When using dock lifts with air-filled tanks to take your boat out of the water, the cold winter temperatures can decrease the air pressure, just like your vehicle tires need extra air. Many people don’t remember this until the lift has already dropped, leaving the boat floating in the slip.
This is precisely why it’s important to always tie the boat to the dock structure after putting it on the lift. We’ve seen many boats free-floating on the lake over the years! Boat lift companies get multiple calls about this every winter when there is a significant temperature drop.
Fortunately, it’s easy to solve the issue! You can use Firstmate Controls’ lift-control system. At LOTO Lift, we install Firstmate controls on all our floating boat lifts. This system works in tandem with an app on your mobile phone and will increase the pressure in the lift when it begins to fall unless you intentionally reduce it. Furthermore, the app will notify you if there is a difficulty with the lift, such as if it is no longer working.