Hydraulic Swim Platforms by Florida Bow Thruster

O

Overextended

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Feb 13, 2007
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Has anyone had Florida Bow Thruster (folks who make them for stock Sea Rays) install a Hydraulic Swim Platform??? If so what did it cost to have it done aftermarket? Or did you get a quote and not do it? Just trying to figure out what the best deal is out there...
 
Tender Lifts

I've looked into the lift issue several times and it is this way.

The TNT lift installed in SoFla is about $25 to 28K retro fit on a 460

The Freedom Lift is $23- 25K on the same 460.

Both solutions are good solid proven sytems, just really pricey. If they were $12-15K i'd go for it, but twice that amount leaves me beached.

I've had quotes for both ... just too much of an upgrade on this boat ... next boat I'll get one with it allready installed.
 
Jims380DA said:
check out this link guys - maybe a cheaper alternative.

http://www.seathrust.com/sealift.asp
Click to expand...

SeaTrust is a nice product....suggested retail installed....$16,900...plus the the price of the haul/launch and Tax......they can probably come down a little on that.....I was told that they will be the Sea Ray OEM product for the new 2008 35DA....
 
Just because a compnay is SEARAY AUTHORIZED or sells stuff to searay doesnt make it a good product. Look at all those bad TNT lifts.... Those things are useless now .... broken... leaking.... SS3 had a pile of TNT heaps last year...


Rob
 
Robski...18k does not sound that bad for an extended platform lift. I was thinking over 25-29k. I wonder if that was just b/c it was winter time??
 
The SeaLift looks like a nice product... BUT... if you or your kids do a lot of swimming off the swim platform after the dinghy is launched, their is an awful lot of apparatus left lurking just under the water which would make me very nervous. Or am I looking at this wrong?
 
Flettis,
Yes winter price ... and there was still wiggle room.... but i wasnt set to pull the trigger...

Rob
 
I installed the sea lift on my 420Da last winter. I paid less than the price being discussed in this thread. Product is very good and does not interfere in swimming if you force the lift all the way down.
I would definetly recommend it. The platform lift is nice but thats alot more weight on the back of your boat plus I dont really feel its worth the extra price. I looked at my buddys platform lift (installed on a 420DB) and it seems like the unit is loose already. This could be due to the extra weight of the lift and platform.
Just my 2 cents.
 
Local dealer doesnt have alot factory lifts.... so its a hard to make a decision... Now having a dog i miss being on the hook.. Damn puppy things....

Rob
 
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Steve 36...

I'm looking hard at the SeaLift for my 44 Dancer as well as their bow thruster. I would hope to bundle both and negotiate my tail off on numbers with them. Could you share with me, in a PM if you prefer, how much they moved from their "posted" price? Also, did you feel they were fair on their travel costs?

Thanks.

Stan
 
I priced a lift at Miami Boat Show in Febuary from Florida Bow Thruster for my 380 Dancer, they quoted me $27,000 complete and installed.
 
The Sea Lift system was $16.9K at the Annapolis boat show. They're coming up with a platform version for the same price. The drawings look nice.
 
Tim,

I spoke to the Sea Lift guys for a while. Their price is $16.9K. A dealer is also supposed to charge the same. That means there may be room to negotiate directly with them, though I didn't really pursue that.

I really liked the design of their swim platform. They have incorporated the same auto alignment mechanism for the bunks - it adapts to the "V" on the dinghy hull - but they drop down flush with the platform. Also, the weight of the platform is the same as the stainless frame version.

I'm anxious to see the platform version in person.
 
RiverGalsMan said:
Tim,

I spoke to the Sea Lift guys for a while. Their price is $16.9K. A dealer is also supposed to charge the same. That means there may be room to negotiate directly with them, though I didn't really pursue that.

I really liked the design of their swim platform. They have incorporated the same auto alignment mechanism for the bunks - it adapts to the "V" on the dinghy hull - but they drop down flush with the platform. Also, the weight of the platform is the same as the stainless frame version.

I'm anxious to see the platform version in person.
Click to expand...
Larry-
I am currently of the opinion that adding an additional full platform to the full integrated platform that is already built into our boats looks a little much. This is fine on a bigger boat like a 52 or a 58, but I've seen 44DBs with platform lifts and they look a little out of proportion. Of course, if I pull my back one more time wrestling with the Hurley (no offense Todd, I am no Miss Michigan), I may change my mind.

My buddy's platform on his 400DB is certainly a thing of beauty to operate. But of course, the 400 doesn't have a molded in platform so it looks "right".

Also, something seems off about spending $17K to lift my $3K dinghy out of the water! Yes, I know I could always upgrade the dinghy to one of those mini-yachts, but mommy wants a pool so this one may be a while.
 
Tim, I don't like the look of the factory swim platform, either. Something about it's not right. I really like the look of it on the 52DB. The Sea Lift platform looked smaller than the factory offering. I want to see it on a 44DB before seriously considering it.

Right now I'm storing the dink on the bow, upside down, and strapped to those two rails. I've got the engine in the transom locker. I can launch both just fine since gravity is my friend. Retrieving them is another story ;) I guess it's not spending $17K for a $3k dink, it's spending $17K to spare your priceless back!

I'm thinking of a crane that I can mount on the bow. There were a bunch at the boat show. All of them removable to some degree. MUCH less that $17K.
 
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