Floating lift for watercraft with support shoes

Abstract

A floating low profile watercraft lifting apparatus comprises a buoyant support apparatus and a watercraft lift attached to the buoyant support apparatus. Depending from the apparatus are support posts terminating in support shoes. When immersed in a body of water of sufficient depth to provide buoyancy, the apparatus operationally floats upon the body of water. When the body of water is too shallow to provide buoyancy, the apparatus remains operational, suspended by the support posts on the support shoes resting on the floor of the body of water.

1 . A floatable apparatus for lifting watercraft in a body of water, comprising: 
 a buoyant support apparatus having a support frame and a floatable frame mounted on the support frame; and    a lift attached to the buoyant support apparatus, the lift comprising: 
 a base;  
 a lifting mechanism for lifting watercraft, the lifting mechanism joined to the base; and  
 a plurality of support posts depending from the base, each support post terminating in a support shoe at the end distal the base,  
   whereby, when the apparatus is immersed in a body of water of sufficient depth to provide buoyancy to the floatable frame, the apparatus is buoyantly supported by the support frame and when the depth of water is not sufficient to provide buoyancy, the apparatus is supported by the support posts on the support shoes resting on the floor of the body of water.    
   
   
       2 . The floatable watercraft lifting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a means of adjusting the length of the support posts.  
   
   
       3 . The floatable watercraft lifting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a means of independently adjusting the length of each support post.  
   
   
       4 . A floatable apparatus for lifting watercraft in a body of water, comprising: 
 a buoyant support apparatus having a support frame and a floatable frame mounted on the support frame;    a plurality of support posts depending from the support frame, each support post terminating in a support shoe at the end distal the support frame; and    a lift attached to the buoyant support apparatus, the lift comprising: 
 a base and a lifting mechanism for lifting watercraft, the lifting mechanism joined to the base,  
   whereby, when the apparatus is immersed in a body of water of sufficient depth to provide buoyancy to the floatable frame, the apparatus is buoyantly supported by the support frame and when the depth of water is not sufficient to provide buoyancy, the apparatus is supported by the support posts on the support shoes resting on the floor of the body of water.    
   
   
       5 . The floatable watercraft lifting apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising a means of adjusting the length of the support posts.  
   
   
       6 . The floatable watercraft lifting apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising a means of independently adjusting the length of each support post.