Sep 3, 2019
It’s time to think – winter storage.
It seems like just yesterday when the days began getting longer and the temperatures were rising. Now the temperatures are rapidly falling and the days are getting shorter.
Labor Day has come and gone. Traditionally, it signals the end of summer. Many people are shutting down their summer retreats and preparing them for winter storage. They are packing up and heading home. We have people from all over the country – from Florida to California and many places in between.
The Door County peninsula is a favorite retreat for many people, including Bear fans. We’ll see many of you in a few days – Sept 5th (Packers vs. Bears)
In the meantime, we hope that you will remember to call John (920-493-4405) and let him know when you are ready for the removal of your equipment. (i.e., your boat is off your lift).
While you are busy closing up your retreat, our crews are once again removing docks and boat lifts for winter storage. The water cools off quickly, and they have to go into it daily. We want to avoid working in the morning ice this year.
What can you expect this year?
The farther we get into September, the bigger the storms become. When a storm is in the forecast, we can’t respond fast enough to get everyone out of the water. Once a storm hits your equipment, there is nothing we can do except to wait it out. If there is widespread damage along the Door County shoreline it takes time to get to everyone.
Preparing for winter storage
Our equipment can go into about 4 feet of water (the operators’ cab is flooding at that point). Our crews get more than wet feet when that happens.
The sooner you notify us that you are ready, the better the chances we have to get your equipment out of the water.
Due to the potential for big storms, we try to handle the Bay first and then the inland lakes.
What should change this Fall?
We recommend that you allow us to place your equipment further up on your property. Why?
Due to the substantial damage encountered in the Spring of 2019. We understand that it may look unsightly and it’s difficult to cut the lawn under it. Plus, there may appear to be dead spots under the footpads in Spring. However, nature recovers quickly. Isn’t that better than what you see here?
Wrong winter storage
Ice Shove
In some cases, the ice moved more than 50 feet up on to the shore and lawns. In one case right into the house.
Crushing a deck and house
These are just some of the winter conditions we can expect each year. With the high water this year we expect to see even more of this in the Spring of 2020.
Remember
Pier & Waterfront Solutions (PWS) specializes in all ShoreMaster docks, lifts, and accessories.
We are located in the center of Door County at 7325 St Hwy 57, just south of Sturgeon Bay at the intersection with Idlewild Road. Our staff looks forward to serving all of your waterfront needs.
Call Jerry at 920-493-4404 or Email Jerry@wisconsinpws.com for more information.
Aug 13, 2019
NOTHING LASTS FOREVER – EVEN A LIFT CABLE
Typical Lift cable
That’s true! Your cables will eventually need replacement. When? That depends on you. If you’ve been around boat lifts for any length of time you have seen problems with boat lifts. Typical problems include corrosion, chafe, broken strands or kinks on the cables..
Let’s start by looking at the typical construction of a lift cable.
7 x 7 cable construction
The most common types are the 7 x 7 and 7 x 19 construction. As you can see they are not simply a wire hanging down that lifts your boat up. They are more complex than that.
The individual strands are wrapped together as shown Then they are wrapped again around a core.
HOW DO CABLES GET DAMAGED?
There are two types of wear:
External abrasion
Typical Cable Stacking
This occurs when the cable bends around the winch drum and lift pulleys. On the winch drum, they rub against the adjoining wire or the drum sides. This rubbing causes wear on the external strands which will eventually wear through the individual stands.
If the cable doesn’t wrap properly, it starts to stack on the side of the winch drum. When the cable eventually slips off the “stack”, even though it is only dropping 1/4″ to 1/2″, the resulting noise shocks anyone nearby. It was under hundreds of pounds of pressure from the boat. This situation is usually caused by misalignment of the winch drum or a poorly threaded situation.
New ShoreMaster winches are attached with a complete housing around the upright post which prevents this from happening due to winch misalignment. More on this later in this discussion.
Internal abrasion
Internal abrasion occurs whenever strands work against each other under load. Each time a boat is raised or lowered over a winch drum, there is internal wear. Each strand of wire in the winding is moving at a slightly different speed. Abrasion of the strands is the result. When you lose too many strands, you lose a lot of strength. This condition cannot be eliminated but it can be controlled by using the proper size winch drum and pulleys.
A point often overlooked – internal abrasion and the resulting corrosion or rust in a galvanized cable, can be hidden and may not show visible damage. A cable like this may sometimes fail without prior warning.
ASSUMING IT IS WELL CARED FOR, HOW LONG SHOULD IT LAST?
