For those tired of dragging their fishing boat, ski boat, or wakeboard boat back and forth to the lake, Divnick International, Inc. might have the solution you've been looking for. A new lift has been developed to keep your secondary boat behind your houseboat with no scum line and it was unveiled on Thoroughbred's show boat at the On Water Expo back in August. Crowds flooded the dock to get a glimpse of the lift in action and for most attendees it stopped them cold in their tracks as the system quietly raised and lowered the PWC.

"Unlike traditional lifts that lower a sloped platform into the water, our new lift operates straight up and down," says Steve Divnick, who has a number of other inventions and patents. "It can be lowered into the water so your secondary boat or PWC can glide over it without any resistance or wear on the hull. With the push of a button, it raises straight up and level with your swim platforms."

The inventor feels the bonus of the lift platform being level at all times is that you can actually back your boat onto the lift for overnight or long-term storage. It also makes it easy to service your engine or prop. 

The Divnick Lift has no external hydraulic cylinders or hoses so it eliminates the risk of an environmental mess and expensive repair that would otherwise require the houseboat to be raised or pulled from the water. The Divnick Lift uses a unique system to move the platform. 

Another benefit of this new lift is that none of its parts are in the water when the lift is in the up or "stored" position.

"If you have had any experience with hydraulic rams that are always in the water, they become contaminated with algae and other growth, which causes sluggish movement and accelerated seal wear," says the inventor. "The Divnick Lift stays clean."

Perhaps most amazing is that when in the up position, the entire lift mechanism will be hidden from view. The mechanism is contained within the same thickness as the platform itself. 

"No one driving past your houseboat in the marina will know how you got your play boat up there," says Divnick. "This will look especially puzzling when your boat is backed in.  James Bond would love this lift!"

Divnick's new 106- by 20-foot houseboat is currently in production at Thoroughbred and will of course include the heavy-duty lift that can lift up to 5,000 pounds, which is enough to handle any wakeboard boat. When Shawn Heinen, president of Thoroughbred, saw the working model that Divnick brought to the Louisville Houseboat Expo, he immediately knew it was a winner.

"I knew this would change the way small boats and PWC's were loaded on the back of houseboats and I wanted Thoroughbred to be the first to offer it," says Heinen. "It won't cost any more than a traditional hydraulic lift, but it will be a lot more versatile. When people consider how handy it is to always have their small boat right there with their houseboat, we think they'll love this system."

For more information on the Divnick Lift call 937-384-0003 or visit www.divnick.com. To learn more about Thoroughbred custom houseboats that are manufactured in Albany, Ky., call 606-387-7421 or visit www.tbboats.com.