One simple way is to run a line through the bow handle, lift the bow onto the edge of the dock, and pull on the line.
With a smooth rope, and a smooth bow handle (that acts like pulley), the effort on one's body to pull the boat up onto a 2-foot height dock is minimal.
Add a four-inch PVC handle, and the process is effortless.
In my case, I store the Sunfish right-side up, remove the inch-and-a -quarter rubber freeze plug, and let the rain wash the cockpit--rinsing all the evergreen needles out that the wind has brought in. (Raining and rinsing, just as it's doing at this very moment).
Thanks, L&VW, that's a nice and simple trick to get the Sunfish up on the dock. My dock is rather narrow, however, with a larger boat in the water on the other side. Storing the Sunfish on the dock itself makes access to the larger boat awkward. I'm looking for a device to store the Sunfish out over the water opposite the larger vessel. I could fabricate a lift of some sort, but would prefer to find one ready for installation.
I also have a simple ramp. A drain in the Sunfish transom works well on a ramp. You could fabricate a long, but simple front-hinged ramp with parallel bunks, install a swinging davit to lift the rear clear of the water.
Even a homemade cantilevered lift that floated at its waterline didn't work so well for me. (A 500-pound catamaran was too much weight to lift, even with a winch).
A floating dock I associate with tidal action. Or are you on a busy lake? Ruled out hydraulic lifts?
A neighbor with a Jet Ski dropped his trailer IN the lake and pulled the Jet Ski up on it.
We have an old hand crank jetski lift attached to our dock which is what I use during the summer. Not sure how well those would work on a floating doc or even how much they run for. Ours came with the dock and it is loud as heck.
Thanks, L&VW, that's a nice and simple trick to get the Sunfish up on the dock. My dock is rather narrow, however, with a larger boat in the water on the other side. Storing the Sunfish on the dock itself makes access to the larger boat awkward. I'm looking for a device to store the Sunfish out over the water opposite the larger vessel. I could fabricate a lift of some sort, but would prefer to find one ready for installation.
I understand. Maybe "less awkward"—Having pulled the Sunfish on the dock, would you have room by securing the rig, and tipping the Sunfish "up-on-edge", with the mast horizontal? (That is, securing the Sunfish on-edge to the dock's uprights).
Thanks, All. I've looked at various solutions on-line and seems a simple cantilevered pair of lifts to get just clear of the water will do it. We are tidal with a floating dock on San Francisco Bay. As for the larger boat, can't get rid of that! It gets my wife out on the water - she's not a sailor, but loves the Bay. It's my first stink-pot, having always sailed older woodies. But I have my Sunfish to zip around. And truth be known, I'm really enjoying the power boat too. Any excuse to be afloat - stink-pot or blow-boat.