Canadian Dock System Closing

V 11 4 2015

Frank Giesler; Carl Bauer; L C Papa Johnson August 1956

Preparation
The first key to preparing for this task is to achieve the right mindset. Before beginning the
closing process please refer to Appendix A and allow image to wash over your mind.
While youre in the Appendices take a look at Appendix C. This shows the seasonal
configurations of the dock system. Note how the floater moves from summer to winter shutdown. Dont get freaked out by what looks to be a tangle of lines and chains. Each step covers
how you arrive at the winter product, and you will get the lines and chains right by going stepby-step. Its easy with 23 steps covered in 7 objectives: 1. Preliminaries; 2. Set up Gin Pole; 3.
Prepare Floater; 4. Disconnect Floater from Ramp; 5. Remove Pallets from Ramp; 6. Winch
Ramp into Up Position; 7. Put Floater into Winter Position.
Preliminaries
Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Remove swim ladder for season. Store bolts in Baggie on workbench in BH and place
ladder outside of BH on far side (closest to Biffy).
Go to boathouse and get the following tools:
inch closed-end wrench
inch socket with ratchet wrench
9/16 socket that will work with the ratchet wrench
Pliers in case your fingers need help with the blue pin on the anchor shackles
Crescent wrench may be needed to fasten/unfasten removable links
Put your tools in the Bucket Named Dock where you should find: 1. A yellow line with
carabiners on both ends; 2. An 18 inch length of chain; 3. Two (2) rubber bungee cords.
Take Bucket Named Dock and contents out to floater with you.

Bucket Named Dock

Hardware that lives in bucket during off-season

Step 4

Move boat(s) to north side (left side when facing lake) from floater. Point them toward
the island when placing them on north side of floater. You may want to tilt motors up to
protect props (depending on water level). This will make more sense when you move
the floater (and boats) in toward shore.

Set up Gin Pole

Step 5

Insert gin pole into square receptacle between the Shore Deck and the Ramp. Orient the
winch so that it is closest to the island (versus lake) side. Do this before inserting gin
pole. It's heavy! Images above and below show you the winch orientation.

Step 6

Connect the guy wires (2) to fixed rings on each side of Shore Deck using anchor
shackles, as shown below. You may (or may not) need pliers to turn blue pin in shackle.
The third cable comes into play later so leave aside and dont trip on it! Move slowly and
deliberately so you dont drop shackle parts in the water or trip on wires!

Fixed Ring (left arrow) and anchor shackle (right arrow)

Another view of fixed ring

Prepare Floater
Go back to Appendix C to orient yourself on how the floater will look in winter position and how
lines and chains will look. Dont memorize it just make that spiritual connection.
Step 7

By-pass brackets on Swim Ladder end of Floater.

During summer set-up the chain rests in the bracket and can be easily adjusted based
on changing water levels. For winter we want to completely by-pass the two brackets.
Heres how.
a. Check condition of line and connection/knot to chain
Pull the line (rope attached to the left corner of floater) out of water until
you reach the connection with the chain. Make sure line is in good
working condition (free from cuts and frays; knot connection to chain
is tight and secure)

See black bracket

Pull line up to check general condition

and connection to chain

b. Lower chain back into water and feed all extra line into water Drop length of chain through bracket until rope begins to feed through
bracket. Continue to feed all loose line through bracket.

c. Disconnect line from left corner of floater You may need a crescent wrench to open the removable link. Once
open, disconnect link from eyelet on floater (keeping line and link
attached). Close link and carefully run end through bracket. Dont drop
line! It is our only connection to the weight at lake bottom.

d. Once line out of bracket reconnect to corner eyelet (left) on floater -(keeping line
on link all the while). You have just by-passed the left bracket for winter set-up.
e. Repeat Steps 7. a-d above for right corner of floater. Use care not to cross lines
or attach to wrong corners. You must attach reattach to original corner/position.
Therefore, perform these steps in the order suggested. No short cuts.
And now youll be looking at something like this. It's okay that lots of line is in the
water. You just need to remember this when you drive the boat away (and not run over lines).
Youll read more on this later .

