If you have waterfront property, the question eventually comes up: keep using the trailer, or install a boat lift? Both store your boat, but the convenience, cost, and hull protection tradeoffs are significant. This guide compares the two approaches for waterfront boat owners.
If you live on the water and boat frequently, a lift is a lifestyle upgrade. The ability to walk to the dock, lower the boat, and be underway in five minutes eliminates the friction that keeps many boat owners on shore. Lifts also protect the hull from waterline staining, barnacle growth (in salt water), and wave damage at the dock.
For saltwater locations, a lift is practically a necessity. Keeping the hull in saltwater promotes rapid growth that increases drag and requires frequent bottom cleaning. A lift keeps the hull dry and clean between uses.
Trailers provide something a lift never can: mobility. You can tow the boat to different lakes, launch at different ramps, haul it home for winter storage, and take it to a mechanic without hiring a boat transporter. For boaters who explore multiple bodies of water or do not live on the waterfront, a trailer is the only practical option.
Trailers also win on storms. When a hurricane is forecast, you drive the boat home. A lift-stored boat requires more complex storm preparation.
Some waterfront homeowners keep a lift for their primary boat and a trailer for a smaller secondary vessel (a skiff, kayak trailer, or jet ski). Others trailer the boat to the waterfront at the start of the season, use the lift all summer, and trailer it back for winter storage.
For trailer maintenance and best practices, see our How to Trailer a Boat guide.
Prices range widely based on lift type and capacity. Cradle lifts for boats up to 5,000 lbs start in the low thousands. Hydraulic and vertical lifts for larger boats range from several thousand to well into five figures. Installation, pilings, and electrical hookup add significantly to the total cost.
Not always. Boat lifts require adequate water depth, a suitable bottom for pilings or anchoring, and often permits from local or state authorities. Seawall-mounted lifts have different requirements than freestanding piling lifts. Check local regulations and consult a marine contractor before purchasing.
Boat lifts protect against normal wave action, tidal surge, and floating debris by keeping the hull out of the water. In severe storms (hurricanes, nor'easters), most experts recommend hauling the boat out entirely. A lift with the boat raised can become a wind sail in extreme conditions.