Is Your Dock Ready For Winter?
This week's freezing temperatures have made it impossible to ignore - winter will be here before we know it! This winter is supposed to bring lower temperatures and more snow than the Lake of the Ozarks has seen in a long time (if ever). You've probably heard all about winterizing your home and your boat, but did you know that your dock also needs some special winterization attention?
The lake is almost guaranteed to freeze over in some areas, especially in the backs of coves and other shallow areas. If you haven't taken the proper precautions, the ice can cause expensive damages to your dock. As avid boaters ourselves, all of us at Surdyke Yamaha are here to help you protect your lakefront assets with these important dock winterization suggestions.
The lake is almost guaranteed to freeze over in some areas, especially in the backs of coves and other shallow areas. If you haven't taken the proper precautions, the ice can cause expensive damages to your dock. As avid boaters ourselves, all of us at Surdyke Yamaha are here to help you protect your lakefront assets with these important dock winterization suggestions.
Dock Cables
Give your dock cables a thorough once-over to make sure they're strong, secure, and in good overall condition. The water will shift and flow in unusual patterns as it freezes and thaws, so you'll want to be sure it is securely anchored to your property. You may also want to consider lengthening these cables, so your dock will have room to follow the water levels down. |
| Photo credit goes to www.lakeexpo.com. |
Hinges
Strong hinges should be linking your dock to your seawall or pier. The water level is always lowered by several feet during the winter months (in preparation for the increased rainfall in spring), so you may want to consider detaching the hinges so your entire dock is free to fall with the water level.
Bubblers
Bubblers are machines that churn the water underneath and around your dock. Moving water is much harder to freeze, so bubblers and other anti-icing mechanisms can help protect your dock if/when the lake begins to freeze. If you don't have one already, now is a good time to install one.
Insurance
While these other preventative methods are helpful, you can't predict the future. Despite all your best intentions, we may get a serious winter storm that could cause serious, unforeseeable damage to your dock. Protect yourself from these potential dangers by taking the time now to be sure that your dock is covered by your insurance policy. Some homeowners are surprised to find out that docks' coverage limits are set way too low to be helpful - and others are sometimes surprised to find out that their dock currently does not have any coverage whatsoever. Checking your policy coverage now could save you thousands of dollars this winter.
Don't forget that winterizing your boat is equally important as winterizing your dock! Surdyke Yamaha in Osage Beach offers easy and affordable boat winterization services to help you protect your investments. Give us a call to get started today! (573) 348-6575
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