your lift. These units have been around a long time and if you live on a lake with freestanding lifts, you have probably seen or used one of these units. The mounting hardware that comes with the unit allows the motor to be attached to almost any lift.

The biggest selling feature for the wheel to wheel units is that they can be powered by your boats battery using a quick connect. This keeps you from running power out over your dock or using another battery. The other features are very similar and they pretty much work the same.

It is important to make sure that the mounting hardware is set-up in a way that it keeps the rubber wheel tight against your wheel. Try to keep the mounting brackets as short as possible. You can also disengage the unit when lowering your lift, this saves power and you can lower your boat faster.

If the wheel on your lift is wet, the rubber wheel may slip a bit under load.

 

 

When it comes to choosing a freestanding lift or hoist for your boat, pontoon or PWC , there are a few things you will need to know to ensure you purchase a lift that works best with your watercraft. Knowing the overall weight and beam of your boat is the best place to start. This will allow you to choose the correct weight capacity and the correct inside width.

 

 

Finding the Overall Weight

When determining the overall weight of a watercraft, you will need to account for the dry weight of the unit, fuel, gear, the weight of any non factory additions and additional water on board. This will give you a more accurate weight allowing you to choose the correct lift capacity.

 

• The dry weight of a watercraft is usually provided in the brochure or specification sheet for the unit. Another great resource for this information is www.NADAGuides.com. The dry weight provide usually does not account for outboard motors.

• Depending on the temperature, type and blend, gasoline weighs 5.91 to 6.42 lbs (2.69 to 2.91 kg) per gallon. With this information and the capacity of your fuel tank, you can determine how much a full talk of gas will add to your boats overall weight.

• Take a look at everything stored in your boat...skis, wakeboards, anchors, etc. You will need to account for the weight of these items also.

• Non factory additions would be anything added to your watercraft that was not installed from the factory like wakeboard towers, bimini tops or additional seating.

• Water weighs 8.34 lbs (3.79 kg) per gallon. Account for any live wells, ballasts or sacks that may be full when lifting your watercraft.

 

Once you have found the weight of your boat, pontoon or PWC and everything in it, you can then determine the correct boat lift weight capacity needed for your watercraft.

 

Finding the Beam

You will then want to find the beam. The beam of a boat, pontoon or PWC is the most extreme width or breath of the watercraft. Basically the widest portion of your boat. You can then determine the inside width needed to easily park your boat on the lift. It is a good idea to give yourself at least a 10” to 12” cushion.

 

Know the Lake Bottom

Once you have found the weight capacity and max beam needed for your boat, knowing the area the boat lift will be installed is very helpful.

 

• You will want to know the depth of the water where the lift will sit. There is about a 10' spread between the front and rear feet. Getting measurements for where both the front and rear feet will sit is a good idea. Freestanding lifts work best in depths between 2' and 9' of water depending on your boat and the lift set-up.

• You will also want to know whether the bottom is solid or soft. Freestanding lifts can be place is lakes with soft bottoms, but it can require more work to get them level. If you find that your lake bottom is to deep or to soft to install a freestanding lift, there are lifts that can be mounted to a dock, a seawall or even pilings.

You now should have enough information to choose a freestanding lift for your boat.

 

When choosing a boat lift canopy, make sure you get an accurate measurement of your boat. Many times the factory supplied measurements do not include platforms. The most important job for a canopy is to protect your boat from the sun, so you want to make sure that it covers you boat completely. It is a good idea to choose a canopy length that is at least 2' longer than the overall length of your boat.

 

The skirt on a canopy cover is the portion that hangs down on the sides. This usually measures between 16” and 20” on a standard canopy. The goal is to raise your boat up under the canopy far enough that the skirt hangs to the rub rail on your boat. Canopy covers can also be ordered with longer skirts to achieve this. If a canopy skirt is too long, it can cause wind whip and fray the ends of the cover. Sleeves can also be added on the inside of the cover that would allow the sides to be tied down to the uprights. ShoreStation actually has weighted canopy ends that helps to keep the cover from flapping in the wind.

 

A wakeboard towers make completely covering your boat even more of a challenge. Some manufactures have recently come out with a tower canopy that has framework that drops down 4' on each side of the lift and zippers for entry. These canopys do a great job but usually cost as much if not more than the lift itself.

 

So when you are trying to determine the canopy you need for your boat and boat lift, just make sure that it covers the majority of your boat when in the up position.