Swim Platform ...?

Lakeprincess · 06-28-2009, 07:16 PM

Hi there. Last year we paid $1800 for a floating swim platform, made of cedar, and all seemed well. I think it's 8 by 8 feet. Anyway, it got away - the rope broke, the $150 anchor (250 pound test) is on the lake bottom and little kids are MAD. We are probably just dummies.
But...does anyone have any advice on what type of cable or rope we need to keep the darn thing reigned in, and what is the best kind of anchor if we need to replace it. Thanks guys.

jrc · 06-28-2009, 07:24 PM

Did you recover the raft?

I would hire a diver skilled in dealing with boat moorings and have him use chain. He can likely re-use your anchor.

Who did the original install, didn't they guarantee their work?

meredith weekender · 06-28-2009, 07:59 PM

We have a swim raft in meredith bay where it is quite rough at times. The raft is in 38' of water. The anchor is a 500 lb. concrete mooring anchor, then we used 50' of 3/8" galvanized chain with a mooring ball on top. The raft attaches to the mooring ball. It has been this way for 5 years now and works great.

Rattlesnake Guy · 06-28-2009, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meredith weekender

We have a swim raft in meredith bay where it is quite rough at times. The raft is in 38' of water. The anchor is a 500 lb. concrete mooring anchor, then we used 50' of 3/8" galvanized chain with a mooring ball on top. The raft attaches to the mooring ball. It has been this way for 5 years now and works great.

What do you do in the winter so the chain does not fall to the bottom or get dragged away in an ice flow?

ApS · 06-29-2009, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lakeprincess

Hi there. Last year we paid $1800 for a floating swim platform, made of cedar, and all seemed well. I think it's 8 by 8 feet. Anyway, it got away - the rope broke, the $150 anchor (250 pound test) is on the lake bottom and little kids are MAD. We are probably just dummies.
But...does anyone have any advice on what type of cable or rope we need to keep the darn thing reigned in, and what is the best kind of anchor if we need to replace it. Thanks guys.

A friend uses a long stainless steel cable, and detaches it from the block every Autumn. (His is a windward shore, so it's in relatively shallow water). That same cable has been mooring his boats for 40 years!

For at least a decade, this is the first season that I haven't seen a swim platform or raft go scudding by these windows! (So far, anyway). Very often, it's a too-short chain that's the problem: the wind kicks up—hoists the five or six concrete blocks off the bottom into deeper water—and good-bye swim platform.

I rescued three orange mooring balls adrift after Ice-Out, 2008: It was surprising the amount of corrosion that had eaten away at the metal rod inside the styrofoam on each. Though still useable, they'd become useless for dependability.

If what you have presently is a "real, brand-name, anchor", you can still use that to add additional "drag" protection for the replacement block.

BTW: Your raft is probably not very far away and residing on somebody's shoreline: very possibly, the Marine Patrol can advise you. (877) 642-9700.

A few things to keep in mind:

1) You can't use too much weight on the bottom:

An "anchor" of only 250 pounds becomes one-half that weight underwater. I'd use a single, very-heavy weight: two or more weights can be gradually "hiked" by strong winds into deeper water. If the new mooring block is made of concrete cement, include as much iron and steel scrap in the mix: Rocks are not "weighty" enough to benefit—and even the concrete itself will eventually erode away.

2) Whatever block you get for your mooring should be buried for maximum effectiveness—if possible. I'll bet the benefit of weight is doubled—or more—for a buried mooring!

3) If you're in, say, 38-feet of water, use a second, lighter, line with sufficient weight to lower the mooring ball to about three feet below the surface for the winter: use a boat hook to retrieve it.

I'd still have all the metal parts involved inspected every three years. (Include the "thimbles" used in protection against rope abrasion). Although stainless steel is highly desireable, anything made of metal will corrode in this lake—including stainless steel.

4) The more buoyant the raft—the deeper the water and the amount of wind exposure—then more weight and a greater ratio of chain (or rope-and-chain combo) will be needed.

