Boat lift question

[wags]

Ok here it goes, If the water at your slip/marina did not freeze at all during the long cold winter and you had an aluminum lift and you could save the monies to have it pulled and then reinstalled in the spring would you leave it in all winter long??

[Firecatguy]

ice shifts and can blow to your side?

[blutooth]

I leave mine in about 1' of water. it does freeze and no problems for the past 3 years now. the only time I do get concerned though is in March/April when the ice starts breaking up. Thats when it can start causing problems. Are you on the east or west side of the lake and how deep is the water?

Blutooth

[wags]

The water level is about 4ft on avg in the area. The water does not freeze anywhere around the marina as they run bubblers to keep ice from forming to keep their newly installed piers from ice damage.

[maddogg]

I was going to ask if they had bubblers or an aereator. From what I've seen these work pretty well. Is your lift "protected" by the piers? If so, I'd leave it in. I wouldn't leve the boat on it though - seen bad things happen with that.

[yamadooed]

Mines been in the water for the past 15yrs the thing that destroys them is the ice shift in spring or rapid lower'n of the water level after the ice forms in the fall...

[whitedust]

If ice flows don't hit it leave it in. I left my lift in for 10 years in southern WI but I had southern exposure & a proctected bay. Now that I'm up North the lift comes out every year. Ice moves rocks, logs & whatever is in the way up here.

[wheels006]

I have no shift in ice around mine, but it freezes solid right around it! It's very common to leave them in where there is no flow in canals on inland lakes. I would leave it in and not think twice about it.

[ubee]

too valuable and its easy to take aluminum lift out! unless you got good insurance! my .02

[anonomoose]

Seems pretty silly to remove a hoist that has water under it all year round. Aluminum doesn't get cold, or rust....so as long as the marina doesn't care...why spend the money?

Even if it freezes in by accident, as long as it is not exposed to ice breaking up and being blown around in the spring...this is a no brainer.