A watercraft lift with rearward and forward lateral beams, left and right side longitudinal side beams, a pair of left side lifting arms, a pair of right side lifting arms supporting at their upper ends left and right side watercraft supports, and left and right side actuators pivotally attached to the left and right side rearward lifting arms. In one embodiment the left side rearward lifting arm and the left side actuator rotate about their pivotal attachments to the longitundinal left side beam in a left side plane, and the right side rearward lifting arm and the right side actuator rotate about their pivotal attachments to the longitundinal right side beam in a right side plane.