Floating dock removal for the winter

[mikenehrkorn]

I have a floating "U" dock that I built approx. 10 yrs ago and have always put it in the lake in the spring and taken it out in the fall. With my son off at college I have very little help these days and am wondering what damage could/would be done if I left it in thru the winter?

Anyone have thoughts on this? Or even better have specific experience?

Some specifics in case it matters.....our lake is in SW Michigan and we certainly deal with a lot of snow and ice. The lake is approx 200 acres but doesn't get any really high winds or much wave activity. The dock is built from pressure treated lumber and is quite heavy. The floats are a couple of different sizes but all of them are rectangular in shape as opposed to drums. The only sections of the dock that are under water are the wheels, their supports and of course the floats which are probably submerged about 50%. The pier you see in the pics that leads to the dock is permanent and stays in the water all year round (with *knock-on-wood* no damage in many years).

Here's what the dock looks like...

231002310123102

[sivs1]

Have you seen the TV show Ice Lake Rebels? If their floats can handle northern Canada and the Great Slave Lake, I think your dock should be fine. Thing looks like a beast and is solid.

[pauley71]

If it freezes hard enough to walk on, then pull it. It will crush it like a soda can when the ice expands. I have a friend on a lake that freezes and they pull all docks and don't allow pier docks anymore b/c the ice can freeze and lift the pylons out when it thaws (and the lake rises).

[mjr119]

When what ice expands?

You're fine. I don't see what could happen? The floaters are not going to stay frozen in the water. In theory, as the top of the lake begins to freeze, the floaters should pop up on top of the ice.

What other concerns do you have? I assume you stored the floater outside during the winter, so it can withstand the cold.

[mikenehrkorn]

When what ice expands?

You're fine. I don't see what could happen? The floaters are not going to stay frozen in the water. In theory, as the top of the lake begins to freeze, the floaters should pop up on top of the ice.

What other concerns do you have? I assume you stored the floater outside during the winter, so it can withstand the cold.

Yes, the dock and floats are stored outside, but the weight of the dock keep the floats down in the water at about their half way point. So to pauley71's point, I'm worried that the floats would stay in the water until it freezes and then be crushed from the forces of the ice. Unless of course there is some phenomenon that allows the float to surface as the ice takes shape??

[gregski]

Water expands in all directions when it freezes, so in theory you get a horizontal "crush" but the reality is that since it is floating, it has enough movement to squeeze up and out of the way. I've seen lots of floating docks survive like this. The bigger issue is usually the ice movement around solid piers. It doesn't take much to twist them all around with a little wind or up if the water level changes with ice on it, but it sounds like you haven't had any trouble yet. Around here, people run little aerator bubblers to keep the water open around their piers which works except for the coldest times but it seems OK when they are frozen for short periods of time.

[jscott]

I have a floating dock in Northern Ontario I pull my dock every year. I left it a couple years and always regretted it. The ice did not destroy the dock but there was always repairs needed when I left it in place. If possible I would remove it. I don't think the ice will destroy your dock but it may be damaged some in the spring. It might be worth trying to leave it in for one year to see how it fairs. Here is a pic of my dock what I do is I basically pull the L piece into the shore and since they lower my lake water every year my dock sits mostly on dry ground all winter.2310323104

[parrothd]

Obviously these guys don't use docks.. Lol

All you need is a big ice flow and wind and it'll crush that thing.. Lol

[mjr119]

If you are concerned with winds and ice flow, then the pier is in danger as well. The lake freezing presents minimal danger to your floater.

[J.C.]

All it takes is a good wind in the wrong direction during the spring thaw and whatever ice is floating around the lake will be heading toward your dock set up.
I've seen it first hand and its not pretty. Don't think it's worth the risk personally.

[Gqjeff]

Should be fine. At the small lake we are on no one removes their docks and it freezes hard. We have a 40K dock and its not ever leaving the water for what its worth lol...

[mikenehrkorn]

Should be fine. At the small lake we are on no one removes their docks and it freezes hard. We have a 40K dock and its not ever leaving the water for what its worth lol...

Are your docks permanent structures or floating? And when you say a small lake how big are you talking?

Thanks for the insight!!

[Gqjeff]

They are floating docks. All but ours r wooden floating docks either with proper floats, foam or 55 gallon drums. Ours is a metal deck with a lift. About 75% of these wooden docks have lifts as well. Actually we leave the lift down and let it freeze in over the winter. Smallish as in a mile or so long and narrow. Your in IL also we are talking a strip mine near south wilmington here.

