Frequently asked questions

• How should I store my canopy cover when not in use?
  It is recommended to remove the canopy before taking your boat off the lift for the season. Your boat will provide an easy platform to work from. Once the canopy has been be removed, lay out on a clean, dry area (on grass is fine). Turn the canopy inside out, so the logo is folded in. Make sure your canopy is dry so it doesn’t develop mold or mildew while storing. Fold the sides in and square up the corners. Fold it 3-4 times the LONG way, folding in towards the middle on each side. Then fold in from the ends toward the middle, 3-4 times. Store in a clean, dry place. Storing in a plastic bag or storage container will keep pests and dust/dirt off your canopy.

• How do I install my canopy cover?
  There is no designation for front and back. Your canopy cover should come with coil hooks, shock bungee cord, and s-hooks. Attach the s-hooks onto the thin metal strap on on the inside of the frame. Center one between each of the the canopy’s ribs. Unfold the canvas cover over the top of the canopy and pull into place. Run the shock cord through all of D-rings on the cover, making sure the cord runs BEHIND the canopy uprights (this will make is easier to take off later). Tie the coil hooks to the ends of the shock bungee cord (if this hasn’t been done previously). Hook the shock cord end together or into the a D-ring. Then loop the shock cord onto each of the s-hooks you previously placed on to the canopy frame. The shock cord will make a triangular pattern around the inside of the canopy.

• How do I care for my motorized winch kit battery?

  You need to check the water level every 6 to 12 months to ensure the small, square lead plate in each cell of the battery is submerged. If the lead plates are not submerged, you need to add water. Use distilled water only. The battery manufacturer should have detailed instructions on how to best care for your battery.

• Why is my motorized winch kit battery dead?

  Marine batteries are good for approximately 2-5 years. Temperature changes and over-charging can reduce the life of you battery. Worry less about dead batteries by adding a solar panel, which trickle charges your battery for optimum performance.

• What kind of battery is recommended for my Porta-Dock Motorized Winch Kit?

  Deep cycle group 24 Marine Batteries.

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• Where to position your boat, inboard and outboard, on the lift?
  Inboard Motor Boats: You want the motor centered over the rear/lake end cross tube. If your boat is not on far enough the front of the lift won’t operate correctly.

  Outboard Motor Boats: The front of the shaft should be within 2 feet of the rear/lake end cross tube.

• How do I put my boat on the lift correctly?
  Lower the lift until the cradles are under the surface of the water. Slowly drive your boat into the lift using the guides to center it on the cradles. Centering your boat will ensure it sits as level as can be on lift. If centering is providing difficult, you may need to adjust your guide-ons or add them if you don’t have them. Use the bow stop or motor stop to help center your boat the other way. When using a bow stop, the boat should be touching the stop. Do not ram the bow stop, just gently touch it, so you don’t damage the stop or your boat.

• How do I level my boat lift?
  Do NOT attempt to adjust with the boat on the lift. Loosen the set screw and pull/push the leg post to the desired position. You will need to jack up that end of the lift to adjust the leg position. A Lift Jack can help make this task easier.

• How do I properly spool a manual winch cable?

  When starting to wind up the cable, pull the cable towards the wheel side of the drum. Make sure each wrap of the cable lays next to the previous wrap. Keep supporting the cable and guiding in place until the weight of the bed starts to pick up. The cable should track normally once the bed begins to rise.

• How do I properly spool a motorized winch cable?
  Insert the key into the side of the motorized winch kit to activate the winch. As the motor spools the cable into the winch drum, prevent the cable from overlapping by guiding the winch rope on the drum. Start from the left side going to the right side. Once a layer of rope covers the entire width of the drum you may start to overlap the rope. Guide until the entire length of the rope is evenly spooled.

• How you could potentially reel your lift up backwards or “down”?
  Slack in the cable can cause the cable to wrap incorrectly on the winch drum. If slack has been created, you might want to guide that cable back by manually applying tension to the cable so it wraps correctly into the winch. The winch drum should be wrapped with the cable on backside of the drum. If the cable gets wrapped the wrong way, with the cable on the front side of the drum, it will not raise or lower your lift properly.

• How to attach the winch wheel spinner?

  Put the bolt and a washer through the large end of the spinner knob. Then thread a nut on the end of the bolt. Place the bolt end through the hole in the plate attached to one of the wheel spokes. Place a washer and the final nut onto the bolt. Use two wrenches to tighten the nuts against each other.

