Kayak hoist question

[Smirak]

I searched for this, but couldn’t find what I was looking for (and, if this is the wrong forum, please feel feee to move). 
 

I recently installed the rad sportz single kayak hoist. Thing works great with my SS127. However, the issue I’m having is getting the kayak up by pulling on the ropes. I can only get so much “bite”, then pull, then have to get another bite. I have arthritis in my hands (thanks military) and it makes this difficult. I can actually just walk with the lines in my garage until it is all the way to the ceiling and then tie it off. However, does anyone have any recommendations for easier ways to lift? Like handle(s) on the lift lines, knots in the line to make it easier, etc?

[casts_by_fly]

a winch mounted on the wall?  electric even?

 

Depending on how thick of a rope you use, a pair of ropeman ascenders would work.  Put a carabiner or other comfy handle through them and align them so that the slide up the rope (towards the kayak) if you slide them, but if you're just holding them they are holding tight.  Then just slide the first one toward the boat, stand on the tail of the rope, and slide the second one up towards the first.  Repeat.  

 

https://www.wildcountry.com/en-us/ropeman-1-40-rope1_0000

[Bankc]

I have the same lift, and I just use thick work gloves and wrap the rope around my hands.  Then I just squat down and let my weight do the lifting.  Then repeat the dance until it's lifted up all of the way.  I can also help to just pull on one side of the rope at the time, to see-saw the kayak up.  It seems to operate easier that way.  I keep the gloves on my work bench next to the rope.  It helps to keep the rope from digging into my hands, and prevents me from having to maintain such a strong grip, since the wrapped up rope will secure itself to your hand.  The gloves won't help with the lifting part, but they will help with the gripping.  They also help with lowering the kayak, as I can just let the rope slowly slide through my hands without burning them in the friction.  

 

I thought about adding a winch, but they're not cheap, and you'll need a pretty powerful and slow speed one, plus you'll need a sturdy place to install it.  And the way the braking system is set up, it won't allow you to lower it easily, so you'd probably need to rework the brakes so you can set them when the motor isn't in use, and remove them when the motor is working.  It's all doable, but too much hassle and cost for me to pursue.  

 

One thing I must advise, don't use the lag bolts that it came with to attach it to the ceiling joists!  I had read that they fail, and one of mine failed after about a year of delicate use.  I thought it was just due to people not drilling a pilot hole and over torquing the bolts on install, but no.  They're extremely fragile!  It's worth the time and money to take one into your local hardware store and buy 4 replacements.  Even the cheap bolts at the hardware store will be about 10x's more sturdy than whatever pieces of junk they came with (though I bought stainless steel versions).  The other nuts and bolts are fine.  It's just the lag bolts that are weak.  If you use the ones supplied by the company, they will fail, and it can do some serious damage when they do.  Plus, you won't be able to remove one when it does, as there will be nothing to grip onto when the head shears off.  

[Smirak]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I’m going to stick with my method of just walking it back. It’s not a big deal. My first thought was ascenders as well. May go to my local climbing gym and see what they use to haul their holds up high to reset routes.

[TnRiver46]

Here’s my system. I’ve got a series of knots so I just lift it up a notch at a time. 90 lb boat goes up with ease. The hard part is when you let it down and have to carry it to the truck 

[Darth-Baiter]

i remember in college learning that pulleys with the cord doubled around multiplied the lifting by 2, but cut the speed by half.    so pulleys?

 

or go to harbor freight and get that electric hoist lift thing. 

[Bankc]

On 11/29/2022 at 10:28 AM, Darth-Baiter said:

i remember in college learning that pulleys with the cord doubled around multiplied the lifting by 2, but cut the speed by half.    so pulleys?

 

or go to harbor freight and get that electric hoist lift thing. 

That's a good idea!  The Rad Sportz uses a double pulley system.  The top pulley just redirects the force downward, but the bottom pulley on the hooks cuts the force by half (and doubles the distance you have the pull).  Replacing both pulleys, which are just bolted in place, with compound pulleys would cut the force required even further.  And depending on how many extra pulley's you added with your compound pulley's, you could get it down to just a few pounds of pull.  You wouldn't need much grip strength for that.  You'd have to pull a lot more rope to work it though.  

[TnRiver46]

On 11/29/2022 at 11:28 AM, Darth-Baiter said:

i remember in college learning that pulleys with the cord doubled around multiplied the lifting by 2, but cut the speed by half.    so pulleys?

 

or go to harbor freight and get that electric hoist lift thing. 

The pulleys I posted work great, doesn’t take much strength 

 

I didn’t get them at harbor freight

though, that’s a recipe for 90 lb boat to the dome 

[WRB]

Use a Atwood anchor lift to manually winch the rope up or let it down.

Tom

[Alex from GA]

Deer hoist pulleys.