Sizing a boat lift

[oba97]

I am thinking about getting a lift for my boat. Last year I left it in a wet slip on an inland lake but would prefer to have it on a lift. My boat is 3600lbs dry and has a 102” beam. Many of the lifts I find here (Michigan) are rated for 4000lbs and are 108” wide. My concern is that only leaves me 400lbs and 6” wiggle room. Having never used a lift before I have no idea if these lifts will be fine or if I need something bigger. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[alldodge]

I would get at least a 5K lift for the boat, 6K won't hurt

I have a 15K and mine is 9.5K dry

 

[cptbill]

4k lift way to close, if you put a cooler and a couple people in the boat your at the limit. For the price Diff. I would go even bigger than 5k cause you never know when the 2ft bug will find you

 

[Scott06]

get a bigger lift both in terms of weight capacity and beam. I had a 3600 lbs lift from my 17 ft boat. when I upgraded to a 3200 lb boat the cross beams bow pretty good and I wish it was wider, side bunks drag on verticals. Bottom line I already owned the lift, if I didn't would've gotten a bigger one.

 

[jkust]

My dry weight is about the same as yours but of course the boat is never dry and has 50 plus gallons of gas as well as several people in when we take off and return to the lift. I went with the 5k boat lift back when I only had a 3100lb dry weight boat a few years back. 5k has just fine but the old boat was 18 feet and now this current boat is 24 feet including the swim platform which the old boat didn't have. My canopy is only 24 feet and so now of course I regret not buying the 26 foot canopy for which at the time of purchase would have been far too long. I can probably swing a heavier boat on the 5k but can't go any bigger or I need to buy a new canopy. The canopy frame I believe can be added onto. Canopy's themselves are not cheap in particular the Floe set up I have isn't inexpensive. The 5k boat lift was $15k and the jump to the next size I recall was pretty steep, in particular if you never buy a larger boat.