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Might Add Sea Legs After All

What would you do in my situation?

  • Move the boat lift out 250’ to maintain performance and contain costs.

    Votes: 8 44.4%

  • Switch to Sea Legs to gain better convenience and maintain security.

    Votes: 10 55.6%
  • Total voters
    18
Renegade34 said:
Yeah, there's not an exposed hose under the deck. They also did a great job (and I'm picky) installing the pump. I don't have a pic of that right now though. I highly recommend getting the Sea Legs installers (as opposed to the dealer) to do the install if possible. I couldn't be happier with them! Yes, performance took a small hit (4-5 mph) but that's pretty reasonable when you consider that you have your freekin boat lift with you!! Lol.
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That looks awesome! If mine looked like that, I probably wouldn’t have half the issues I do.
 
Renegade34 said:
In hindsight I should've went with the 200hp instead of the 150hp. I was ready to spend the $3500-$4000 but my dealer said I'd have to go with digital controls with the 200hp which added another $2500 (and another approx. $2500 for power steering which I'd likely need with the 200) and that was more than I wanted to spend. Of course soon after I bought it Mercury came out with a 200hp with cable controls :mad:
Oh well, my goal was 30-32 mph with the Sea legs and I can reach 35-36 mph so I can't complain. I also haven't found steering too bad with the 150 but may add the power assist down the road.
Also, fyi, the new method of installing Sea Legs doesn't require removal or modification of the underskinning.
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What you are running for a prop? Saw you were testing Enertia’s...
 
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It’s a Quicksilver 14.5x17p.
I think I might be able to squeeze a bit more out of it with a 16p but will probably just leave it alone. They tried a 15p but hit the rev limiter so went to the 17p but I’m only hitting 5200 rpm @ wot.
 
Follow up to this post and poll from last year.

I have decided to move forward and add Sea Legs to our boat. :cool:

My wife is conceding the issue in a somewhat not thrilled manner. :oops: She doesn’t like spending the money on it with us out on our current 2 year old lift. I have to sell and take a little hit on our current lift/canopy system, but it will hedge some of the costs on the Sea Legs.

Given my knee injury and recovery this year, experimenting with simply moving our lift out 250’ last year and all that entailed :mad:, issues with the people that put in and take out our lift due to moving it out so far :eek:, shallow shore and water levels, etc...etc...etc... this seemed like the most convenient solution to multiple problems/issues/concerns. ;)

I appreciate all the top notch advice last year about this issue. :) I really weighed all of it then, and again this past week. I just got back from dealer, and Sea Legs installation technician will be coming out to our dealership next week to put them on our boat.

This addition also might allow us to use the boat this year during my knee recovery, which frankly is a HUGE bonus. We only have 2 of our 4 kids still in high school, and one of them graduates next year. I hate the idea of missing any of this fleeting time with them before adulthood beckons them away more often like their older adult brothers.
 
What about waiting to sell the lift for another year? If you don't like the sealegs you can sell those and still have a lift vs having to lose money on the lift, just to buy another lift should the sealegs disappoint.
 
Jeff, didn't see this coming but it makes perfect sense, if not on paper. About the only potential problem I can see is with the sea gulls but I'm sure you thought that through. But like LL suggested, it might not be a bad idea to hold onto the lift a year or so just in case. Decisions, decisions...
 
As the owner of a boat with Sea Legs, I would never uninstall them. It’s a very labor intensive system so you would be spending a healthy pile of cash just to get them in a sellable condition. Also, your hydraulic lines will be custom to your boat or a boat of your boats length. There’s also a hole cut thru the deck and associated compartment where the pump is located. Also on my boat all the underskin was completely removed for the install. They don’t do that anymore but you will have holes cut in your underskin for hydraulic lines, etc.
 
In honestly, the knee recovery and potential loss of this season got me back to thinking about them. I was not happy with having the lift out 250’ last year by itself. I did not enjoy that experiment at all. I also had some issues with the people that take it out/put it in related to both how far out I had moved it (attitude and increased cost), and some issues with them messing up my neighbors yard last year (goes through my neighbors yard to get beside our garage).

As I thought about annual cost putting the lift in and out, the yard issue last fall with my neighbor, messing with battery/solar panel, and canopy indoor storage and cleaning each year, my current bad knee/recover & a very bad back from a car accident back in ‘94, and then the Sea Gull issue once it was way out there solo away from shore last year, my decision started to clarify.

I think this will be worth it in the long run, even if not cost effective in the short run. I am likely going to give up +/- 4 mph @ WOT but that still leaves me a solid amount of speed leftover. At least more than anyone but me enjoys. Frankly, once the motor is off warranty, I can just Simonize the darn ECU and get right back to where I am at now with performance. Another item expense that will eventually thrill my wife :D
 
They do make a free standing canopy for people with the legs. I’ve thought about getting one but can’t decide if I want the extra hassle of another thing to set up and take down (and store).
 
Jeff would have to mess with moving that around the lake throughout the season!! Unless you can add sea legs to the canopy!!!:D
 
I think that's a great decision on the sea legs. You want to be able to go from your dock onto your pontoon without getting into the water, especially in the spring and fall.
 
I’ve seen them in action and they are sweet. Having said that, is the depth good enough to motor out even with sealegs? Have you considered an under deck configuration for the lift? That might gain you what you need. And or, what about a 250’ dock? There are a few 300 ‘ docks out on Burt Lake and I go by just amazed at those runs (looked at a house for sale with one, and it felt like I was in the middle of the lake). Lastly would be a row boat to the pontoon vs. walking out. I did that for a few weeks one summer, and it wasn’t too bad. But if it were me, I’d first think about reconfiguring for under deck lift to see if that gets the space, and maybe add some dock footage as well. And second would be the sea legs. They would also be useful in other areas on the lake you may want to stop.
 
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Thanks everyone! I do love kicking around ideas on here before moving forward with something, let alone all the varied and thoughtfully given advice/ideas/perspectives. Best forum I’ve ever been a part of by a long shot!

Happy Boating Everyone!
 
Tomc said:
I’ve seen them in action and they are sweet. Having said that, is the depth good enough to motor out even with sealegs? Have you considered an under deck configuration for the lift? That might gain you what you need. And or, what about a 250’ dock? There are a few 300 ‘ docks out on Burt Lake and I go by just amazed at those runs (looked at a house for sale with one, and it felt like I was in the middle of the lake). Lastly would be a row boat to the pontoon vs. walking out. I did that for a few weeks one summer, and it wasn’t too bad. But if it were me, I’d first think about reconfiguring for under deck lift to see if that gets the space, and maybe add some dock footage as well. And second would be the sea legs. They would also be useful in other areas on the lake you may want to stop.
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Lol, I think 250_ 300' of dock would be more than sea legs! I had them installed on my boat , thought I might as well get them then to be out somewhere and wish I had em!
 
sonnyhad said:
Lol, I think 250_ 300' of dock would be more than sea legs! I had them installed on my boat , thought I might as well get them then to be out somewhere and wish I had em!
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Indeed. That much dock would fall between double and triple the cost of Sea Legs based on getting the same style/quality we currently have.
 
Most folks on Glen Lake don't have docks. We always have to wade out to the boat. And that lake never seems to warm up!
 
Sold my lift in 5 days at asking price. WOW!!! Feeling great about that quick turn around between purchasing Sea Legs, and selling the lift. Wife is happy again from a financial perspective.
 
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