Disconnect Floater from Ramp

Step 8

Take 9/16 socket and remove the four bolts/brackets holding pallet (1) at lake end of
ramp. Put bolts/brackets into Bucket Named Dock.

Step 9

Standing on ramp just behind pallet (1), lift and pull pallet back toward you about one in

foot, revealing the metal framework of the ramps far end.

Step 10

Connecting cable from gin pole to end of ramp. Wrap length of chain to end of ramp
frame and use cleavis and removable link to secure ends of chain to cable end of gin
pole.

Step 11

Remove inch bolt, washers (2) and aircraft nut from right pin using utmost care to not
drop tools or hardware into water. Once removed, put washers back onto bolt, screw
nut a few turns and put unit into Bucket Named Dock.

Step 12

While standing/laying/sitting ON RAMP, remove pin. Place pin in Bucket Named Dock.
Grab rubber bungee strap and make temporary connection between floater and ramp (to
keep them from separating especially with strong winds and/or waves) and minimize
drift.
You might need to move floater up/down (mimic up/down wave action using hand) to
release pressure from pin so it comes out easily. Ease of removal depends completely
on weighting. If you stand on the floater
and try to remove it youll fail because the weight binds removal. All people, dogs, gear,
etc must be removed from floater.

Step 13

Repeat Step 5 for pin on other side. Put pin in bucket. Once both pins are removed the
floater is only held to the ramp by the bungees.

Step 14

Remove the bucket, tools and anything else you might need from the floater, remove
bungees (put in bucket) and let's get to work on the ramp. It is okay that floater now
drifts away because you have a big line tied between it and the north corner of the Shore
Deck.
Floater adrift

From another angle

White line

Remove Pallets from Ramp

Step 15

In prior steps you removed hardware that allowed you to slide Pallet 1 back which
allowed access to remove the pin hardware. Now it's time to remove all the pallets.

Grab a friend. When you're done grabbing, you and your helper should stand Pallet No 1
on its end and carry onto Shore Deck. Place on corner of shore deck, as shown (pallet 1
down and pallet 2 ready to stack on top of pallet 1).

You'll see the pallets line up after the second plank on the shore deck. This is so that the
stacking process will clear the winch on the gin pole.
Step 16

Repeat for Pallets 3, 4 and 5. All hardware should be in the bucket and pallets stacked.
.

Winch Ramp into Up Position

Step 17

Now winch the ramp up (cranking handle clockwise with verve and lan) into its winter
position. There is a natural balance point when the cable between the top of the gin pole
and the end of ramp is parallel with the horizon (below left - yellow line is winch cable.
Note right angle, with horizontal line parallel to horizon). See the image (below right) of
what winter position looks like. Note, especially, the floater alignment (blue axis line).
This is what the whole arrangement looks like when your motor is running and you're
about to depart. More on final alignment in Steps 18 23.

Step 18

Make the final adjustment to the winch handle so that it is positioned at 12 oclock.
(See image). Pull short length of blue line from Bucket Named Dock and tie handle into
position. This works as a safety in the event the handle wants to turn over winter.

6 oclock

12 oclock

Pull Floater in Close to Shore Deck

Step 19

Standing on left corner of shore deck, pull floating dock as close as possible and tie to
corner (hopefully within stepping distance between shore deck and floater). The white
line (W - pictured below) can be used to pull floater in. Youll need to keep pushing the

Y
W
floater along in order to get the swim ladder end closest to you. Use the yellow barge
line (Y pictured above) and secure to cleat on floater.
This is how floater stays while you load people, pets and property. But before you put
the Bucket Named Dock back in the boathouse, grab the crescent wrench and go to
each end of the floater and make sure you can loosen/tighten the removable links. Put a
little oil on the threads if they give you attitude. NOW you can put the bucket in the
boathouse. Leave the tools in there. Thats their new special home.
You're done for nowuntil you're ready to disembark for season.

When you're ready to disembark now you put floater into winter position.
Boats are loaded, all filled, everything closed up on land and you and your party are ready to go.
Step 20

Hop onto floater, release yellow barge line from cleat and, go to north end of floater.

