Seasonal boat hoist installation and removal can easily turn into an environmental headache. Dragging heavy steel frames across the lakebed or winch-hauling them over banks destroys native vegetation, disrupts fish habitat, and leaves deep ruts that invite shoreline erosion.
Consider protecting your shoreline during seasonal transitions by shifting your approach to low-impact methods.
Boat Hoists and Shoreline Protection
There was a time when the shorelines of Lake Leelanau could be identified by small anchored buoys and secured Chris-Craft wooden boats outside of summer cabins and residences. In more recent years, recreational boats (and their engines) have increased in number, size, weight, and power, leading to the common use of boat lifts/hoists. Hoists provide easy access to vessels for passengers and protective storage when the boats are not in use.
Hoists are heavy, unbalanced loads. They vary in size, function, and materials, with weights between 400 and 600 lbs, plus add-on assemblies such as winches and electric motors. Our seasons require they be moved twice a year, installed in the spring and brought onshore in the fall. Many opt for manual placements and removals. For example, four people lift at the corners, or two people lift, and two tires roll, or the hoist is pulled up shoreline ramps of wood or rock.
Boat hoist placement challenges arise for some shoreline properties where there is dense vegetation, deep water close to banks, limited access points, or steep or bluff-type shorelines. A shoreline zone with a vegetative buffer acts as a natural filter for runoff and a barrier against wave action. When a multi-hundred-pound boat hoist traverses this zone, several things happen:
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Erosion Triggers: Scraped vegetation leaves bare soil exposed to rain, runoff, and ice heave, accelerating shoreline loss.
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Habitat Destruction: Submerged plants provide critical nesting and feeding grounds for fish and macroinvertebrates. Uprooting them disrupts the local ecosystem.
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Sediment Turbidity: Disturbing fine lakebed sediments clouds the water, reducing sunlight penetration needed for aquatic plants to thrive.
With the advent of large shoreline restoration projects, often involving engineering design, permitting, and installation of rock, soil, coir logs, and landscaping plant materials, homeowners have made significant investments to retain land near the water line. So how does one protect their shoreline investment when removing a boat hoist from the lake?
Solutions
Skip the lift: While a hoist keeps your hull dry, not using the lift altogether is often the gentlest choice for your shoreline. Traditional mooring buoys and custom dock tie setups with mooring poles eliminate the seasonal cycle of dragging heavy equipment in and out of the water, protecting sensitive nearshore habitat year-round.
Barge on In: If this is infeasible, another solution is the use of specialized fork barges. As shown in the photo below, fork barges are flat-bottomed vessels, often aluminum construction, designed for inland lakes to perform heavy lifts of hoists and dock sections. They have a stable work platform, two hydraulic arms that extend forward for raising and lowering, winch systems for positioning, and hydraulic downriggers (legs) to stabilize the barge as needed, even in soft, muck-type bottoms. As outfitted, the barge’s telescoping forks allow precise lifting and/or placement in shallow waters or on near-shoreline areas.
Equipment advantages include the ability to:
- Access and lift your hoist high enough in shallow or deep waters,
- Reduce use of manual labor over uneven or tough terrain,
- Reach and position your hoist with crane-type controls,
- Make placements to/from steep shoreline banks and high riprap walls (approximately 10 to 15 feet high), and importantly,
- Prevent damage to sensitive landscaping, installed shoreline restoration projects, or your other equipment and structures.
Several barge service providers work on Lake Leelanau. Experienced barge operators are able to contend with semi-rough waters and varying wind conditions. Land-side equipment is not required, which is a perk for smaller or restricted residential lots. From the lakeside, the barges can usually reach complex access points. Work seasons for the barge operators begin shortly after ice has cleared from the lake and extend through late fall.
Get Tailored Repair Advice
If you're interested in repairing ruts or damaged shoreline, the Lake Leelanau Lake Association is here to help. Don't let the need for hoist access points prevent you from restoring your shoreline. Schedule a complimentary shoreline consultation with our trained Shoreline Ambassadors.
Schedule a Shoreline Consultation
Learn more about the program here, or click below to schedule your own shoreline consultation.