putting on boat cover while on lift

[robblackburn]

I cannot find a great way to get my cover on my x-10 while it is sitting on a Hydrohoist lift. I have a front installed lift and only have a walkway on one side of the boat. I am currently putting a a cover that is made to tie down on the trailer. I am just attaching it to the lift but this is difficult to hold onto the boat and walk out on the lift to tie down the cover on the side of the boat facing the open water. Any ideas are appreciated. Thanks.

Rob

[SKI*MC]

I dont have a boat lift, but i know what you are talking baout, half the time when i put the cover on, i have cloths on, i always attatch the bow first, then go back with it ( i dont know if you have a stern tiedown, but i do) i tie it up in the back, slide myself across the gunwail, and onto shore. I dont know if this is what you are talking about, but if it is i hope it helps.

[Tom023]

Are you drunk? Your typing is slurred :D

[robblackburn]

yep - that is kinda it. Except I am hanging onto the tower while standing on the rails of the lift over the water. It is a matter of time until I slip and fall into the lake while hopefully not smashing my head or something. I need a better way to attach the cover to the lift. I was talking to someone with a Mastercraft and they have a cover that just has a ratcheting system in the back to tighten the cover all around the boat. This would work but I cannot find this type of cover.

[k2mc]

On my x-10 I'm able to work my way bow to stern while inside the boat. hook the stern from the swimstep, then jump back to the dock. i have the ratcheting cover so I don't have the tie down issues.

formerly on my PS190 I just hung milk jugs filled with water from the d-rings on the cover and did not use the nylon straps. 2 per side was sufficient to hold tight. Hang the jugs at or below water line so they don't bang against the side of the hull.

[JDK]

If your shoreline allows for a dolley and tracks, this is by far the best way to go. You can walk all the way around the boat on dry ground.
I'm pretty new to the dd game, so I am currently replacing the slings in my outboard cart with bunks.

[captkidd]

It seems to me that it would definitely be easier to put the cover on from inside the boat, working your way from front to back. My cover has a rope sewn into the hem around the bottom, and it ties in the back. I tie the straps across the top (each strap to its counterpart on the other side) before folding the cover, primarily to keep them out of the way.

The milk jug idea sounds pretty good. If you wanted to use the cover straps, you could use a variation of what I do for strapping my cover on the trailer. I cut slits on each side of a tennis ball and insert the end of each strap through the tennis ball to prevent the straps from rubbing the boat. If you put tennis balls on the end of your straps, and then used a long pole/stick with a hook on the end, you could pull the straps (from the other side) under the boat and tie them to the straps on your side (guess you could also install some sort of removable buckles on one side of the straps).

[east tx skier]

We put ours on while inside the boat. I run the front straps underneath the bunks that extend ahead of the boat. I run the rear straps through the slots in the platform. The side straps are stuffed under the cover. Sinch the waist and I'm done.

[Leroy]

THe new MC's have velcrow under the rub rail. So nose holds, rear straps and then velcrow along the sides. That is pretty cool.

I have the same problem and with no cover and lots of wind. I added grommets so I can bungie cord from cover to the dock. This is working well. Nose holds, rear straps, and then the bungie cords with poles inside the boat. I get out on the platform and jump over.

I tried to wrap the tie down straps to the lift metal, but that scared me if it ever dropped, or just movement might pull on the straps.