5) You can't get away with cheap "hardware-store" chain in this lake.

If you use rope (or if the bottom is less than six-feet deep), don't use a mooring block that has exposed edges or corners. An enterprising installer can use water pressure to bury the block below a sandy bottom. (That's the very best protection, anyway, against the wind's tugging the mooring block away).

You can readily leave rope on the bottom over winter. Whether rope or chain, you can attach a brightly-colored line (or weight) trailed off towards shore. A fisherman's trolled hook and line can still cause it to move, though.

6) Put your name and address on items that the wind can cause to float away.

The "non-named" pontoon raft I recovered two years ago is now very prominently marked by the original owner! You could even add as little as one or more mailing address labels to the side every season.

Quote:

Originally Posted by meredith weekender

We have a swim raft in meredith bay where it is quite rough at times. The raft is in 38' of water. The anchor is a 500 lb. concrete mooring anchor, then we used 50' of 3/8" galvanized chain with a mooring ball on top. The raft attaches to the mooring ball. It has been this way for 5 years now and works great.

Parm'me, but five years isn't a great test to hold a cedar raft costing in excess of $1800—or a great test for galvanized chain for that matter.

This is a bucket holding one length of galvanized chain after only about seven years immersion in Lake Winnipesaukee.

SIKSUKR · 06-29-2009, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Guy

What do you do in the winter so the chain does not fall to the bottom or get dragged away in an ice flow?

What I've seen used with good success is at the end of the season remove the mooring ball if you have one and tie a rope to the end of your chain and pull it up to shore and tie it off.

EllyPoinster · 06-29-2009, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

What I've seen used with good success is at the end of the season remove the mooring ball if you have one and tie a rope to the end of your chain and pull it up to shore and tie it off.

I do exactly that except that I just wrap the end of the rope around a flat rock or brick and leave it in a few feet of water. Next year, just reach down and grab it, move to a position over your anchor, pull up the chain and re-attach the mooring ball.

DickR · 06-29-2009, 01:29 PM

For lowering the chain over the winter while making retrieval next year easy, here is what I have done. Get an empty gallon plastic laundry detergent jug (well-rinsed). When you detach the raft at the end of the summer, loop a rope through the handle and a chain link perhaps four feet down from the top end. Leave one end of the rope long, perhaps with a small loop on the end, for use next season in retrieving the rope, jug, and chain.

With the jug empty, it should float the chain completely, but this depends on the chain size and length. The buoyancy of the jug will be 8.3 lb/gallon. Weigh the chain before putting it into service, and figure the weight of the chain of length equal to the water depth. Use a bigger jug or two of them if necessary to provide buoyancy.

By trial and error, let a little water at a time into the jug, to the point where the jug just starts to sink under the weight of the chain. As the chain pulls the jug down, the bottom of the chain will come to rest on the lake bottom, reducing the drag on the jug. You want the amount of water (or air left) in the jug just right so that the jug stops sinking about four feet down. That will let you locate the jug next season easily and retrieve the rope attaching it to the chain with a short pole, while keeping it well below ice and any boat props, even allowing for later drop in lake level before ice-in.

Final thought, on attachment to the raft: don't use rope right at the point of attachment to either chain or raft. Use stainless steel screw-together links (they look like links of a chain, but with a threaded part that lets you open the link for connecting). Rope at a wear point will wear through with the constant motion, even if the point of attachment appears to be smooth. However, one thing you could do is to attach a slightly longer rope as a secondary line between chain and raft. Glance underneath now and then during the summer; if the primary has broken and the raft is held by the secondary, replace the primary pronto.

pkadventures · 10-25-2010, 04:23 PM

getting the swim platform out of the water? Following this thread we have managed to hook something onto the weight to mark it and drag the platform to shore. Any trick to getting it off the beach? OR just a lot of muscle???

eillac@dow · 10-25-2010, 09:33 PM

After years of multiple swim rafts....what you need is what you said....

