Boat Lifting - The History Of Boat Lifts

From Ancient Pulley Systems to Modern Hydraulic Lifts: A Historical Overview of Boat Lifting Technology

Before the mid-1970s, boats were typically lifted with a pair of davits. These crane-like structures are mounted to a piling or set in the ground above a sea wall. They utilize a fore and an aft cable, which are connected to lifting eyes on the watercraft.

Boaters find davits difficult to use, as the distance between connecting points on the boat make them challenging for one person to operate. Davits are used today for lifting smaller watercraft in some unique situations. However, their position as the industry standard has been largely replaced by lifts that support the boat on bunk boards connected to a lifting platform or cradle system.

A major breakthrough in boat lift design occurred in the 1980s. Aluminum was introduced as a structural material to replace galvanized steel. Although slightly more expensive than steel, its long-term appearance and corrosion resistance make it a superior alternative.

Today, the best boat lifts are made from aluminum. It has steadily supplanted galvanized steel, as consumers have become knowledgeable enough to recognize its superiority.

The Modern History of Boat Lifts

Over the last 40 years, a number of methods to lift a boat with a cradle system have been developed for marine lift applications. Hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic flotation and wound cables have been explored in various configurations. Hydraulic boat lifts have been found to be difficult to protect from saltwater corrosion, susceptible to oil leakage and relatively expensive.

Piling or sea wall mounted cable-drawn boat lifts have become the choice in coastal waters. They lift the boat free of the water in minimal space at an affordable price. Of course, a number of ingenious cable routing and structural techniques have been developed by IMM Quality engineers.

Our boat lifts are intelligently designed and rigorously tested at our in-house facility, field tested by more than 25,000 lifts during over 40 years in business, and continuously refined by our engineers based on feedback from our customers. IMM Quality Boat Lifts now offers the following models: vertical boat lifts, elevator boat lifts, boat house lifts, personal watercraft lifts, yacht lifts and specialty boat lifts. To explore these styles and learn more about IMM Quality Boat Lifts, visit our boat lifts product information page.

boat lifts,history,IMM Quality Boat Lifts
Davits
Intrepid 410 Evolution bunked on an IMM Quality Superlift in the upright position
Dual Superlifts in a Boat Garage
qsl10k superlift 1
Vertical Superlift
IMM Quality Superlift boat lift with red and black nor tech 450 sport at a dock with shallow water
Custom Superlift with Custom-Designed Cradles

IMM Quality Boat Lifts has consistently embraced innovation to provide the best designs, top quality and highest reliability.