Uploaded July 2008 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Problem: Without weight on the lift, loose or slack boat lift cradle cables usually appear on the inboard or dockside part of the boat lift cradle. This happens because the OUTER Nylatron (or stainless) sheave pulley wheels (canal side) are sticking or the lift wants to float (is too BUOYANT). The carpeted wooden pontoon boat and v-hull bunks try to float when the lift cradle is in the water which makes the cables have slack in them. This is a common problem and can easily be fixed by adding additional ballast weight to the shore side of the lift. Shown in this video is a combination lift that can be used by either a V-hull or a pontoon boat. Since this lift is double-bunked for either hull style, the extra wood means extra floatation and buoyancy. Instead of using traditional cable weights, low profile cinderblocks were added to the old flat pontoon boat bunks to add just enough weight to help the lift cradles sink. Another (more expensive) solution is to replace the wood bunks with galvanized steel or aluminum bunks with zero buoyancy.
Problem: Without weight on the lift, loose or slack boat lift cradle cables usually appear on the inboard or dockside part of the boat lift cradle. This happens because the OUTER Nylatron (or stainless) sheave pulley wheels (canal side) are sticking or the lift wants to float (is too BUOYANT). The carpeted wooden pontoon boat and v-hull bunks try to float when the lift cradle is in the water which makes the cables have slack in them. This is a common problem and can easily be fixed by adding additional ballast weight to the shore side of the lift. Shown in this video is a combination lift that can be used by either a V-hull or a pontoon boat. Since this lift is double-bunked for either hull style, the extra wood means extra floatation and buoyancy. Instead of using traditional cable weights, low profile cinderblocks were added to the old flat pontoon boat bunks to add just enough weight to help the lift cradles sink. Another (more expensive) solution is to replace the wood bunks with galvanized steel or aluminum bunks with zero buoyancy.