• How to fix a lift wheel that is hard to turn.
  First, make sure there is no weight on the lift and that the lift bed is all the way down. Failure to do this step could cause the bed to crash to the bottom of the lift once the wheel is loosened from the winch. Next, take a screw driver or a vice grips to place into the winch drum to keep it from turning. Then, loosen the wheel by turning clockwise. Remove the nut and spring. Turn the wheel counterclockwise until the wheel comes off. Inspect the wheel threads for any rust or damaged threads. If there is rust, clean the rust out. Add some lubricant to the threads on the winch bolt. Remove the screw driver or whatever you’re using to stop the drum. Reattach the wheel by placing on the threads and turning it clockwise until the wheel starts turning the drum. Replace the spring and then the lock nut. Tighten the lock nut until the threads are fully engaged.

• My lift cranks up but does not go down.

  You may have cranked the lift the wrong direction, meaning backwards or counter-clockwise. Which happens most commonly with an electric motor when you continuously go down.

• My winch cable is loose/down too far.

  You do not want slack in your cable. Once you see slack starting in your cable, immediately stop because that means the lift is as low as it needs to be.

• Yearly Maintenance for a 1265 lb. Lift
  • At the end of the season, inspect cables for any frays or broken wires. If excessive frays or breaks are noted, contact your dealer for a new cable.
  • Inspect the pulleys in the bed tubes. Make sure there is no wobble or excess play, that the cable is running straight and properly seated in the groove of the pulley.
  • Below the pulley on the winch side, there is a rubber stopper that keeps the bed off the cable crimp. Make sure that is in place and that the crimp on the cable is not sticking through above the rubber.
  • Check that the cable studs are through the lock nut portion and engaged. If not, tighten the lock nuts.
  • Avoid slack in your cables.
  • Avoid leaving cables and cradle in the water for long periods of time.
  • Keep your cables and pulleys free of weeds, algae, and other organic buildup.
  • Store canvas canopy separately, if you have one.
• Yearly Maintenance for a 4000 lb. Lift
  • At the end of the season, inspect cables for any frays or broken wires. If excessive frays or breaks are noted, contact your dealer for a new cable.
  • Inspect the cable guide rollers to make sure they are turning freely. If they are not turning freely, readjust by loosening the bolt.
  • Inspect the pulleys by removing the end caps of the bed tubes. Make sure there is no wobble or excess play, that the cable is running straight and properly seated in the groove of the pulley.
  • The cables must be fully engaged with the nyloc nut. If it’s not fully engaged, adjust the stud upward to tighten it. When tightening the nuts, put a wrench on each nut and tighten them against each other, fully locking the cable in place.
  • Avoid slack in your cables.
  • Avoid leaving cables and cradle in the water for long periods of time.
  • Keep your cables and pulleys free of weeds, algae, and other organic buildup.
  • Store canvas canopy separately, if you have one.
• How to raise and lower your lift?

  We suggest that no one get in the boat until it has been lowered and is floating. Passengers should also disembark the boat before raising.

• Which direction do I crank the winch to raise my lift?

  Clockwise is up all the time.

• Operating Your Boat Lift
  • Cranking the wheel clockwise will raise the lift. Clockwise is up all the time.
  • Cranking the wheel counter clockwise will lower the lift.
• How do I level my Porta-Dock Dock with the Screw-Jack Telescoping Pocket?
  Loosen set the screw. Take the rubber cap off the top of the panel. Use a cordless drill to adjust to your desired height. Once your desired height has been reached, retighten the set screw and put the rubber cap back in place.

• How do I level my Porta-Dock Dock with the Non-Screw Telescoping Pocket (Flush-top)?
  There are two types of adjustments:
  External: Used for lake level fluctuation.
  Internal: Is meant to be set when the dock is first installed. Will typically be under the water.

• How do I adjust the level of my Porta-Dock Dock with the Standard Set Screw and Pocket?
  A Lift Jack can be helpful in assisting the raising the level of your dock. Loosen the set screw. Move the decking to the desired height (on both sides, simultaneously) and retighten the set screw.

• How do I adjust the level my Porta-Dock Wheel Dock with Winches?
  Loosen the set screw. Then unlock the winch and crank the handle counter clockwise to loosen the chain. Place the winch in the lock position again, before loosening the chain further by hand. Crank the dock up and stop cranking 2 inches below target height. Then pull the chains tight and lock them. Continue cranking the dock the final 2” to your desired height. Make sure the chain is tight. Then retighten the set screw. Finally, unlock the winch, loosen a half turn, and re-lock the winch. Repeat on the opposite side.