Boat lifts and PWC lifts on Table Rock Lake
A lift gets the hull out of the water between trips. On a floating dock, it needs to be sized and mounted to move with the slip.
Boats left sitting in the lake all season pick up growth and staining on the hull, and the gelcoat and running gear take a beating. A lift raises the boat clear of the water when it isn't in use, and a drive-on port or lift does the same for a personal watercraft. Lifts can go into a new dock from the start or be added to an existing slip if the dock can carry the load.
Which kind of lift fits a Table Rock dock?
- Hydraulic lifts raise and lower with a powered pump and tend to run smoothly and quietly.
- Cable and winch lifts use cables over pulleys, driven by a motor or by hand.
- Floating lifts use their own air chambers or floats, which suits docks that ride the lake level.
- PWC ports let a jet ski drive up onto a platform at the side of the dock.
What does the Corps plan say about lifts?
The 2020 Shoreline Management Plan allows PWC lifts in boat slips or along the shore side of the dock, and only current slip owners in that dock may place, own or use them. It also says all boats must be moored inside a slip, apart from personal watercraft storage the plan covers, and that slips need at least eight feet of water at the 915-foot contour for boats, lifts and underwater bracing. Check with the Project Office before adding any lift to a permitted dock.
How is a lift sized?
Lifts are rated by weight. Add the boat, engine, fuel, batteries and gear, then leave a margin. The builder also measures the slip, checks how the lift will attach to the dock frame, and looks at whether the dock's flotation can take the added weight when the boat is up.
When does a lift need repair?
- Cables that are frayed, kinked or rusting
- A motor that hums without lifting or trips the breaker
- The boat sits crooked or one corner lifts first
- Bunks that are torn, loose or out of line with the hull
- Hydraulic fluid on the deck or a lift that creeps down
What about power to the lift?
Federal shoreline rules the Corps applies say dock electrical installations must be weatherproof, meet current electrical codes, and have quick-disconnect fittings mounted above flood pool, with new lines run underground. Have a licensed electrician handle the wiring, and cut power at the shore disconnect if anything seems wrong.
Pricing comes from the dock contractor once they've looked at your shoreline, water depth and permit situation. We don't publish or quote prices, and a number given over the phone before a site visit is only a rough starting point.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Can a lift be added to the dock I already have?
Often, if the slip is wide enough and the frame and flotation can handle the weight. A builder can check before you buy one.
Do I need anything from the Corps to add a lift?
Adding to a permitted dock can count as a change. Ask the Table Rock Lake Project Office before work starts so the change is covered.
Related services
More background: Table Rock Lake dock guide.
Dock listing, lift stuck, or ready for a new slip?
Call or send a request and a Table Rock Lake dock builder will get back to you.