Leave it in the water or take it out?
 

I am thinking about getting a 35' Fountain this coming spring. I hate leaving my boats outside, let alone in the water and I am looking for some input from you guys. My garage is only 39' long inside so I will have to store it outside anyway, but how do these boats hold up to being left at the dock all summer?

Don't leave it in the water. It should be on a lift and make every effort to keep it dry.
Jim

I leave mine in the water. The bottom turns yellow, that's the only real drawback. I pull it out and clean it, and clean the bilge on a semi-regular basis.

Your bottom may blister, don't do it. Although some here do.

Where do you get a boat lift big enough to hold a 35'. You would need something like a 10000 lift wouldn't you? Can a lift that size easily be removed from the shore for the winter ice?

I don,t know where you are. I'm grew up in the Chesapeake Bay Area, There are numerous companies that make lifts. Regionally there are different favorites. Some float , more mount on pilings. The ones on pilings can endure the winter. If you are in a hard freeze area a bubbler may be nec. too. See what is popular in your specific area.
Jim

my buddy has his 35 on 9000lb hydrohoist, and it's pretty maxxed out. If he steps on the pontoon to get on the boat, its almost enough to start sinking the whole assembly.

I would go with a 12k lift. You will be much happier. They are longer and will enable you to get to the stern of the boat for prop changes and transom cleaning.

any marina that has a travel lift or forklift can launch/retrieve the lift.......although, hydroihoist says you can leave them for the winter and they will come up on top of the ice.
Here's my Sonic on a 12k hydrohoist.....and a 38 fountain on a 12k hydrohoist.

The Hydrohoist looks great. I also found one called Boatport and they have a dealer an hour away from my house. Anyone have any experience with the boatport lifts?

Here is my 35 Cig on a 14,000lb Hydro Hoist. It picks it up like it is not even there.

And my old 29' Fountain on a 10K lb Hydro Hoist

Whatever you do, dont leave them in the water for an extended period.

I had the expensive aluminum lift, but when the Great Lakes water level dropped, I couldn't get the lift low enough to float the boat on...Then came the AIRDOCK...
IT WORKS PERFECTLY FOR MY 35 LIGHTNING! It ties up at 4 corners between docks or poles, is really cheap, easy to put in and take out, and is a stable platform when the boat is on it.
Look at AIRDOCK.COM The owner's name is Ken, and he rocks. Carder

I keep my 35 06 Lightening in a coverd slip in a 15k lb sling.
I also keep a full cover over it. The important thing to know is sling placment. Obviously a metal frame support with tralier like bunks would a better way to hang a boat. Their is a fella at the marina that incorparates a large galv metal frame asbly that can be reaised and lowered like a sling . I also recomend
to never let the boat just hang long term. Every time I come back in I reposition a few feet back or forward in order to equal out stresses.

Nice lookin Cig btw.

Thanks. We love it.:drink:

I love my polylift......the boat sits very high out of the water. Dont even have to touch my drive b/c its about 1.5 feet off the water at its lowest setting. Very heavy galvanized steel construction.

I like the Poly Lift product as well and would rather have one of those but my Marina has a deal with Hydro Hoist so that is what I had to get.

I have a lift for sale for $3,000.00 It holds my 42 triple Fountain fine. Let me know if you are interested. Tom

Do you have pictures and where are you located?

You can leave it in the water without blistering the hull. Many people do. I've had mine in the water for a few years with no problems, and I know of plenty of other people who leave their boats in all summer with no anti-fouling paint and no problems with the gelcoat.

If you have had the bottom repainted, or have custom paint on the boat, then no, I wouldn't leave it in the water. If it's factory gelcoat, it should be fine. Just pull it and clean / inspect a couple of times a year.

I think that it all depends on the water that you are leaving it in. I know that any boat left in Lake Havasu or even the Sacramento river delta if left in for a year will blister the gelcoat. I have seen this over and over again, doesn't matter what brand of boat it is. I do know that the water in Lake Havasu is very alkali (sp?). It seems almost harder on my boat than the salt water of the ocean.

I think it is a 14,000lb lift, I am 40 miles north of Houston on a fresh water lake

Diameter of the tanks is 33 inches

outside tanks are 23.5 feet

centet tank is 9 feet

Galva Lift is the maker. Thanks, Tom

Good point. I'm in fresh water in the great lakes. If I were in salt water I probably wouldn't leave my boat in the water for any length of time.

My 10,000 lb Hydrohoist works well with my 35. At LOTO most leave them on the hoists year round. Let's hope that we don't get any more ice!

I am just outside of Toronto. By the time I pay a carrier to bring that home I think I would be better off to find something closer to home. Thanks for the advice though!!!

here's my 35 ex on a nine k hydro hoist no problem

i just hooked up my new to me 10,000 lbs hydro lift and im gonna put the boat on it tom. is there any secrets that i should know?not sure how to know if it is in far enough?i'm just a little weird about how little there is actually lifting the boat?any help would be great i'll take some pictures and post later.

I'm getting a 20000 pound HydroHoist next week for my brand new 38 Fountain. I too am a bit nervous about using this lift which I never anticipated buying until the dealer convinced me it is sacreligious to put bottom paint on a new Fountain.

Hey wherebouts?

Belleville area. Where are you?

If you have the model B there are four posts tie a rope to the stern post after you try a couple of time to see where the boat sits best then tie off to a cleat.the rope acts as a stopping point evey time then just lift.

Im actually in Whitby.......used to take my boat to the Belleville Water Fest every year.......it was alotta fun.

Its a small world. I grew up in Pickering and work in Whitby occasionally.

Raise the tanks up evenly, don't stand on any of them when going up or down. Do not let the weight shift. Thats about it, sure beats loading it on and off the trailer.

Is this lift still available, Tom?

Yes it is:):)

I have my 35 on a 12k sunstream. Is works great.