Experts say that to be safe, replace a galvanized cable every two years. All things being equal, stainless wires will last longer-up to twice as long. But don’t rush out and try to change all your cables to stainless. Galvanized cable has its place on your lift. For one, they are stronger than stainless steel and can bend easier around the pulley and winch drum.
An improperly positioned boat may send your boat into the water. See https://wisconsinpws.com/boat-lift-safety-updated/ for more information.
When in doubt, replace the cable. Trying to squeeze another year out of the cable isn’t worth the risk of dropping your boat or personal injury.
COMMON PROBLEMS WITH BOAT LIFT CABLES
Frayed Boat Lift Cable
Chafe or fraying – are those fine broken strands that poke or cut your hands when you slide your hands along the cable. If you catch your clothes when they brush against a cable you have “chafe” or fraying.
Chafe may be the result of faulty sheave alignment or improper drum winding.
Lowering a lift rack without any weight on it, especially on a small lift like a PWC lift, may also result in a “backlash.” This is discussed later.
Note: Be aware that most winches require at least 50 lbs of weight to work correctly.
BROKEN STRANDS
Broken Strands
Broken strands are very dangerous. Boat lifts with this type of damage should be replaced immediately.
CORROSION
Corroded & Frayed Boat lift Cable
Corrosion presents a significant problem for galvanized cables. When the protective layer of galvanizing wears through as discussed above, corrosion will begin. Corrosion may not always be visible to the naked eye. The first time you become aware of the corrosion could be when the cable breaks.
Corrosion may also occur “inside” the cable with little or no external evidence of the damage as discussed above. Any cable showing external signs of rust or corrosion needs replacement.
BACKLASH
Boat lift cable backlash
When a lift is lowered to the bottom and the winch continues to move the result will be a Backlash. If there is insufficient tension on the cables they will “spring” in every direction on the winch drum. When you retighten the cable, the loose cables become snarled and can wrap up like a backlash in a fishing reel.
WHAT IF I EXPERIENCE A BACKLASH?
Whenever a cable experiences a backlash DO NOT use your bare hands to repair the problem (chafe). You won’t soon forget this if it happens to you. People have also lost fingers when a cable snaps back onto a winch drum. Make sure you wear leather gloves and keep tension on the cable at all times. Keep your hand at least 12″ from the winch to prevent entanglement.
When you experience a backlash, lower the boat into the water to prevent the cables from interleaving further on the drum.
Never use bare fingers or pliers to align the cables. As always, carefully handle it to avoid breakage of the wire strands.
Next, unwind the winch while keeping tension on it. Do this until you see the bottom layer on the drum. Re-wrap the cable onto the winch drum while maintaining tension. Rewind it in even layers. Be sure to close any gaps between the cable on the winch drum.
Finally, it is time to return your boat to the lift to raise it, making sure the cable continues to wind smoothly. If the problem persists, call your lift dealer (that’s PWS)
DID YOU REMEMBER THE WIRE “MEMORY”?
Properly wound cable
“Memory” allows the cable to play out and rewind onto the drum in a neat pattern. The wire must wind in a set pattern. Loose that “memory” and misalignment occurs which will cause the cable to turn against the side of the winch drum.
Maintain tension at all times to prevent the cable from interleafing with the windings in a lower layer. Fill in each layer completely, leaving no gaps.
WHAT’S COMING UP NEXT WEEK?
Next week we give you more information about boat lift cables and what you can do to lengthen their life.
Remember
Pier & Waterfront Solutions (PWS) specializes in all ShoreMaster docks, lifts, and accessories.
We are located in the center of Door County at 7325 St Hwy 57, just south of Sturgeon Bay at the intersection with Idlewild Road. Our staff looks forward to serving all of your waterfront needs.
Call Jerry at 920-493-4404 or Email Jerry@wisconsinpws.com for more information.
Aug 6, 2019
WHY DOES MY DOCK SWAY?
Spring Storms
Dock sway is a result of deeper water and the need to raise your dock higher out of the water.
In 2016 we did an article about dock sway as a result of the high water that year. 2017 was worse, and 2018 continues this trend. The water depths have risen so much that each month brings new records. These records replace standards set years before many of us were born.
This year, in particular, we have experienced an unusual number of strong N.E. winds. These winds have resulted in the water depths you experience daily, to rise even further for a day or more.
These storm surges are the result of the bay being enclosed on three sides. There are limited rivers to dissipate the water at the south end when this happens. Those rivers are already at high levels and can’t dissipate more water.
Tall Ships
Recently the “Tall Ships” came to Green Bay, and some of the ships did not have enough room under the Tower Drive bridge near the mouth of the Fox river to pass under them. They had to wait until the winds changed to enter Green Bay for their exhibition.
