Sailboat in a lift?

[ost]

If you are willing to lose a couple of feet in length the S2 6.9/22 (22') are shallow draft and come in less than 3000 pounds. Mine has a relatively flat bottom so putting it on a lift should be easy. Also, with the centerboard up draft is a little less than a foot.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

I can think of one sailboat (a Merit 25) that I have ever seen on a lift, and that's after working in Bay Area marinas for over 18 years.

You'll see them more frequently behind houses and condos, along canals, rather than in marinas. Of course, it's not the majority of sailboats that are on lifts. Not even the majority of small sailboats. But they are not all that uncommon. Take a boat up and down the canals around Treasure Island, FL and you'll see several in just that small area.

Like I said, maybe less common in other areas, but not that unusual around here.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by Jim-n-Bev

I poked around the forum and struggling if there is a better subset for this question (anchoring seemed as close as I could find, but that didn't seem to be a good fit)... Please point me in a better direction on this post if there is a better fit...

I've sailed for several years on and off, but looking seriously at taking the plunge and buying that first sailboat. We live in Southwest Florida with lots of shallow water, so we're looking for a boat ~25ft with a shoal draft or centerboard.

Plan is to put the boat on a lift and if we have a draft of 18-30", that shouldn't be a problem. But I'm thinking about the "next boat"

So first, is that a reasonable plan at this point for a 25 footer with a shallow draft? I've seen some sailboats on lifts around here, so it seems like a good way to avoid a lot bottom maintenance (even with bottom paint, i expect you'll still have to periodically wipe down the belly).

Finally, here is my question -- where is the cut-off draft-wise or length-wise or displacement-wise to realistically fit on a lift? Eventually, we are looking forward to retirement and hopefully extended cruises (which I know will need to get the bottom cleaned up after a long trip, but the rest of the time would be great to keep out of the water and avoid the barnacles).

Any insights or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Getting back on topic. Any boat can be lifted out of the water- it all depends on budget of course. It may just turn out that its not financially viable to use a lift on a cheap 25footer or it may suit you perfectly.

http://www.cargolaw.com/images/Disaster2000.Cole.12.GIF

Your question may be better pointed to a "lift" company who can give you an indicative price on creating a lift for your boat.

Effectively, it appears that you're really looking for a "trailer yacht" that you will keep on the water. There is no shortage of TYs in that size range.

The "next boat" may be simply too big and price prohibitive. Assuming the next boat is a 35 footer cruiser. There is probably a good reason there aren't lifts all over the waterways for these larger boats.

[Rocketman]

Here is a pic of a sailboat on a lift in SW Florida

[letsgetsailing3]

Nobody was questioning that this is possible.

The question is over this being a primary concern when selecting a boat, and cost effectiveness.

It's pretty rare in the big scheme of things, and there is a reason for that. Most people use a sailboat less than they think they will before they purchase it. If your use of a sailboat is going to be so infrequent that this is a primary driver in your initial decision, I have to question whether getting a boat is the right thing to do.

I you already own a house on the water, or already own a boat, it could make sense. Otherwise, you're talking about slip fees/the cost of a dock, and the cost of a lift, all so you don't have to maintain the bottom?

Look at it a different way. I always see a lot of unused boats at the marina. Yes, their bottoms need cleaning, but they're also sitting in the sun and rain, developing leaks, batteries dying, and generally decaying. No use is abuse.

So if you are thinking you're not going to use the boat much before you even buy it, perhaps you should consider a charter situation.

Just consider all your options.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

It's pretty rare in the big scheme of things...

Once again, where you live, maybe, but not all that rare around here.

Yes, there are good reasons to consider not doing it, but there are also some good reasons for doing it. That is why so many people on the west coast of Florida keep their boats--including small sailboats--up on lifts. Since the OP is from this area, and not from where ever it is that you think this is so rare, it's worthwhile for him to know that putting a small sailboat up on a lift is not especially uncommon in this area.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Once again, where you live, maybe, but not all that rare around here.

Yes, there are good reasons to consider not doing it, but there are also some good reasons for doing it. That is why so many people on the west coast of Florida keep their boats--including small sailboats--up on lifts. Since the OP is from this area, and not from where ever it is that you think this is so rare, it's worthwhile for him to know that putting a small sailboat up on a lift is not especially uncommon in this area.

