Boat Lifts and PWC Lifts on Lake Martin
A lift keeps the boat out of the water between trips. Here's what to decide on type, capacity and placement, and how the lake's rules count lifts.
Around Eclectic, Alexander City and nearby
Calls are recorded for quality assurance.
Picking a lift
Start with the boat: its weight with fuel and gear, its length and its hull shape. The lift's rated capacity should cover the loaded weight with room to spare.
Lifts can sit in a slip under a boathouse roof, beside a floating dock or on their own. Floating lifts move with the lake. Lifts set on the lakebed need enough water under them at the level you'll use them.
How the rules count lifts
Alabama Power allows up to two personal watercraft floats or lifts, or one of each, as long as they keep the setback and length limits. A third PWC float or lift counts against the 1,510 square foot allowance and needs a written permit.
A boat lift in a slip is part of the dock or boathouse design, so show it on the permit sketch with everything else.
Power and upkeep
Many lifts run on an electric motor. Wiring to the dock is a job for a licensed electrician. Ask how the cables, pulleys and bunks are checked and when they are usually replaced.
Questions to ask
- What capacity lift does my boat need, loaded?
- Will the lift work at winter pool in this spot?
- Floating or bottom-standing, and why?
- Is wiring included, or is that separate?
- Does a new lift change my permit?
Lift questions
Can a lift be added to an existing dock?
Often, if the dock and slip have the room and the water depth. The builder checks the frame and the permit.
Do PWC floats need a permit?
Up to two are allowed within the rules. Ask the shoreline office or the builder about your lot before adding a third.
Ready when you are
Call now, or send the form. A local pro calls you back, usually the same business day.
Calls are recorded for quality assurance.