There was once a time when families shared a single car, and it was the norm to park in the driveway or on the street. As the years passed, many families began investing in a second car. People soon discovered the benefits and convenience of owning a home with an attached garage.
This same trend is starting to take place in the boating community. It started in regions with colder climates, where protecting your boat with an enclosed garage made a lot of sense. Now, boat garages have become popular among homeowners in Southern Florida.
In fact, IMM Quality Boat Lifts is currently putting the final touches on the installation of two Superlifts into a boat garage in Cape Trafalgar on Marco Island. We wanted to share some pictures of the dual boat lift installation process in action.
The vision for this project came from the homeowners, who wanted two independent deck lifts for their watercraft. The photograph above shows the installation of top beams for both Superlifts. One platform lift would be used with their Intrepid 410 Evolution, while the second platform would accommodate their Zodiac and Novurania ridged inflatable boats along with their jet skis and other personal watercraft.
In total, there is more than 1,500 square feet of platform for our lifts to handle. Working in consultation with the couple’s architect and home builder, our engineers designed a superior support structure for the two separate 44,000-pound Superlift boat lifts.
As shown above, the builder used a combination of portable winches and the lift cables during the installation of the cradle beams and deck support beams.
In this photo, you can see that there is an I-beam installed between the two lift cradles. It will support the keel of the Intrepid 410 boat. The I-beams that support the decking have been installed. Work is still underway on the installation of the cross beam supports for the decking.
This picture showcases the installation and wiring of the two GEM GR4A control boxes. Both Superlift boat lifts have limit switches with auto-stop at all four corners. This allows the platform to self-level at the top and bottom. Input power to the lifts was 3-phase 240 volts.
In the photo above, you can clearly see how each lift can operate independently of the other. The picture displays the keel beam and stanchion pad bunking system for the Intrepid 410. Both Superlifts have been decked with picture framing.
The photo above shows how closely the decked platform aligns with the poured concrete boat garage slip.
This view looks from the water, through the boat garage and towards the street. The bunking on the deck shown on the left accommodates the ridged inflatable boats and personal watercraft. The house sits on top of the garages, with a U-shaped driveway. Not shown in this picture, the garage for the cars is located to the left.
The end of the lift has a lowered stern platform to safely accommodate the Intrepid’s motors during docking.
This image shows the view from the driveway, looking through the boat garage and out to the water. Here, the Intrepid 410 boat is bunked with both Superlifts in the raised position.
Finally, it’s time to put the finishing touches on, including a nice new coat of paint for the boat garage. Rather than the Intrepid boat, a center console regulator is located on the Superlift. This photo shows the boat garage door nearly closed, and you can see the bunks for the ridged inflatable boats tipped down. The bunk system has tilting brackets that allow these bunks to fold down and accommodate a deck insert. This lets the homeowner enjoy one seamless, flat deck surface when the ridged inflatable boats are not on the lift.
It doesn’t take much imagination to see how nice having a home with a boat garage would be! In the photo above, you can see the Regulater boat on one lift and the Novurania on the other, with the boat garage door open.
The secret about boat garages is out! In fact, IMM Quality Boat Lifts already has a third boat garage on Marco Island under construction. This Marco Island project uses one of our amazing Titan Yacht Lifts. We will share photos from this new boat garage in the future as progress continues.
Want a Boat Garage of Your Own? Contact IMM Quality Boat Lifts Today!
Feeling inspired by this feat of design, engineering and manufacturing? If you can picture yourself with an incredible boat garage system like this, please contact our sales staff. Complete our contact form or request a quote, and we’ll take great care of you!
READ MORE: The High-Speed Alumavator Boat Lift by IMM Quality