What a difference!! The poor boathouse was ignored and underappreciated. A new roof, new doors and many extras have turned this eyesore into a valuable asset. Remember, you can no longer build a boathouse with water access on American Lake. The tram transports the boat and seadoos safely out of the water into the heated boathouse for the winter. The added benefit of a refrigerator makes entertaining on the dock even easier and the storage is just unbelievable!

 

The boathouse was given a new exterior paint job, a new metal roof and a new side door with a combination lock which is easily changed.

Two new roll-up doors complete with electric door openers completed the exterior beutification. The doors match the new garage doors in the main 3-car garage.The tram tracks can be seen in the forground leading from the lake into the right side of the boathouse.

The rerigerator on the left handles all sorts of soda, water, gator-aid and chilled food. The tram is seen on the right half and is used to transport the 4 Seadoos and ski-boat into the boathouse for winter storage. Since the boat does not need to be winterized (the boathouse is heated against freezing), the tram could be used to set boat back into the lake for winter water-skiing (assuming you are braver than we are). Ample hangers run the width of the boathouse for life jackets and wetsuits which will remain with the house.

The rear of the boathouse contains more hangers for water toys and skis. More shelving and a convenient workbench provide a place for tools and for working on the water toys as required. The winch which pulls the tram into and out of the lake can be seen in front of the tram. The tram was rebuilt with new wheel bearings in 2003. Tthe bunks were rewelded to fit the Eliminator ski boat and recovered with new marine-grade carpeting. Ample electical outlets (all double-fault protected) line both side walls. Overhead flourescent lights can be used at night. The new side door is visible on the right wall.

The hoist and Seadoo sling shown here run on a steel I-Beam from one side wall to the other. It is used to hoist each Seadoo off the tram. The yellow straps on the tram support the different size Seadoos with ease. The hoist carries each Seadoo to the other half of the boathouse and then lowers each one onto a wheeled cart for easy movement around the boathouse for service and storage.