Patent ID: 6955135

Claim:
An apparatus adapted for being installed in a body of water and secured where installed to one or more accessible fixed surfaces for the purpose of receiving, supporting and elevating a boat of the type having normally submerged propulsion means mounted proximate the stern of the boat, comprising: (a) a pair of laterally spaced buoyant structures adapted when installed in said body of water to establish a well therebetween; (b) a pair of laterally spaced parallel beams each being secured at an outer end to a fixed surface and at an opposite inner end being secured to a selected one of said buoyant structures, said beams defining a continuation of the boundaries of said well; (c) a rear bar member located forward of an entrance to said well and extending across and terminating at each of outer ends outwardly of opposite sides of said well, said rear bar outer ends being secured to said buoyant structures and being operative by reason of such securement to distribute a load placed thereon across said buoyant structures; (d) a boat support frame having a forward end, an opposing rear end, side members joined together and extending between said forward and rear ends, said side members including means adapted for contacting and supporting the bottom surface of said boat in conformance with its shape and said rear end of said frame being formed so as to permit forward passage of said propulsion means between said side members during positioning of said boat on said frame by use of said propulsion means, said frame being pivotally mounted on said rear bar member such that a selected portion of the length of said frame is disposed rearwardly of said rear bar member and the weight of said frame is distributed on said rear bar member in a manner which tends to cause the trailing said rear end of said frame when not having a boat mounted thereon to pivot downwardly into water confined proximate the entrance to said well, and the said forward end to pivot upwardly; (e) a front bar member extending across said well and positioned parallel to and forward of said rear bar member and having outer ends supported by said beams; and (f) said boat support frame, beams, rear bar member, front bar member and buoyant structures being arranged and constructed such that said boat may be driven onto said boat support frame by use of its own said propulsion means, lifted by said buoyant structures and positioned for storage and then drawn down by pivoting said frame on said rear bar member to bring said forward end of said frame down to rest on said front bar member.