Aw, don't go trying to mix small powerboats into the discussion. Small powerboats make up 99% of the boats on lifts. For the most part, their bottoms aren't painted. They spend time after every outing flushing their motors and rinsing the bottom of their boat. If they spend more than a week out, they have a major chore cleaning their bottom if they're in saltwater in FL.

The OP explained his situation, and it might make sense in his particular case (boat size, frequency of use), but let's not get carried away. The lift and electrical hookup to support it may cost more than the boat.

[Jim-n-Bev]

Thanks all for your input and great discussion around the whole matter. We ended up buying a Catalina 250 (water ballast) which has a 20" draft. Putting this boat on a lift looks very doable and that is still the plan. It sounds like some of the posts indicate that anything over 30ft may be pretty pricey - we'll research and determine whether it is cost prohibitive for us... Thanks all! Appreciate your help on this!

[denverd0n]

Saw an O'Day 37, center cockpit sloop up on a lift just the other day. I'm sure the cost goes up exponentially with the size of the boat, but obviously at least one person found it quite feasible for a 37' long, 14,000 lbs. sailboat, with a 5' draft.

[rdkinard]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Saw an O'Day 37, center cockpit sloop up on a lift just the other day. I'm sure the cost goes up exponentially with the size of the boat, but obviously at least one person found it quite feasible for a 37' long, 14,000 lbs. sailboat, with a 5' draft.

We're interested in where you saw the O'Day 37 on a lift, since ours will soon be Wintering over in the canals of Punta Gorda, FL.

[Group9]

I've seen a lot of them on lifts on the ICW in the northern gulf. Some with bottom paint, and some without. I don't know that I have ever seen one over 35 feet though.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by rdkinard

We're interested in where you saw the O'Day 37 on a lift, since ours will soon be Wintering over in the canals of Punta Gorda, FL.

The one I saw was in the Port Charlotte area, so right across the river from Punta Gorda.

[jeremiason]

Originally Posted by rdkinard

We're interested in where you saw the O'Day 37 on a lift, since ours will soon be Wintering over in the canals of Punta Gorda, FL.

We just took a motor boat up the canals of Punta Gorda Isles to check and see if we can get our boat up to the "Bird" Section... The canals are deep enough, although the entrance could be iffy if the northwinds are blowing the water out of Charlotte Harbor, which occurred the day we went up. The lowest we saw between the #1 Channel Marker and the actual canals was 5'10" at low tide.

During our trip we saw several sailboats in lifts... the largest I saw was about 36 feet. I also saw a 42 foot power boat in a lift.

There are a number of 20-30k pound boat lifts on the market, all you need is money.

If you like, contact me off list and we can chat about Punta Gorda... We are in Fishermans Village right now until our new home closes on June 25th

[Autumns Wind]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

No, lots of people DON'T do this. It's a relative rarity.

I have to disagree... In Punta Gorda a lot of people have sailboats on lifts for some reason. I have seen some pretty big boats 25'-30' with fin keels. I would say it realy depends on preferences. Keeping ot in the water has at leastly a monthly maintance fee of a bottom cleaning, which can add up. In the summer I clean my haul every 2 Weeks. If you had it on a lift, that would be no different then on a trailer. I would find someone who has a lift for there sailboat and ask them how they like it and get a personal reference. If you got the money go for it. Let us know how it works out.

[Autumns Wind]

Originally Posted by jeremiason

We just took a motor boat up the canals of Punta Gorda Isles to check and see if we can get our boat up to the "Bird" Section... The canals are deep enough, although the entrance could be iffy if the northwinds are blowing the water out of Charlotte Harbor, which occurred the day we went up. The lowest we saw between the #1 Channel Marker and the actual canals was 5'10" at low tide.

During our trip we saw several sailboats in lifts... the largest I saw was about 36 feet. I also saw a 42 foot power boat in a lift.

There are a number of 20-30k pound boat lifts on the market, all you need is money.

If you like, contact me off list and we can chat about Punta Gorda... We are in Fishermans Village right now until our new home closes on June 25th

OFF TOPIC, sorry
How do you like Fishermans Village? I just call them this morning and inquired about there liveaboard rates. We are thinking about moving more south for a while.