Alot of muscle!

Island Girl · 10-26-2010, 06:53 AM

We bought an ATV winch, hooked it up to a battery and pulled out 2 large, heavy jetski lifts. It was still hard work for CessnaAir who did most of the work. (I pressed the button on the winch!)

The winch was mounted on a board and tied to the house and a tree. Next year I want to put tires on the lift so it will go over the rocks more easily.

IG

Wolfeboro_Baja · 10-26-2010, 08:09 AM

Island Girl, I don't know if you saw this or if it would even help in your situation but the post quoted below has a link to a handy item that might be of help to you or someone else in a similar situation. Originally, it appeared in the "Boat Lifts - Leave up or submerge?" thread in the Boating section. I can't vouch for the product but it does seem to have some advantages.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ITD

Have it taken out and put one of these setups on it. I wouldn't leave it in, the ice will destroy it.

http://www.boatlifthelper.com/HowItWorks.html

robmac · 10-26-2010, 08:14 AM

I would take 3 or 4 pieces of PVC pipe wide enough for what you're taking out. Start putting them one at a time as you pull to rid the dragging friction from the ground,when they come out as you go forward place them at the front again. Have used this method for years,first with armstrong then got winch doesn't take long now.

Island Girl · 10-26-2010, 08:20 AM

Wolfeboro_Baja, I used to float the lift to shore with the floats used for docks, so I have that part covered. I do like the inflatables, but over my terrain, (steep rocky hill) I think they might puncture. Now I need the wheels.

I just watched the video for the product you mentioned and now see how to get the wheels off in the spring when the lift is in the water, and on again in the fall, using my floats. Thanks, Wolfebore_Baja, you just solved my problem!

IG

Wolfeboro_Baja · 10-26-2010, 08:34 AM

You're welcome, glad to be of help! I can't take all the credit; ITD is the one that found their website and made the original post, all I did was recycle it here! After I had finished reading your previous post, the first thing I thought of was that Boat Lift thread and the link posted there; I knew the wheels might solve your problem, depending on the terrain you had to deal with!

I think the Boat Lift Helper people need to expand their product to fit it to other in-water items, like swim platforms.

06-28-2009, 07:16 PM	#1
Lakeprincess Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 6 Thanks: 1 Thanked 17 Times in 1 Post	Swim Platform ...? Hi there. Last year we paid $1800 for a floating swim platform, made of cedar, and all seemed well. I think it's 8 by 8 feet. Anyway, it got away - the rope broke, the $150 anchor (250 pound test) is on the lake bottom and little kids are MAD. We are probably just dummies. But...does anyone have any advice on what type of cable or rope we need to keep the darn thing reigned in, and what is the best kind of anchor if we need to replace it. Thanks guys.

06-29-2009, 01:29 PM	#8
DickR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 750 Thanks: 4 Thanked 259 Times in 171 Posts	For lowering the chain over the winter while making retrieval next year easy, here is what I have done. Get an empty gallon plastic laundry detergent jug (well-rinsed). When you detach the raft at the end of the summer, loop a rope through the handle and a chain link perhaps four feet down from the top end. Leave one end of the rope long, perhaps with a small loop on the end, for use next season in retrieving the rope, jug, and chain. With the jug empty, it should float the chain completely, but this depends on the chain size and length. The buoyancy of the jug will be 8.3 lb/gallon. Weigh the chain before putting it into service, and figure the weight of the chain of length equal to the water depth. Use a bigger jug or two of them if necessary to provide buoyancy. By trial and error, let a little water at a time into the jug, to the point where the jug just starts to sink under the weight of the chain. As the chain pulls the jug down, the bottom of the chain will come to rest on the lake bottom, reducing the drag on the jug. You want the amount of water (or air left) in the jug just right so that the jug stops sinking about four feet down. That will let you locate the jug next season easily and retrieve the rope attaching it to the chain with a short pole, while keeping it well below ice and any boat props, even allowing for later drop in lake level before ice-in. Final thought, on attachment to the raft: don't use rope right at the point of attachment to either chain or raft. Use stainless steel screw-together links (they look like links of a chain, but with a threaded part that lets you open the link for connecting). Rope at a wear point will wear through with the constant motion, even if the point of attachment appears to be smooth. However, one thing you could do is to attach a slightly longer rope as a secondary line between chain and raft. Glance underneath now and then during the summer; if the primary has broken and the raft is held by the secondary, replace the primary pronto. Last edited by DickR; 06-29-2009 at 02:07 PM.

