W
hen the boat is hoisted from the water, use the 
lifting eyes or a sling for easy, damage-free lift-
ing (when utilized properly).
 
DO  NOT  use  the  ski  pylon  for  lifting.  It  is  NOT 
designed as a central lifting point. Also, DO NOT 
use the stern ski tow as a lifting ring. e deck will 
be damaged. See the Storage Cradle sub-section of 
this section of the Manual. Also, never lift a boat 
with water in the bilge or containing a water-filled 
device such as a ballast system or sack. e  extra 
stress will put an excessive load on the hull and lift-
ing equipment that may seriously damage the boat. 
Such damage may not be covered by the warranty.
Using Lifting Eyes
An  overhead  hoist  with  a  minimum  two-ton  capacity 
should be used to lift your boat. Cables should be rated 
for at least 3,500 pounds each. When lifting, keep the 
bow slightly higher than the stern to prevent any possibil-
ity of water running into the engine exhaust manifold. 
Using Lifting Slings
An  overhead  hoist  with  a  minimum  two-ton  capacity 
should be used. Slings must be six (6) inches wide by 
twenty (20) feet long and a minimum of 3,500 pounds 
capacity each. Use a wide-enough spreader bar on each 
sling to prevent damaging side pressure to the deck or 
gunwale molding.
Lifting slings must never contact shafts, struts or 
hardware protruding from the hull. Damage may 
result that would void the warranty.
When the boat is out of the water, it is important 
to  support  the  hull  correctly  to  avoid  any  hull 
damage. Such damage may void the warranty. 
Storage Cradle
If a storage cradle is used, the hull must be properly sup-
ported to prevent load damage. This can occur with as 
little as fteen (15) pounds per square inch of pressure. 
DO NOT support the boat by resting the hull on the keel 
(the central fore-and-aft structural member in the bottom 
of the boat’s hull, extending from the bow to the stern). 
Vertical supports must extend from the chine (the angular 
intersection of the bottom and sides of the boat) to the 
keel with no gaps between the hull and cradle supports. 
A  total  support  area  of  at  least  two-hundred-fty  (250) 
square inches  of boats  under twenty-ve  (25) feet  and 
ve-hundred (500) square inches for boats over twenty-
ve (25)  feet is required  for proper  support. Protect  all 
items extending from the hull (i.e., the rudder, propeller, 
ns, etc.) to prevent them from resting on the cradle or 
the ground. DO NOT apply any load stress to the pro-
peller, shaft, rudder, swim platform, water intake grate or 
other protruding items.
  
2008 MasterCraft Owners Manual Page 11-1