How Far Apart Are Your Boat Lift I Beams & What Size Is Your Boat?

[Tooncrazy]

I'm getting some conflicting info from lift installers in my area, I'm converting from a hull lift to a two pontoon lift.

For those here that are using a boat lift for their pontoon boat with two steel I beams spanned by lumber beds/bunks:

Could you please give me some input on the distance between your I beams and the length and width of your lumber beds/bunks?

Also, what size is your boat, two or three pontoons? 

Thank you!

 

[Scott1]

I'm getting some conflicting info from lift installers in my area, I'm converting from a hull lift to a pontoon lift.

For those here that are using a boat lift for their pontoon boat with two steel I beams spanned by lumber beds/bunks:

Could you please give me some input on the distance between your I beams and the length and width of your lumber beds/bunks.

Also, what size is your boat, two or three pontoons. 

Thank you!

What conflicting information are you getting?  I am doing the same thing as you are and moving ahead with my plans.  I agree with the posters on here, if you have a Tri Toon and it is supporting your engine, you should support that middle toon.

 

[Tooncrazy]

What conflicting information are you getting?  I am doing the same thing as you are and moving ahead with my plans.  I agree with the posters on here, if you have a Tri Toon and it is supporting your engine, you should support that middle toon.

I'm getting a 2015 2275 GCW boat, Yamaha F115LB motor with two 22' 6" long  25" tube, not a tri-toon.

The conflicting info I'm getting is in regard to the minimum distance allowed between two I beams for a two toon boat with 22' 6" long toons and a deck length of 24"9.

My questions now are:

1. What the minimum distance allowed between the two I beams, is it 7', 8', 9' 10', 12' or what? And, who has determined this number?

2. Where should the boat be lifted with respect to the stern i.e.: how far back should the rear most I beam be?

I found this Bennington tech document, maybe it contains the answers to my questions but I don't understand it:  Tube support spacing 3.13.pdf   74.54KB

Thanks for any input.

 

[cwag911]

If you look at the pic, the boards are 12' long. There is 1 1/2' of board past each beam, which makes the beams 9' apart.

 

[Tooncrazy]

If you look at the pic, the boards are 12' long. There is 1 1/2' of board past each beam, which makes the beams 9' apart.

Very nice setup. How far back does the stern of your boat sit with respect to the rearward I beam?

 

[cwag911]

The rear of the tubes are close to the end of the boards and it depends on how far I pull the boat in.

 

[Sanity3]

I have a 2375 2014 with the ESP package. My lift is a Hydrohorst 6000 lb twin tube. I had a 27ft Baja on this lift for years. Last year i converted the life to a three buck for accomodate my pontoon. I used Bennington drawings, like the one you attached in the blog to determent spacing for the bucks. I also spoke with a Bennington engineer about placement. He recommended setting the pontoon almost level, which I did. Keep in mind that most weight of your pontoon in the back 1/3 of the boat. Storage locker, fuel tank, batteries, and the motor. So with that knowledge i placed the pontoon on the lift with the end of the buck five inch from the end of the tube last weld. The water drains and the pontoon set perfectly.     

 

[Tooncrazy]

911 & Sanity, can you tell me what kind of material was used for you bunks/beds, wood, composite etc., if wood was it pressure treated with non corrosive chemicals, if not PT wood what kind of wood was it?

Thank you.

 

[cwag911]

Pine boards with carpet on them.

 

[TomS]

911 & Sanity, can you tell me what kind of material was used for you bunks/beds, wood, composite etc., if wood was it pressure treated with non corrosive chemicals, if not PT wood what kind of wood was it?

Thank you.

You would use SYP - Southern Yellow Pine, as both Carl and Bamaman mentioned.