There are so many different sizes and shapes of boats on the market today. Have you ever wondered if there is something better for your boat than one size fits all standard bunking? The good news is that IMM Quality Boat Lifts has the best engineers in the industry to design custom bunk systems that will perfectly match your boat.
The photo above shows a relatively new method of bunking sailboats. Support blocks are designed with a curve to perfectly match the sailboats hull. This design works very well when the keel cannot support the weight of the boat.
In this design, we were able to design a flat bunk that flexed to conform to the shape of the hull. The flat bunk brackets were designed with screw-jacks to allow the flex and fit to be fined tuned in the field. Furthermore, the stanchion pad and flat bunk brackets were designed to allow both height and angle adjustments because factory drawings do not always perfectly match the boat in the real world. This adjustability allows the marine contractor to get a perfect match to the boats’ hull.
Example 2
It was critical to this customer to have the boat perfectly centered on the bunks every time the boat was lifted. Our engineers designed guide rollers to make sure that this would happen. The guide roller brackets had screw jacks to set the best height. The guide rollers were also spring-loaded to cushion the force as the boat settled onto the bunks.
Example 3
For this boat, our engineers designed V-shaped cradle beams with keel support pads and adjustable hull stanchion pads. To give it a really elegant look, the cradles were framed for a platform and decked with Thru-Flow. This was a great way to provide walk-around access to the boat.
Example 4
This homeowner wanted the ability to bunk two different boats on the same lift. Our engineers designed custom bunks for his handmade wooden boat. This delicate boat was supported by the keel and by stanchion pads. The stanchion pads could be moved out of the way to use standard aluminum bunks with his modern powerboat.
Example 5
There was a lot going on with the hull of this speed boat. Our engineers designed many smaller aluminum bunks to pick up the hull steps at their height while simultaneously missing the chines, fittings, and drives. In the end, the bunk system fits like a glove.
Example 6
How about a cradle system that can simultaneously bunk two boats of very different sizes? Then carry the weight of a deck system to create a platform lift. And the bunks for the smaller Zodiac boat have to be removable. So that the homeowner can lift off the Zodiac by the bunks using a forklift. We never know what our customers will want, but our engineers can handle it.
Slings
One of the simplest bunking solutions is the sling. Boat lift slings are designed to form fit around the hull of the boat as the lift raises the cables to pick the boat out of the water.
Catamarans
Because of their multi-hull shape, catamarans require different bunking solutions. Usually, flat bunks are used to support the catamaran hulls.
Sailboats
Sailboats also require different types of bunks. The elongated keels of sailboats create problems for standard bunks. A typical solution is to add a V-shaped drop down to the cradle beams. A keel beam pad is engineered to support the weight of the sailboat on the keel and stanchion pads are used to keep the sailboat from tipping over.
The photo above shows a relatively new method of bunking sailboats. Support blocks are designed with a curve to perfectly match the sailboats hull. This design works very well when the keel cannot support the weight of the boat.
Keel Beam and Stanchion Pads
The keel beam and stanchion pad design also work well with larger boats.
Working with Boat Manufacturers
There are so many different designs of boats that it can become quite challenging to design bunk systems to safely lift some boats. Our engineers need to design around various steps, chines, thru-hull fittings, transducer housings, and drives to make sure that the bunks coincide with structural bulkheads and other safe lift points. In these difficult situations, our engineers are able to work with the boat manufacturer to obtain schematics and recommendations so that a safe and secure bunk system is designed for the boat. Example 1
In this design, we were able to design a flat bunk that flexed to conform to the shape of the hull. The flat bunk brackets were designed with screw-jacks to allow the flex and fit to be fined tuned in the field. Furthermore, the stanchion pad and flat bunk brackets were designed to allow both height and angle adjustments because factory drawings do not always perfectly match the boat in the real world. This adjustability allows the marine contractor to get a perfect match to the boats’ hull.
Example 2
It was critical to this customer to have the boat perfectly centered on the bunks every time the boat was lifted. Our engineers designed guide rollers to make sure that this would happen. The guide roller brackets had screw jacks to set the best height. The guide rollers were also spring-loaded to cushion the force as the boat settled onto the bunks.
Example 3
For this boat, our engineers designed V-shaped cradle beams with keel support pads and adjustable hull stanchion pads. To give it a really elegant look, the cradles were framed for a platform and decked with Thru-Flow. This was a great way to provide walk-around access to the boat.
Example 4
This homeowner wanted the ability to bunk two different boats on the same lift. Our engineers designed custom bunks for his handmade wooden boat. This delicate boat was supported by the keel and by stanchion pads. The stanchion pads could be moved out of the way to use standard aluminum bunks with his modern powerboat.
Example 5
There was a lot going on with the hull of this speed boat. Our engineers designed many smaller aluminum bunks to pick up the hull steps at their height while simultaneously missing the chines, fittings, and drives. In the end, the bunk system fits like a glove.
Example 6
How about a cradle system that can simultaneously bunk two boats of very different sizes? Then carry the weight of a deck system to create a platform lift. And the bunks for the smaller Zodiac boat have to be removable. So that the homeowner can lift off the Zodiac by the bunks using a forklift. We never know what our customers will want, but our engineers can handle it.
