This is what happens when someone else runs your boat lift

Dream_Inn

After a nice evening Thursday night stopping in at a local waterfront restaurant and coming back to my dock...this is what I saw...

It was actually still caught under the dock with the lift broken.  The cleaners were done with the boat and then left the lift on and walked away...thinking the sensor would shut it off.  It didn't and kept running until the front cables snapped, bow went under the dock, then the stern cable broke and the boat went sideways under the dock.  Luckily she didn't sink.

Lake_Bum

Wow! There goes the rest of summer waiting on that insurance claim! 

Black_Diamond

1. Would not want that boat back 
2.  Would have been bettee if it sank IMO. lol

Trashman

Please tell me that's not your boat

LaRea

And tell me the detailer is paid-up on his insurance premiums.

J3ff

What do you mean left on and sensors stop it? 

mvn

The switch was put in the "up" position with the assumption that there were limit switches that would turn the winch off once in the full up position (similar to the trim limit  switch on your outdrive). 

Mark 

Wildboating

Wow,  talk about a bad day.  

reneechris14

Regular maintenence and your boat is destroyed that sucks

Trashman

Dream hasn't confirmed whether this was his boat.   I'm assuming it was since he hasn't posted any updates. At this point he's probably had enough of the bad luck and finally choked someone and is in jail.  Man, I look at that damage and wonder how the heII is that gonna get fixed. ... I still hope it isn't his boat. 

ChesapeakeChiller

@Trashman Dreams boat is white on white so this must be a dock neighbor that had the misfortune.

Trashman

ChesapeakeChiller said:

@Trashman Dreams boat is white on white so this must be a dock neighbor that had the misfortune.

Oh boy, that's great news.  ... Not for the other guy.    

zaverin1

99.99 % marinas will run the hoist and set boats
detailers only do what they do best.

davidbrooks

Definitely not the Dream Inn.  Man happy that wasn't me or there would be mothers running to cover their kids ears or they would learn a whole new way to stitch together bad words.  At my marina i have only ever seen two people operate the lift.  The owner and his senior guy...and i am one slip away from it.

raybo3

Looking at that picture didn't someone add that red stripe on their boat??????

Dream_Inn

Sorry guys, I've been boating all weekend and getting my boat ready for the 10-day trip to VA beach!  This boat was about 5 or 6 slips down from me.  Some of the lifts have the switches where you can have them run and stop at a limit.  There is also a switch that let's you override it.  My lift you have to hold the button (or remote) to operate the lift.  It can be a pain, but also makes sure you stay there to watch it.  There is only 3 people I know that would ever be allowed to operate my lift (2 are dock neighbors with identical boats and lifts, the third is the guy that fixes/maintains my lift)

raybo3

Hey DI is that a Rinker and is he a RBOC member????

Dream_Inn

raybo3 said:

Hey DI is that a Rinker and is he a RBOC member????

It's a 3560 Regal.  Absolutely beautiful boat!  Owner just bought it last year.

raybo3

Yeah I thought it was but wanted to ask. Looks just like a boat that was at my club a couple years ago. What a shame something like that happening. 

MarkB

Glad it wasn't your boat. That's a mess. 

Dream_Inn

MarkB said:

Glad it wasn't your boat. That's a mess. 

Thanks!  Me too!  If had, I actually think I would've gotten out of boating!  I've been thru enough the last 5 years to last for a very long time!

zaverin1

Oh I thought you meant a lift like in a picture?
you mean just a regular above water hoist
i was gonna say what marina allows people to drive around and operate boat lifts lol
specially having your private 

Dream_Inn

Oh sorry, I guess the picture can make it appear I was talking about that type of lift.  Yes, I'm talking about a regular boat lift in your slip that you'd use each weekend.

Here are a couple more pics...

J3ff

ah, yes, you had us thinking a marina staff did that on the travel lift!!

zaverin1

Wow

Handymans342

I feel his pain

Dream_Inn

You know, this past Wednesday, I was doing a favor for a good boating friend. I had to put his lift down a bit....I heard this crackle sound, and well, his cables spool on top of itself (like a fishing reel), not a good thing. So I looked at it when it made the noise and it looked frayed. I thought, not good, I'm gonna leave it alone.....SNAP! yep one cable broke, port stern hit the water. Luckily I was able to put it in the water with no damage...but boy do I feel stupid. I should've shut it off immediately and said I don't like it. Heck, no more running anyone else's lift!

Handymans342

Yes. Visual inspections every time Dream

ChesapeakeChiller

Dream_Inn said:

You know, this past Wednesday, I was doing a favor for a good boating friend. I had to put his lift down a bit....I heard this crackle sound, and well, his cables spool on top of itself (like a fishing reel), not a good thing. So I looked at it when it made the noise and it looked frayed. I thought, not good, I'm gonna leave it alone.....SNAP! yep one cable broke, port stern hit the water. Luckily I was able to put it in the water with no damage...but boy do I feel stupid. I should've shut it off immediately and said I don't like it. Heck, no more running anyone else's lift!

Two broken lifts wow scary! Does that Marina own the lifts or the slip holder?

Dream_Inn

Mostly the slip holders own the lifts.  There has actually been 3 lifts that have snapped, but only two to neglect.  I believe most are the 7/16 SS.  I measured for @handymans342 -he'll remember what I told him.  The larger lifts cables don't wind in top of itself.  Mine is also a 4 motor lift.  Again, people just need to maintain them a bit better and monitor much better. If I had one burr in the cable, I'd be replacing it.  Unfortunately I had to just replace two gearplates.