The docks on Lake Arrowhead receive tons of use, and it’s not hard to understand why. In the entire San Bernardino Mountain range, Lake Arrowhead is perhaps the most gorgeous location to visit and those lucky enough to own a dock know the joy brought by the water and community is limitless. Of course, with such enthusiastic and well-deserved use comes some natural wear and tear.
Taking good care of your dock is not only important for maintaining aesthetics, but also to prevent safety hazards from cropping up. From seasonal hazards like heavy snow buildup, to long-term problems like rotting wood, there are several ways that your dock can gradually fall into disrepair. To counteract these inevitable problems, consider:
- Applying a fresh coat of stain or paint every 1-2 years
- Maintaining proper flotation by keeping the dock high out of the water
- Conducting annual inspections to catch problems before it’s too late
- Keeping heavy snow off the dock during the winter season
- Making sure your hoists are in the up position for long-term storage
- Properly setting your sway chains
Read on for a detailed breakdown of each problem along with some practical solutions!
Applying Fresh Stain or Paint
Boat docks experience a ceaseless assault from the elements. Snow, water, wind, and sun all affect your dock year-round, and over time, layers of paint or stain can slowly peel off or fade. You should consider reapplying stain or paint every one to two years.
Maintaining Proper Flotation
It’s hard to emphasize how important proper flotation is when it comes to preserving the health of your dock. If part of your dock has started to droop or is floating lower than normal—either the main dock or one of the dock fingers—make the necessary repairs as soon as possible. Often times there is a problem with one of the dock floats, which are relatively easy to replace!
Conducting Annual Inspections
The best dock owners are in the habit of conducting annual inspections in an attempt to catch problems before they snowball into something larger. You should keep your eyes peeled for several critical problems, including:
- Rotting beams or decking boards
- Loose cleats, dock fingers or decking boards
- Broken welds or worn connection points
- Splits or cracks in fascia
If caught early, these problems are generally an easy fix. However, if they are allowed to fester and worsen, the health of your entire dock can be compromised. It’s also important to realize when it’s time to call it quits on your dock and invest in a new one. Sometimes the wood damage is extensive to the point that it makes more sense to rebuild.
Clearing Heavy Snow from Dock
It’s not uncommon to hear of heavy snow causing docks to collapse. In fact, during the winter season, it’s a threat that every dock owner should have at the front of their mind. It’s worth checking regularly for buildup, and to take a few minutes to remove any piles that you may find.
Even if the dock does not collapse, heavy snow can damage other parts of the dock. It exacerbates the wear-and-tear process and can even cause the dock to be partially submerged underwater causing water saturation.
Ensuring Hoists are Up
Boat hoists are perfect for storing your boat out of the water, and many dock owners on Lake Arrowhead use them regularly. However, if they are poorly maintained, they can cause major problems to your dock. Frequently check the connection points and cross members on your hoist are in good condition and there isn’t any sign of wear.
Whenever you’re not using your hoists, its best to keep the hoist in the up position. Whenever you leave your dock, remember to include this in your mental checklist.
Properly Setting Sway Chains
Proper sway chain and anchor tension and angle is a critical part to your dock system. Too tight and the chain or connection points may break as dock goes up or down. Too loose then there is too much lateral load on the gangway and pier connections.
Angle is also critical when setting your sway chains. Whenever possible, the sway chains need to be attached at the same height as the gangplank on the pier or seawall. This will keep the geometry the same as the dock goes up and down.
Either of these items will cause excessive wear and damage to the dock or pier and its best to speak to a professional about properly setting up and adjusting your sway chains and anchors as needed.
Final Thoughts
For the lucky full-time and part-time residents of Lake Arrowhead, there are few greater pleasures than enjoying a fun, warm day on the lake. At the heart of this activity is your dock, which functions as a home base for all watersports, fishing, and lounging. Keeping it in good shape may require some work, but consider it a labor of love, and one that’s worth every minute!
It would never have occurred to me that it would be important to clear snow off of the top of a dock so that it does not collapse under the weight. My sister and her husband want to build a dock so that they can store their boat on the lake near their house. I’ll be sure to mention that they need to keep the dock clear of snow during the winters.
My wife and I are looking to have our dream home built by a lake, so naturally, we would like to have a dock that can lead out to the water, so we are doing our research into the topic now, so we can be knowledgeable. I found it beneficial that you mentioned how it is key to do an annual inspection in order to determine if issues such as rotting beams or broken welds are present, as these can be hazardous to all who set foot on the dock. I’ll be sure to find a reliable marine construction company that can minimize the potential for these issues to occur.
My father wants to get a fishing and boating dock installed on the little lake near his hunting cabin this April. It is good to know that he will want to make sure any snow on it gets cleared off. I would have never thought about how a lot of snow could make the dock sink.
Hi Penelope,
Glad our blog could provide helpful information. Have your father contact us if he has any questions about our dock services! We’d love to help.
Thanks for your insightful article on will I keep my dock in good shape. Since I’m thinking of considering a residential dock construction this coming summer, it’s good that I have read this piece on how to properly maintain it. My uncle Nestor asked me to take care of his yachts while he was away and then gave me one as a gift on my 22nd birthday. With that, I shall follow your advice on conducting an annual inspection to spot if there are splits or cracks in the fascia or broken welds.
Hi Victoria,
We’re glad you found our blog article interesting. Let us know how we can help with your dock construction! We’d love to help you with your dock project.
Hi, https://www.kiwidocks.com site is very useful for those who are passionate
about boats, like me.
Also, I found where to download boat plans: https://bit.ly/StepbyStepBoatPlans I hope it will be useful!
Cheers! 🙂
My neighborhood that my wife and I live in is next to a lake and one of my neighbors is planning on having a dock installed so that they can purchase and use a boat. I found it interesting when you explained that it is important to apply a new coat of paint at least every 2 years. I’ll be sure to share this information with my neighbor so that he can know how to take care of the dock.
Hi Thomas,
We’re glad this information could help out. Feel free to share this blog with your neighbor and have him contact us if he has any dock needs in Lake Arrowhead!
I like that you said those homeowners that have docks on their property should do annual inspections to check if there are issues that need to be addressed before they become costly repairs. My husband is planning to build a dock in our newly-bought lakeside property, so he’s going to the city this weekend to buy dock supplies. Once the dock is created, I’ll make sure to inspect it every year for rotting beams, splits, crack, or loose cleats. Thanks for this!
My uncle was asking about repairing his boat dock at his waterfront home since it’s starting to chip away. It makes sense that it’s important to apply a coat of paint to it every 2 years or so. I’ll have to help him find a repair service that can offer other services to make sure his dock is in good shape.