Am I the only one who’s afraid Time Out is going to gently roll off of those inflatable pontoons the next time a big storm hits the area? I guess I’ve played with too many floppy swimming pool “air mattress” toys.

But if it works as advertised, this could be a real benefit to some boat owners. Here’s a portion of the press release:

“Boats moored in wet slips are exposed to the ravages of bottom fouling and the possibility of sinking.  Smaller boats take advantage of stationary lifts, but vessels over 35′ were stuck in the water─until now.  Marine Flotation Products introduces its inflatable SlipLift, an easy-to-use, affordable way to raise a vessel completely out of the water, regardless of size or mooring situation.

Comprised of two rugged inflatable pontoons in a catamaran configuration, SlipLifts are custom-made to fit any vessel over 35′. Whether at the dock in a U-slip or sideslip, or on a mooring anchor, SlipLift inflates until the boat is lifted entirely out of the water.  When not in use, SlipLift deflates and sinks beneath the hull into a fixed position within a frame.  A SlipLift for a 40′ boat inflates or deflates in about seven minutes.

The patent-pending technology uses compressed air to inflate extremely durable, high tensile-strength flotation bags that are unaffected by saltwater.  The supplied pump and hose system can either use a marina’s or vessel’s AC power or a 12-volt solar-charged battery system.  The SlipLift is a fully self-supporting system and is, therefore, marina-friendly, requiring no permanent installation or dock reinforcements.”