Boat lift repair in Islamorada

Common boat lift faults

Stop using the lift if you see frayed cables or the boat sits unevenly.

• Motor hums but the lift does not move
• Lift raises unevenly or one side drops
• Frayed, kinked or flattened cables
• Grinding from the gearbox or pulleys
• Corroded switches and wiring

Covered lifts only over cut-in slips

Ordinance 24-15 allows open-sided covered boat lifts in Islamorada only over a cut-in slip on a man-made canal. The roof may not reach past the mouth of the slip or over mangroves, seagrass or hard bottom, may be no more than 12 ft above grade, and may not carry a deck.

A repair keeps the lift where it is; moving or enlarging it means meeting today's rule.[1]

Watch the datum: about 1.5 ft

The Village notes that converting from NGVD29 to NAVD88 shifts elevations by about -1.5 ft on average in Monroe County, and the shift varies from place to place. Old plans and new maps use different datums, so a cap or floor height has to be converted before anyone compares numbers.

Repairs are scheduled when the cradle can be worked on above the water.[2]

Bay side and ocean side tides differ fourfold

NOAA's Florida Bay gauge at Upper Matecumbe Key shows a great diurnal range of only 0.61 ft, with mean higher high water about 0.41 ft below NAVD 88, while the Hawk Channel gauge a short way across the key shows 2.28 ft (1983 to 2001 epoch). A lift or floating dock sized for one side of Islamorada is wrong for the other.

Floating lifts need that water depth at low tide.[3][4]

What makes Islamorada different

Principal buildings sit 20 ft from the mean high water line on altered shorelines such as canals, 30 ft on open water with conditions, and 50 ft on unaltered shorelines. Docks, lifts, davits, seawalls and riprap are water-dependent structures that may sit inside that setback under the Village's standards.[1]

Sanctuary and manatee layers

The federal small-project permit, SPGP VI, required Sanctuary sign-off before any Islamorada project in Keys waters, and crews follow the state manatee conditions on every in-water job.[5][6]

Permits in Islamorada

• Islamorada, Village of Islands, Planning and Development Services: Docks, lifts and shoreline structures under Village Code Chapter 30.
• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: Sanctuary waters surround every Islamorada key from the mean high water mark; we confirm what Sanctuary approval each project needs.
• Florida DEP or South Florida Water Management District: State permit or exemption; part of the Village's water is the Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve.
• US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District: Federal authorisation for work in the Sanctuary waters around the Village.

What causes most failures

In salt water, galvanic corrosion attacks metal parts, which is why sacrificial zinc anodes need regular replacement. Cables should be checked for fraying, corrosion, kinks, flattened sections and uneven tension, and pulleys and gearboxes need lubrication.[7]

Repair or replace the lift?

If the frame and beams are sound, replacing the motor, cables or gearbox is usually far cheaper than a new lift, which ThePricer puts at $7,000 to $14,000 installed for a 10,000 lb four-post model in South Florida.[8]

Frequently asked questions