HydroHoist Boat Lifts on Lake Keowee, Hartwell & Jocassee
Your Local Boat Lift Installer Since 1985
A boat lift only works if it fits the boat, the dock, and the water underneath it. That’s why every Kroeger Marine lift project starts with a site visit. We measure your slip and water depth, account for your boat’s loaded weight, and check what your Duke Energy or Army Corps permit allows. Then we recommend the right lift, install it, and keep it running for years.
We also build the docks those lifts sit in, with more than 3,700 custom docks across the upstate South Carolina and north Georgia lakes. That means a new lift and a new or existing dock are designed to work together.
HydroHoist, Tide Tamer & ShoreMaster Boat Lifts
HydroHoist Floating Boat Lifts
HydroHoist lifts float. Air-filled tanks raise your boat out of the water and lower it back down, and because the lift rides with your floating dock, it rises and falls with the lake. That makes HydroHoist a strong fit for lakes where water levels change through the year. HydroHoist and ShoreMaster have been sister brands since 2019.
- UltraLift: HydroHoist’s flagship floating lift, known for reliability and heavy-duty construction.
- UltraLift Front Mount: Mounts at the front of the slip. A good fit for marinas and calm coves.
- UltraLift Shallow Water: Built for coves with less than five feet of water.
- HarborHoist: Suited to fixed docks and rougher water.
Tide Tamer Cable Lifts
Tide Tamer builds cable-driven lifts for both fixed and floating docks.
- Piling lifts: Two-, four-, or eight-piling configurations.
- Overhead cable lifts: For floating docks and boathouses.
- Swinger PWC lift: A rotating design that’s been a customer favorite for more than 20 years.
ShoreMaster Vertical & Hydraulic Lifts
ShoreMaster is one of North America’s leading makers of freestanding lifts.
- Vertical lifts: Freestanding lifts for pontoons and V-hulls.
- Hydraulic lifts: The vertical design with a hydraulic drive.
- Cantilever PWC lifts: Stable, simple lifts for personal watercraft.
Which Boat Lift Is Right for Your Dock?
| Lift type | How it works | Best for | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floating | Air tanks raise the boat; the lift floats with your dock | Floating docks and changing water levels | HydroHoist |
| Cable / piling | A winch lifts the boat on cables from pilings or an overhead frame | Fixed docks, boathouses, covered slips | Tide Tamer |
| Vertical / hydraulic | A freestanding frame sits on the lake bottom | Shallower water with a firm bottom | ShoreMaster |
| PWC | A swing, cantilever, or floating port for jet skis | Adding PWCs beside your boat | Tide Tamer, ShoreMaster, HydroHoist |
Not sure which one you need? We’ll recommend one after we see your dock, and the estimate is free.
Boat Lifts by Lake
Lake Keowee Boat Lifts
Keowee is our home lake, and our shop is minutes from the water in Seneca. Lake Keowee is managed by Duke Energy. Under Duke’s guidelines, a boat lift inside your dock slip doesn’t need a permit, and you can add up to two PWC lifts along the side of the dock. A lift on the outside of the dock does need a permit, and we handle it for you. We serve Seneca, Salem, Six Mile, and shoreline communities across Oconee and Pickens counties.
Lake Hartwell Boat Lifts
Lake Hartwell is an Army Corps of Engineers lake, and docks here are governed by a Corps Shoreline Use Permit. We check what your permit allows before we install a lift and handle any paperwork. Hartwell’s water level changes with the seasons, drought, and Corps operations, and floating HydroHoist lifts adjust to it on their own. We install on both the Anderson, SC and Hart County, GA shores.
Lake Jocassee Boat Lifts
Most of Lake Jocassee’s shoreline is protected land owned by Duke Energy and the State of South Carolina, so private docks here are limited. If your property has dock rights, we’ll design a lift around Jocassee’s deep, clear water and Duke Energy’s guidelines. Jocassee’s level moves with Duke’s pumped-storage operations, which makes floating lifts a natural fit.
Why Put Your Boat on a Lift?
Less Wear on Your Boat
Ready When You Are
Better Security
Built Around Your Dock
Adds Property Value
Protects Resale Value
Boat Lift Repair, Service & Retrofits
Already have a lift? We repair and service boat lifts, from air leaks and blower problems on HydroHoist floating lifts to worn cables and motors on cable lifts. We also retrofit older docks so they can carry a new lift, and we can replace an undersized lift when you move up to a bigger boat.
Boat Lift FAQs
Do I need a permit to add a boat lift on Lake Keowee?
Usually not, if the lift goes inside your dock slip. Under Duke Energy’s guidelines, a boat lift within a slip doesn’t need a permit, and you can add up to two PWC lifts along the side of your dock. A lift on the outside of the dock does need a permit, and we can handle it for you.
Do I need a permit for a boat lift on Lake Hartwell?
Lake Hartwell docks are permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through a Shoreline Use Permit. Before we install a lift, we review what your permit allows and take care of any paperwork the Corps requires.
What’s the best boat lift for changing water levels?
A floating lift such as the HydroHoist UltraLift is usually the best choice. It rides with your floating dock, so it rises and falls with the lake and doesn’t need adjusting when levels drop. That matters on Corps lakes like Hartwell, where levels change with drought and Corps operations.
How much does a boat lift cost?
It depends on the lift type, its weight capacity, your boat’s size, water depth, whether it’s a new install or a retrofit to an existing dock, and any permit work. A PWC lift costs far less than a lift for a 24-foot wake boat, for example. We give free estimates after a site visit.
What size boat lift do I need?
Choose a lift rated above your boat’s fully loaded weight, not its dry weight. Add the engine, fuel, batteries, gear, and ballast water if you have a wake boat. We factor all of that in during your estimate and recommend a capacity with room to spare.
Can you add a lift to my existing dock?
Often, yes. It depends on your slip’s width and length, your dock’s structure or flotation, and your water depth. We inspect the dock first, and if it needs reinforcement or more flotation to carry a lift, we can retrofit it.
Do you repair boat lifts?
Yes. We service and repair boat lifts on Lake Keowee, Lake Hartwell, and Lake Jocassee, including HydroHoist floating lifts. Call 864-882-7671 or request service online and tell us your lift’s brand and model.
Get a Free Boat Lift Estimate
Our Commitment To Our Craft
We design + build docks that are completely custom and uniquely your own.
VISIONS COME TO LIFE
DOCKS BUILT
AND BUILDING CUSTOM DOCKS
