DIY guideDock and shore

Pull the dock out before the ice and put it back in spring

Take a sectional dock out in order before the ice comes, mark each piece, store it high and dry, and put it back the reverse way in spring.

9 steps

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Work with at least one helper, and everyone wears a life jacket.
Cold water takes your breath away: never work on the dock alone.
Take off the ladder, bumpers, benches and anything clipped on, and carry them up to the shed.
Mark each section and its legs with coloured tape or paint, so spring goes back the same way.
Start at the end out in the water and work back to shore, one section at a time.
Lift each section with two or more people, bending at the knees. Use its wheels or rollers if it has them.
Stack the sections on blocks well above where the ice and high water reach, and tie them down.
In spring, start at shore and go out in the order you marked, setting each leg as you go.
Check each section sits level, the pins and clamps are tight, and it doesn't rock when you walk on it.
A section too heavy to lift safely, legs frozen in or stuck in the mud, or a crib dock: ask Handyman for a dock crew.

Handyman says: Too heavy? I'll find a dock crew.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.