How do you lift boat with a floor jack?

[Bahala]

I’m installing new bunk boards in my trailer. The position of the boards is crucial as they are positioned along the chines. I have read where people have lifted their boat with a floor jack and replaces the boards one by one to assure correct positioning. How would you go about jacking up the boat without damaging the hull? Would I need more than one jack?

[Triton19x2]

When I have replaced bunk boards I took the boat to the lake and then worked on the trailer in the parking lot. I had everything measured, cut, and carpeted so it was a pretty quick job. I would hate to think what would happen if the boat on jacks slipped off in the middle of the project

[fishnfireman]

Very carefully.
I'm curious to hear this one. I can take mine completely out from under the boat with 6 by 6 timbers, two pipe stands in front and a shorter timber with short auto stands under jack plate.

[Riccochet]

As someone that has done this for a boat dealer, I have one word. Carefully.

Here's the simple instructions.

1. Use floor jack to raise tongue enough to retract the trailers tongue jack
2. Lower floor jack to drop tongue to the ground
3. Using cinder blocks 2x side by side, stacked, perpendicular, finished with a single in the middle and a piece of 2x6 on top. Do this under both rear corners of the boat so the wood aligns with the sponsons/chines
4. Raise the floor jack enough so the rear corners of the boat come in contact with the stacks you just built and rear of the boat comes off the trailer about 4-5 inches
5. Create a similar stack under the keel where the keel starts to run parallel with the floor. Not on the curved section.
6. Drop the floor jack so the keel is now resting on the block/wood stack

Your boat should now be suspended above the trailer 3-5" all around. To put the boat back on the trailer do that process in reverse. Raise the floor jack so the trailer lifts the keel, remove keep blocking, lower jack so the trailer lifts the rear corners off the blocking, remove blocking.

If you don't have everything where it needs to be and stable, well, bad things can happen in a hurry. But this is how we blocked boats in the yard and the shop when being serviced. When done right it's not going anywhere.

[barbarian]

I think he is saying 1 board at a time. That is how I did mine in my driveway. I used some solid concrete blocks and 2' pieces of 2x12's and my truck jacket with a 2x6. Blocked the jack up enough then place piece of 2x6 up against boat and jacked up the left side until it raised the boat off those 2 running boards. Took them off and put the new ones on (I did have them already measured, cut and carpeted) , bolted in. Lowered boat and went to other side. Very easy and fast.

[Dubee]

I have used a 3ft piece of 2×6.

[06 SB]

When I have replaced bunk boards I took the boat to the lake and then worked on the trailer in the parking lot. I had everything measured, cut, and carpeted so it was a pretty quick job. I would hate to think what would happen if the boat on jacks slipped off in the middle of the project

This is how I have done it. It is nice to have a helper too. It took me about 45 mins total at the ramp and that included launching and recovering the boat. Do not just tie up to the courtesy dock either. You will get the other boaters angry and wake can beat up the sides. In my case, I had my son go fishing while me and a buddy did the work.

[Bahala]

Thanks for the help! What barbarian describes is what I had in mind. Fortunately I can launch my boat in the neighborhood pond. I will probably do that and resort to hacking it up if I am not confident in my measurements. I have my boards all ready to go.

[PolarKraft195]

When I have replaced bunk boards I took the boat to the lake and then worked on the trailer in the parking lot. I had everything measured, cut, and carpeted so it was a pretty quick job. I would hate to think what would happen if the boat on jacks slipped off in the middle of the project

^^^exactly what I did to a trailer I had to put new bunks on.^^^

[Bassman Ia.]

When I have replaced bunk boards I took the boat to the lake and then worked on the trailer in the parking lot. I had everything measured, cut, and carpeted so it was a pretty quick job. I would hate to think what would happen if the boat on jacks slipped off in the middle of the project

this

[bpicinc]

I went to the lake, launched the boat and did the new bunks in the parking lot.

[barkleyhawggitter]

When I have replaced bunk boards I took the boat to the lake and then worked on the trailer in the parking lot. I had everything measured, cut, and carpeted so it was a pretty quick job. I would hate to think what would happen if the boat on jacks slipped off in the middle of the project

i did this and it only took a few minutes.

[CATMAN 225]

Cat dealer did mine Jack the rear of the boat up using wood and a floor jack on the pad slid one boarded timeout put it back in screwed it up had no problems whatsoever took about an hour

[TrackerPro16]

I did mine with the boat in the lake as others have done but will keep this in mind if I ever need to lift the entire boat off of the trailer in or in front of the shop.

As someone that has done this for a boat dealer, I have one word. Carefully.

Here's the simple instructions.

1. Use floor jack to raise tongue enough to retract the trailers tongue jack
2. Lower floor jack to drop tongue to the ground
3. Using cinder blocks 2x side by side, stacked, perpendicular, finished with a single in the middle and a piece of 2x6 on top. Do this under both rear corners of the boat so the wood aligns with the sponsons/chines
4. Raise the floor jack enough so the rear corners of the boat come in contact with the stacks you just built and rear of the boat comes off the trailer about 4-5 inches
5. Create a similar stack under the keel where the keel starts to run parallel with the floor. Not on the curved section.
6. Drop the floor jack so the keel is now resting on the block/wood stack

Your boat should now be suspended above the trailer 3-5" all around. To put the boat back on the trailer do that process in reverse. Raise the floor jack so the trailer lifts the keel, remove keep blocking, lower jack so the trailer lifts the rear corners off the blocking, remove blocking.

If you don't have everything where it needs to be and stable, well, bad things can happen in a hurry. But this is how we blocked boats in the yard and the shop when being serviced. When done right it's not going anywhere.

[crank68]

If you want to spend the money...I use these in my business. Easy and safe.

Brownell MB4 18"-25" Boat Stand https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007CMQ7JW..._PGiGEbHME51H9

[ifishinxs]

Cat dealer did mine Jack the rear of the boat up using wood and a floor jack on the pad slid one boarded timeout put it back in screwed it up had no problems whatsoever took about an hour

This is how I replaced the bunks on my Skeeter. Very easy!

[catch5]

Just have everything pre cut, carpeted, and ready to go. Take your tools with to the ramp. Park your boat and take 45 minutes and do it up in the parking lot.

[djb750]

I installed new bunks with Gatorbaks a few weeks ago, in the garage. I've also done this at a boat ramp in the past, but the garage was easy and I didn't feel rushed.

I used a floor jack with a stack of 2x6 lumber. I used wood screws to hold together the layers of 2x6, and the tape is just to keep some toolbox liner on the top surface contacting the boat.

If I had to do it over, the garage would be my first choice.

bunk.jpgbunk 2.jpg

[depdog60]

What do you think of the Gatorbaks? I was thinking about doing them too!

[djb750]

What do you think of the Gatorbaks? I was thinking about doing them too!

So far so good. I definitely would recommend them.