If you are not familiar with your boat lift, knowing how to list it on PierShare can be challenging. We have put together this guide to help you understand your lift’s technical characteristics and prepare it to be rented. This article will help you understand the capacity of your lift, ensure it is functioning properly, and consider other elements that may impact it being rented.

Understanding the Type of Boat Lift You Have

The first thing to consider before renting your lift is what type it is. Boat lifts generally fall into the following three categories:

1. Davits. A boat davit is like a crane that suspends a boat in the air out of the water. Some can rotate so that the boat can hang over the dock for easy maintenance and repairs. Depending on the size of your dock, you may have one or two davits, which will impact the boat size you can accommodate. 
2. Elevator Lifts. These lifts are just as they sound, elevators that lift a boat out of the water. They are mounted on one side to a dock or sea wall and can have a single or double track.
3. Cradle Lifts. These lifts are similar to elevator lifts in their functionality, but instead of being mounted on one side, it is supported by four or more pilings (posts).
   
   

Once you know what type of lift you have, you will need to identify your lift capacity.

Determining the Capacity of Your Lift

If you did not install the lift yourself and are unsure of the lift capacity, there is normally a small plaque on the lift that will provide its capacity. If there is no plaque, or the plaque does not contain the capacity, contact the manufacturer or specialist who installed the lift. The manufacturer or specialist should be able to help you determine the lift capacity.

Capacity can be impacted by a number of factors but general ranges for lift types are as follows:

1. A single boat davit found at a private dock can generally support anywhere from 600 to 10,000lbs depending on the model and size. If there are two davits, they may be able to support up to 14,000lbs. 
2. Single track elevator lifts can support 2,000 to 4,500lbs while a double track elevator lift can support up to 16,000lbs.
3. Cradle lifts can generally support 7,000 to 25,000lbs.
   
   

Once you know the capacity of your lift, you will have a good idea of what size boat it can support. It is very important to accurately represent the capacity of your lift on your PierShare listing so that you don’t end up with a boat that exceeds the maximum capacity of your lift.

Matching a Rental Boat's Size to your Lift

Boat lift capacity is based on the dry weight of a boat, which is the weight of the boat frame alone not including any water, fuel, or other items aboard. Just as electricity needs vary by make and model, dry weight varies as well. See our Guide to Marine Power for more information on boat electricity requirements.  As such, it is not possible to know exactly what size boat you can host at your lift based solely on the capacity of your lift. There are, however, general guidelines to give you an idea of the size of boat you may be able to host.

• Lifts up to 5,000lbs can generally support boats up to 23 feet
• Lifts up to 7,500lbs can generally support boats up to 26 feet
• Lifts up to 10,000lbs can generally support boats up to 29 feet
• Lifts up to 12,000lbs can generally support boats up to 32 feet
• Lifts up to 16,000lbs can generally support boats up to 35 feet
• Lifts up to 20,000lbs can generally support boats up to 40 feet
  
  

Understanding the general size of the boat you can support will help you when determining how to price your lift. See our Pricing Guide for more information on pricing for optimal requests.

As a dock owner, you are only responsible for accurately reporting the capacity of the boat lift. Boaters, however, are responsible for knowing what capacity lift their boat requires and renting accordingly.

Testing your Boat Lift's Operation and Power

Once you know the type of lift you have, its capacity, and what size boat you can expect to host, you’re almost ready to rent out your lift! You’ll need to test your lift to make sure everything is working as expected. This is especially important if the lift has been out of operation for an extended period of time. Just like any machine, if something has been sitting unused for an extended period of time, it may need some tender loving care before it’s fully operational again!

Last but not least, you’ll want to make sure you have ample electricity at your dock for both the lift and the boat renting it, especially for large capacity lifts. Of course, electrical needs vary based on boat, and you'll also want to make sure you’re including any electricity required to power the lift in your rental rate.

Listing Your Lift

Now that you understand the basics of your boat lift, you can post it on PierShare for rent! It’s important to be accurate in any listing, but a listing with a boat lift requires additional attention to detail. Be sure to clearly state capacity, lift type, and any special features or requirements of your boat lift. And don’t forget to add some great pictures of your lift so boaters can see first hand what your lift has to offer!