Step 21

Pull blue retrieval line out of water until you pull up the end of the chain. Leaving line tied
to chain, connect last link of chain to center eyelet on floater end using removable link.
Blue retrieval line remains tied year round so leave it connected. Coil and leave on end
of floater.

Step 22

On other (south) end of floater collect blue retrieval line and once you get to chain
connect the last link to removable link on center ring. Blue retrieval line remains tied year
round so leave it connected. Coil and leave on end of floater.

Step 23

Tilt the motors back down into water (if you had tilted them up) and check props to
make sure all lines/chains are clear. Make extra sure that long lines that go to the
lake-end weights are out of the way.
Loose line create
propeller hazard!
Check twice before
starting motor!

Congratulations! Youre done!

Hopefully youre not holding the master copy of this document because it actually belongs in the
boathouse!

Appendix A
If you are overwhelmed by the prospect of closing the dock system, immerse yourself in the
alternative of no dock at all.

August 1952

Appendix B
Operating Components of 2015 Dock System
Shore Deck 8x16 foot platform permanently fixed to land
Ramp 6x20 foot metal-framed ramp with (5) removable 6x4 foot wood pallet sections
Floater 6x24 foot floating dock
Gin Pole Pole equipped with winch that inserts into end of Shore Deck; Used to lift ramp into
winter storage position
Lake-end weights (2) 300 lb weights on bottom of bay that help secure lake-end of floater
(chains attached)
Removable links
Anchor shackles
Guy wires (2)
Winch cable (1)
Ramp pins (2)
4-inch bolts and plates (12)

10

Appendix C
SL:
W:

Swim Ladder: Used in this case to distinguish far side of floater versus near side
Weight
300 lb weights sit on lake bottom to provide stability to SL end of floater

Orient yourself on how the floater will rest for winter arrangement. See diagram of where were
headed (Generally, and not to scaleand swim ladder will be removed for winter).
W

Boat

S
L
Floater
Boat

S
L

Floater
Anchor

Tree

Ramp
Ramp

Shore Deck

Figure One - Summer Set-Up

Red Chain leads to right corner of Floater
Red Line attaches to right corner of Floater
Blue Chain leads to left corner of Floater
Blue Line attaches to right corner of Floater

About Chains & Lines

All chains and lines remain connected year round except for Yellow Line, which
is used to draw/secure Floater to Shore Deck while loading boat(s) just prior to
departure (Directions will appear in Closing Protocol)
Green Line remains fastened, as-is, year round
Red & Blue Chains/Lines connecting Weights to (Swim Ladder end of) Floater
stay connected year round, but line is let out when placing Floater into winter
position
Black Chains, L & R, connect center rings of Floater to Land for winter storage.
Line is let-out when placing Floater into summer position

Shore Deck

Figure Two Winter Shut-Down

Red Chain leads to right corner of Floater
Red Line attaches to right corner of Floater
Blue Chain leads to left corner of Floater
Blue Line attaches to right corner of Floater
Green Line connects floater to Shore Deck. While green in
Diagram, it is actually a white line with green
Garden hose (at corner of shore deck - helps
when closing for winter stays year round)
Yellow Line pulls Floater to Shore Deck when loading at
end of season and when arriving in Spring
Black Chain (right) connects center ring on Floater to tree on
land (winter set-up)

11

Black Chain (left) connects center ring on Floater to anchor

on far side of rock (winter set-up)

Appendix D
Ramp / Pallet construction/composition
The ramp is a welded metal-framed structure that is hinged permanently to the Shore Deck.
Five wooden pallets are attached to the top of the ramp frame with (4) 9/16 four-inch bolts and
black plates.
Lake End
6 feet

Pallet 1
Comes off first

Pallet 2

North
Edge of
Pallet
orients
like this
once
stacked

20 feet

Comes off second

Ramp

Pallet 3
Comes off third

Pallet 4
Comes off fourth

Pallet 5
Comes off fifth

Shore Deck

Pallet 1 comes off first and is stacked

on Shore Deck. Pallet 2 stacks next,
and so on, with Pallet 5 stacking on
top. When pulling pallets off ramp
frame, stack in the same orientation
(North edge faces boathouse when
stacked). This is important so that
drilled holes will line back up when
reinstalling in spring.
12

Land End