Seasonal Dock Lifting

[PSU]

Hello Friends

 

Well it appears our dock company will not be able to lift our dock this season (Frazer Bay/Smart's Bay area) due to his lifting barge only being in this area first weekend in October and we like to keep the dock in until after MEA (this year ending October 21). Any suggestions? It's a pretty simple A Frame with a ladder and an L. I know I could do it myself, but have always preferred to have someone else do it.

 

Thanks for any insight 

[Fish Head]

I use Manick.  You didn't mention who your regular dock company is. 

[PSU]

Fish Head, we have been using Wright Docks for many years

[fishingdad]

PSU -  I have No idea if it is still there  but earlier this spring there was a sign along the road at the Moccasin Point turn off from HWY 77 ( Just before the Vermilion Club ) that somebody was advertising they would do dock install & removal along with lawn mowing.  If nobody responds by the weekend I will let you know if it is still there.

[Fish Head]

I've seen that sign too, but I don't remember seeing it lately.  I will be up there this weekend also.  

[redlabguy]

PSU,

We use Eagle Docks. They’re out of Greenwood’s Bay, not too far from you. October 23 might be a problem for them (we pay extra to stay after Oct. 1), but it can’t hurt to ask. They aren’t cheap but I’ve always had good service.

Dick

[partyonpine]

We have 3 lifts and 2 docks, I am able to do the 2 lifts with my buddies and 1 dock by myself. Our power lift and smaller dock have to stay in.  Eagle dock does a good job but it really burns my butt that they charge an early in and late out charge.  We are on Pine so essentially we have to pay extra to be able to use our cabin outside of Memorial Day-Labor Day?  My mother is 71 and she goes up by herself all the time and the power lift allows her to do so,.  Has anyone come across any giant wheels to put on a power lift?  Our two non power lifts I just horse out with the prys and sheer muscle.  I wish I could do the same with the power lift.  Does Wright charge an early in and late out fee?

[PSU]

Wright has never charged us for an early in and/or early out, so this year is different. Met with Eric from Eagle Docks yesterday and enjoyed our conversation. Seems like a great guy.  We have decided to partner with them for the late date this year. Thanks for the insight everyone!!

[SkunkedAgain]

I don't pull my dock (only did it once when the cross-braces got taco-ed) but if I ran a dock service, I would charge more for cold weather work. It's probably not all that much fun and better to do in fall temps rather than winter temps. Look at it the reverse way, their post-October rate is the real price but they offer a special deal to folks willing to let them do it in September!

[Wanderer]

Plus, there probably isn’t enough month for everyone to get service in October.  Some work needs to happen in September.  

[CigarGuy]

For you guys that do your own lift docks, what lb winch do you use?  110v or dc?

[delcecchi]

19 hours ago, CigarGuy said:

For you guys that do your own lift docks, what lb winch do you use?  110v or dc?

Don't folks use a come along or something manual?    Electric seems like a lot of trouble for something used a couple times a year.   Now my lift is a different story.  

[CigarGuy]

Seems like a come along would be a lot of work. I can buy a 1500lb, 110v winch for around 160.00 at harbor freight.  Just wondering if that enough to lift it.  I could get a snatch block, that's supposed to double the lifting capacity. I was reading up on these winches and you run them for 3 minutes at a time and rest for 20 minutes.  If a come along wasn't too much work, I'd buy one.

 

[SkunkedAgain]

I use an old 6,000lb comealong anchored to a massive tree up the hill. It takes forever but works every time. 

[leech~~]

14 hours ago, CigarGuy said:

Seems like a come along would be a lot of work. I can buy a 1500lb, 110v winch for around 160.00 at harbor freight.  Just wondering if that enough to lift it.  I could get a snatch block, that's supposed to double the lifting capacity. I was reading up on these winches and you run them for 3 minutes at a time and rest for 20 minutes.  If a come along wasn't too much work, I'd buy one.

 

 

I use to pull out my Dad & Moms dock and lift at their cabin with a cheap 2000lbs wench I mounted on a ball hatch plate behind my SUV.  I know most folks can back down to the lake but since it was 12V you could mount it on a tree with a cable.  Worked great and pull them by myself most years.

Edited October 7, 2018 by leech~~

[delcecchi]

Buy the 2500 pound 12 volt winch at harbor freight for about 60 buck more or less depending in coupons and sales.   If you have boats and stuff around, bound to have a 12 volt battery laying around.  Even has a remote control. 

 

 

[CigarGuy]

3 hours ago, delcecchi said:

Buy the 2500 pound 12 volt winch at harbor freight for about 60 buck more or less depending in coupons and sales.   If you have boats and stuff around, bound to have a 12 volt battery laying around.  Even has a remote control. 

 

 

I have a 2500lb, 12v with a hitch plate like Leech posted. I am concerned about the battery lasting long enough, I would use a deep cycle battery. Really don't want to carry it up and down my hill(mountain), that's why I was thinking about a 110v.  Just want to make sure the initial lift out of the sand/mud would work with a 1500 or 2500lb winch.

[fishingstar]

i bought that very same  winch just to pull out my dock. 

It is at a 32 degree angle just like a stairs. It is a 32 foot dock

and the winch will only pull it out half way out. then the thermal overload would 

kick out. It would reset in 5 to10 min. but would kick out again in 5 more feet.

[CigarGuy]

10 hours ago, fishingstar said:

i bought that very same  winch just to pull out my dock. 

It is at a 32 degree angle just like a stairs. It is a 32 foot dock

and the winch will only pull it out half way out. then the thermal overload would 

kick out. It would reset in 5 to10 min. but would kick out again in 5 more feet.

Where you able to complete the lift with one battery? How long did it take you, start to finish?

[delcecchi]

19 hours ago, CigarGuy said:

I have a 2500lb, 12v with a hitch plate like Leech posted. I am concerned about the battery lasting long enough, I would use a deep cycle battery. Really don't want to carry it up and down my hill(mountain), that's why I was thinking about a 110v.  Just want to make sure the initial lift out of the sand/mud would work with a 1500 or 2500lb winch.

I have the winch on my lift and a week takes the cheap starting battery down to maybe 70%.  If you calculate, 50 amp hours is 3000 amp minutes or 100 amps for 30 minutes, intermittently.  You could put a maintainer on it if you use it often.   Might have to take a break to let things rest every few minutes.  The duty cycle is limited, for sure.  I would use a starting type battery since you need a lot of current for not too long.

 

 

Just thinking is all.  

[fishingstar]

I had the winch hooked up to a running pick up so power was not a problem. 

It was a very slow process  

[BrianF]

With a relatively flat yard, could a guy just pull a 4’ wide dock up with his truck? Anyone ever do this or seen it done? 

[leech~~]

21 minutes ago, BrianF said:

With a relatively flat yard, could a guy just pull a 4’ wide dock up with his truck? Anyone ever do this or seen it done? 

 

If it has wheel sets. My buddy has two sections of about 80' feet each that floats and has wheel sets. We put it in and pull it with his pick up every year. 

Edited October 9, 2018 by leech~~

[delcecchi]

On 10/8/2018 at 6:59 PM, BrianF said:

With a relatively flat yard, could a guy just pull a 4’ wide dock up with his truck? Anyone ever do this or seen it done? 

Done it many times with my old dock.   The new floe we just push up by hand, a piece at a time.   The lift gets drug out with the car.