Boat Lift Capacity Calculator

Boat Lift Capacity Calculator

Choosing the correct boat lift capacity depends on knowing the fully loaded weight of your watercraft. Not sure how to calculate this figure? Simply input the numbers into our easy calculator tool to determine your boat’s overall weight.

Once you know the estimated capacity of your boat lift, read our guide on selecting the correct capacity lift and visit our product pages to select one of our standard boat lift models with greater capacity than the total loaded weight. Additionally, as the industry’s leading custom boat lift builder, IMM Quality Boat Lifts can design and engineer the perfectly sized boat lift for any individual’s unique needs.

For guidance or more information, please contact our experienced staff by phone at (800) 545-5603.

Step-By-Step Instructions to Calculate
Your Boat Lift Capacity

Step 1: What is the dry weight of your watercraft?(Required)

The dry weight of a watercraft is usually provided in the brochure or specification sheet for the watercraft. Another great resource to locate this information is the NADA guides. Please note that the dry weight provided does not include the weight of outboard motors, because the size and number of those motors are customizable.

Step 2: What is the capacity of your fuel tank, in gallons?(Required)

Step 3: What is the capacity of your freshwater tanks, in gallons?(Required)

Step 4: What is the capacity of your wastewater tanks, in gallons?(Required)

Step 5: What is the capacity of your live wells, in gallons?(Required)

Step 6: How much do all of the additions and upgrades to the watercraft weigh?(Required)

Be sure to include items such as wakeboard towers, bimini tops, additional seating, generators, air conditioning units, coolers and swim platforms.

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Running Total

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Step 7: As calculated and shown here, it’s important to include a 20% margin of safety.

When using a boat lift capacity calculator to determine a boat’s fully loaded weight, your margin of safety covers incidentals or unexpected acts of nature. Just consider what would happen if your area experienced a heavy snowfall that put a couple of feet on top of your boat lift? How about forgetting to remove the drain plug before a heavy rainstorm? What if the bilge pump malfunctioned, and you started to accumulate water? Or, what if you accidentally underestimated one of the other categories above? Including a safety margin in your boat lift capacity calculations will help cover you in these instances, so that little things don’t add up to a catastrophic failure.

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Total Weight Email

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My boat's fully loaded weight is:

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Total Loaded Weight (lbs)

Thank you for completing the boat lift capacity calculator. Enter your name and email to have your boat’s fully loaded weight emailed to you.

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This calculator assumes that the watercraft’s center of gravity is loaded directly above the center of the lift cradles. Shifting the watercraft’s center of gravity in any direction away from the center of the lift cradles to accommodate walk-boards, dock structure, for convenience of access, or for any other reason, will change the capacity calculations. It may be necessary to increase the capacity of the lift to account for the off-centered load.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Boat Lift Capacity Calculator

What is the purpose of the Boat Lift Capacity Calculator?

The calculator helps determine the correct boat lift capacity by calculating the fully loaded weight of your watercraft.

What information do I need to use the calculator?

You'll need the dry weight of your watercraft, the capacity of your fuel, freshwater, and wastewater tanks in gallons, the weight of live wells, and the total weight of all additions and upgrades to your watercraft.

How does the calculator ensure safety?

It includes a 20% margin of safety in the total weight calculation to account for incidental or unexpected conditions that might affect the boat's weight.

Can I get my boat’s fully loaded weight emailed to me?

Yes, after completing the calculator, you can enter your name and email to have the results sent to you.

What if my watercraft's center of gravity isn't centered over the lift cradles?

The calculator assumes a centered gravity; if it's off-centered for any reason, you may need a lift with a higher capacity to accommodate this.

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