Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Boat lift/storage ideas

I have a few small craft at my pond that I just manually drag up the bank when not using them, but it is a bit of goat rope exercise if things are slippery, etc. I am thinking of making some sort of a device, much like the tow/winch strap on a normal boat trailer, that I can use to pull the boat(s) up out of the water and onto the bank when not in use.

I have thought about just putting down some sand/gravel to drag them over OR creating a couple of skids with treated 4" x 4"s to pull them up on. I am looking for something "easy in, easy out".

Does anyone have any ideas for this or experience doing something similar? TIA.

Dave, what size boats are you referring to, and do they have a flat bottom?

If you use the 4x4's, tack on those HDPE plastic glides on them. That will make it a lot easier to slide them. Teflon is very similar to HDPE but it has less abrasion resistance.

https://www.boatoutfitters.com/trailer-bunk-slides

If you have power, run a compressor to Blue barrels and make a boat lift. If you don't like the blue barrel look, make it out of PVC and silicone some air hose fittings. Easy up, release valve, easy down.

I only have 1 boat that I use regularly, but I wound up with an automatic bilge pump and a group 24 deep cycle battery. I just leave it tied to the dock and charge the battery once every couple weeks. Makes it much easier to justify a 30 minute fishing trip when you just walk down and get in.

I have a small 10 foot boat that we put in the water in the spring and just pull up and row over on the shore, but our water level changes as much as three feet during the summer and so I have taken two 4 x 4 and covered with carpet and use them to glide up and down the waters edge, also it helps when pulling the boat up to be put into the storage shed.

I have a 12' john boat and a 10' john boat, both flat bottomed. I also have a 2 man bass boat, about 8' or 9' long, which also has a flat bottom...even though there are 2 "pontoons". Both are flat bottomed.

Thanks for the ideas so far.

FWIW, the plastic on the bunks is really slippery. I saw a guy dump his boat on the boat ramp because he took his winch off of the bow of the boat before he started backing down the ramp.....

I've read of people cutting plastic rain gutter downspout material and attaching it to 2x4 lumber for glides on a boat trailer. Some variation of this theme could work, I suppose.

Remembering me flipping over my jon boat one time when a skunk was under it. I left in a hurry with the skunk after me. It stopped after about 50 ft.

I like this topic as ideas for my own use of sliding my small boat up and down the pond bank. Would using flat pieces of house siding work well as a slippery material for sliding a boat compared to HDPE or similar plastic?

Bill:

Yes, not as slippery as the HDPE though. Definitely slipperier than the dirt or a piece of wood unless it's wood with a bunch of algae growing on it. I would turn the house siding upside down as some have textured "outside". Whatever you do do not get it wet and step on it. You might end up on the ground.