PrestoMarine^® Help Center

How much weight does a PrestoMarine® lift add to my boat?

The L200 lift itself adds 155 pounds (70 kg) to your swim platform. The XL500 lift weighs 180–200 pounds (80–90 kg) depending on what type of bracket you choose. With rails you have the higher weight. However, inside your engine room or Lazaretto we must add a hydraulic pump that weighs 38 pounds (17 kg) including one gallon of hydraulic fluid.

Should I buy a lift with fixed (F) brackets or the rail (R) system?

If your platform is less than 24 inches (600 cm) long, you should buy an “F” or “fixed system” because the rails will not help balancing the weight on your boat. The dinghy is already as close to transom as possible. With platforms over 32 inches (900 mm) long, you can choose either one of them. The “R” or “rail system” is to get the weight of your PWC close to the transom so that the boats center of gravity does not move too far aft.

Will the additional weight on the stern reduce my boats’ performance?

Any time you add weight to the transom of a boat you will affect performance. The trick is to minimize the lift weight and to keep the center of gravity forward over the swim platform. Our system will keep your tender/pwc untouched by acceleration or deceleration wakes and is less likely to be affected by following seas. Because of the low weight of our lift system we have less impact compare to hydraulic platforms.

Can my swim platform be strengthened?

Yes, you can have newer, stronger brackets added to your platform between the transom and the platform. PrestoMarine® Lifts can provide customized brackets for installation, contact us and we will provide you with a quote.

Does my boat have to be hauled out of the water for installation?

Not necessarily, it depends on the construction of the platform. Sometimes you can reach the bolt through platform from inside of the machine room. We have also made installation with diver who has hold the nut when we tithed the bolt, which maximum takes 30min to install.

How do I know if my platform is strong enough to carry a dinghy or a jet ski?

It’s best to ask your boat dealer or the original boat builder. However, they rarely have an answer, especially on older boats because they don’t know the condition of your platform. The best way to find out is to look at the specification of your dinghy or Jet Ski to find their weight and test that weight on your platform with some kind of ballast. Normally it’s no problem with the platform, it’s the weight impact at the stern that can cause problem.

How do I know if I have the space on my boat to install a PrestoMarine® lift?

You don’t need a platform to install our lift, we can deliver a solution which you install direct on the stern. But to install our lift you need at least a 18 inches (450 mm) long platform. More important is that the measure from the top of the platform to the waterline is no more than 22 inches (550 mm).‍

I have heard about high maintenance cost, how about your lift system?

We have a very low maintenance cost because we have the hole lift system above the water. Solutions were the mechanic is under water, and specially in sea with water temperature above 25 degree Celsius, it grows lot of seashells etc. That needs to be cleaned away often to keep the system working, which only can be done by hauling out the boat from the water or by using divers.‍

How do I choose the approximate size tender/pwc for my boat?

Always keep the length of your tender/pwc at least 2-3 feet shorter than the beam of your boat. Weight can also be an issue. The amount of weight at the stern can affect the time it takes for your boat to plane. It is also important to consider the additional weight of the engine, battery, lift jackets and fuel when figuring total weight.