10-25-2010, 04:23 PM	#9
pkadventures Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 11 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Any trick to... getting the swim platform out of the water? Following this thread we have managed to hook something onto the weight to mark it and drag the platform to shore. Any trick to getting it off the beach? OR just a lot of muscle???

10-26-2010, 06:53 AM	#11
Island Girl Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Central MA Posts: 2,352 Thanks: 18 Thanked 535 Times in 179 Posts	Electric Winch We bought an ATV winch, hooked it up to a battery and pulled out 2 large, heavy jetski lifts. It was still hard work for CessnaAir who did most of the work. (I pressed the button on the winch!) The winch was mounted on a board and tied to the house and a tree. Next year I want to put tires on the lift so it will go over the rocks more easily. IG __________________ Island Girl ....... Make Lemonade

10-26-2010, 08:20 AM	#14
Island Girl Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Central MA Posts: 2,352 Thanks: 18 Thanked 535 Times in 179 Posts	Ah Ha! Wolfeboro_Baja, I used to float the lift to shore with the floats used for docks, so I have that part covered. I do like the inflatables, but over my terrain, (steep rocky hill) I think they might puncture. Now I need the wheels. I just watched the video for the product you mentioned and now see how to get the wheels off in the spring when the lift is in the water, and on again in the fall, using my floats. Thanks, Wolfebore_Baja, you just solved my problem! IG __________________ Island Girl ....... Make Lemonade

06-28-2009, 07:24 PM	#2
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	Did you recover the raft? I would hire a diver skilled in dealing with boat moorings and have him use chain. He can likely re-use your anchor. Who did the original install, didn't they guarantee their work?

06-28-2009, 07:59 PM	#3
meredith weekender Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Meredith / Manchester Posts: 373 Thanks: 87 Thanked 84 Times in 57 Posts	We have a swim raft in meredith bay where it is quite rough at times. The raft is in 38' of water. The anchor is a 500 lb. concrete mooring anchor, then we used 50' of 3/8" galvanized chain with a mooring ball on top. The raft attaches to the mooring ball. It has been this way for 5 years now and works great.

10-25-2010, 09:33 PM	#10
eillac@dow Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Dow Island & Weymouth, MA Posts: 365 Thanks: 295 Thanked 94 Times in 48 Posts	After years of multiple swim rafts....what you need is what you said.... Alot of muscle!

10-26-2010, 08:14 AM	#13
robmac Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Nashua,Meredith Posts: 951 Thanks: 213 Thanked 106 Times in 81 Posts	I would take 3 or 4 pieces of PVC pipe wide enough for what you're taking out. Start putting them one at a time as you pull to rid the dragging friction from the ground,when they come out as you go forward place them at the front again. Have used this method for years,first with armstrong then got winch doesn't take long now.

10-26-2010, 08:34 AM	#15
Wolfeboro_Baja Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Hopkinton NH Posts: 395 Thanks: 88 Thanked 80 Times in 46 Posts	You're welcome, glad to be of help! I can't take all the credit; ITD is the one that found their website and made the original post, all I did was recycle it here! After I had finished reading your previous post, the first thing I thought of was that Boat Lift thread and the link posted there; I knew the wheels might solve your problem, depending on the terrain you had to deal with! I think the Boat Lift Helper people need to expand their product to fit it to other in-water items, like swim platforms.