[Gqjeff]

our dock
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/gqjeff/EC9DD16B-515D-4C04-8251-89E82D99B9B1_zpsiyntht5h.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/gqjeff/media/EC9DD16B-515D-4C04-8251-89E82D99B9B1_zpsiyntht5h.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/gqjeff/09C4894E-BB5F-49BF-BEEC-416130C52557_zpsyv81kgnq.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/gqjeff/media/09C4894E-BB5F-49BF-BEEC-416130C52557_zpsyv81kgnq.jpg.html)

[BensonWdby]

Moving ice is a concern. Do you have pressure ridges on the shore from ice moving the shoreline? If not you may not have to worry about it. Have you been on the lake when the ice comes out? On larger lakes I have seen moving ice ravage a steel dock that was out of the water and up shore about 6 feet. On really big lakes I have seen the ice sheet damage houses 50 ft upshore.

[New Guy]

It would never make it on one of the bigger inland lakes by us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alkpBrBcuB0

[jester]

I deal with this every fall and spring at a friends cabin. We take the dock away from shore about 25 feet and secure it with 4 50 gallon drums (In place all year) full of concrete and rebar sticking out the sides. The water depth is about 25 feet were we secure the dock. The chains from the drums to the dock are long enough to allow the dock to move with the wind or ice pack. They have been doing this for the last 60 years with only one issue when the wind picked up in the spring melt it moved everything about 20 feet. It was less work to sink another two 50 gallon drums then to move the ones that moved.

The question I have is are your floats filled with foam or air? If air I would pull the dock no questions asked.

With that said there is always a risk in leaving the dock in. It only takes one really good storm to take out everything.

[mjr119]

One valid question no one has asked... Do you have insurance that will cover it?

If so, pay premium, sit back, and no longer worry about the dock.

[mikenehrkorn]

I deal with this every fall and spring at a friends cabin. We take the dock away from shore about 25 feet and secure it with 4 50 gallon drums (In place all year) full of concrete and rebar sticking out the sides. The water depth is about 25 feet were we secure the dock. The chains from the drums to the dock are long enough to allow the dock to move with the wind or ice pack. They have been doing this for the last 60 years with only one issue when the wind picked up in the spring melt it moved everything about 20 feet. It was less work to sink another two 50 gallon drums then to move the ones that moved.

The question I have is are your floats filled with foam or air? If air I would pull the dock no questions asked.

With that said there is always a risk in leaving the dock in. It only takes one really good storm to take out everything.

Interesting....in this in OR? If so, how low do the temps get?

My floats are full of foam (expanded polystyrene). I contacted the vendor of the floats to ask them the same questions I posed here and of course they wouldn't commit but did say that some of their customers have kept the floats in icy conditions with no issues.

[mikenehrkorn]

One valid question no one has asked... Do you have insurance that will cover it?

If so, pay premium, sit back, and no longer worry about the dock.

Good question....I have not called my agent yet but definitely will if I decide to take my chances.

The more I think about this the more I think it might be OK.......several of my neighbors have permanent docks (like the sections that I have that lead to the "U" floating section) and leave them in every winter with no issues. Granted they are not floating and the poles holding the docks up are only 1 - 1 1/2" pipe, but they never seem to move even in the worst winters (like last year). And I don't know about the neighbors, but my posts are probably only about 5-8' into the lake bottom.

Decisions, decisions...

[jester]

Interesting....in this in OR? If so, how low do the temps get?

My floats are full of foam (expanded polystyrene). I contacted the vendor of the floats to ask them the same questions I posed here and of course they wouldn't commit but did say that some of their customers have kept the floats in icy conditions with no issues.

Yes this is in OR. The temps get into single numbers during the winter. The lake is a hard freeze and people run snowmobiles on it. After the lake has frozen we some times walk out too the dock and try to remember what summer is like.

[jstenger]

You could always buy a windmill like this:

https://www.pondaeration.com/

I used to have a one acre pond, and I had one of these. In the summer, I left the bubbler in the middle. In the winter, I moved the bubbler under the dock. Never had an issue with ice under the dock.

[jmvotto]

if you have electric to the dock, I would use these to prevent the freeze.
http://www.thepondreport.com/store/thrust-agitator-bubbler-deicer-kasco

picey

otherwise pull the docks, finding some young bucks to pull it and stack it will be much less that the bubbles and they will be safe.

the ice will crush it, push it pull it etc and you will have problems in the spring