For more information on the Tall Ships see https://tallshipswisconsin.com/event-description/
What can PWS do about Dock Sway?
To protect your dock as much as we can, we raise your dock higher to lessen the chance of storm damage. Many of you are aware of this because the dock legs were too short to allow us to raise your dock. Our Service Manager had to contact many people to enable us to take extra time to change the legs. Our installations, which were already slowed down by frequent rain and strong winds, got even slower.
Unfortunately, raising a dock moves the center of gravity higher, and it causes the dock to “sway” when you walk on it.
Here’s an example. If you step on a 6-foot step ladder, the first few rungs are stable. The higher you go – not so much. Place your feet on the top of the ladder, and you quickly realize you are in a precarious position. (Better start looking for a safe place to land.)
ShoreMaster docks, equipped with infinity leg pockets, extend the pockets to 18″ deep versus the usual 4″ – 6″ most docks have. Angled braces are added along with the pockets. Unfortunately, even this is not enough to prevent the sway some people are incurring.
Is there another solution?
Sway brace
There is a partial solution which helps but does not totally eliminate sway – the addition of sway braces to the legs.
The addition of one or more cross-braces will reduce the swaying motion. Cross braces are rigid pipe(s) attached at an angle to the legs of the dock. For the pier to sway at the top, it must also move the opposite leg at the base where it is firmer. Mounting sway braces lessens the amount of sway you experience.
If your dock is swaying too much for your comfort, please call John, our service manager, at 920-493-4405.
For sales, contact Jerry (Jerry@wisconsinpws.com) or call 920-493-4404.
Do you have a friend that might be interested in this post? Please forward it to them.
PWS is located at 7325 St. Hwy 57. That’s 1 mile North of County MM (Hwy 42) and 4 miles South of Sturgeon Bay at the Idlewild Road intersection.
Apr 9, 2019
The 2019 DOCK INSTALL SEASON HAS BEGUN!
Ice Damage
The install season for 2019 has begun on the Door County peninsula. We started doing some commercial installs a week ago in select areas.
The Coast Guard has opened the shipping channel to Green Bay, and this means the ice can move in and out with every shift on the wind.
At this early time, we can only do installs in areas where the ice is out, and there is little danger of it floating back in. The results can be disastrous.
Our crews will be expanding into more areas as weather permits. We’ve all been looking forward to this, and our crews and equipment are ready. While it is impossible to set a firm schedule more than a day out, we continue to make progress.
WHAT PART WILL NATURE PLAY IN THE SCHEDULING?
ATF 2 Install
ATF 1 during an install
We know Nature will probably throw a few curves at us. Last year it was an 18″ snowfall two weeks into the season.
We now have three ATF’s (the big machines we use), and the trucks and trailers are ready.
WHAT TO EXPECT THIS YEAR
The water depth looks like it will be up again this year due to the heavy snowfall. Lake Michigan did not freeze over, so there was evaporation throughout the winter. At the same time, there were more late-season snowstorms. If the legs on your dock were barely above the dock last year, you will likely receive a call from our Service Manager about the need to replace them. Longer legs may be necessary to get you safely above the water for storms.
John Englebert
WHO CAN YOU CONTACT WITH SCHEDULING ISSUES?
If you have a question or particular need, please contact John Englebert, our very experienced Service Manager and Scheduler. You can reach John at 920-495-2860 or email john@wisconsinpws.com.
John does an excellent job of accommodating requests as long as Nature co-operates. As the season progresses the schedules will get tighter but John always seems to find a way to make it work (if Nature co-operates).
Have a repair that needs attention? Call John to schedule it!
Looking for something new this year? Want to change your layout? Call Jerry (920-493-4404) or Dave (920-905-2588)
Jerry EnglebertOwner
Dave Kalista
Owner
Don’t forget – Give us a call If you have a dock or boatlift topic you would like to see addressed on our website. This year you will see topics like “Sea gull deterrents – Updated, ” How to place your boat onto your lift,” “Boat Lift Insurance”, and other issues important to our customers.
WHERE IS PIER AND WATERFRONT SOLUTIONS?
We are located in the center of the Door County Peninsula at 7325 St. Hwy 42/57. That’s 1 mile North of County MM (Hwy 42) and 3 miles South of Sturgeon Bay. Look for the Idlewild Road intersection.
Mar 19, 2019
Is Your Boat Ready for Summer?
Will your boat be ready when Nature stops the snow and cold weather?
Spring weather is only about a month away. Start now to get ready for the boating season. It’s an exciting time of the year. Of course, Mother Nature still has a say in the timing of the warmer weather. However, eventually it will arrive and with it – Boating Season!
You went through all the steps in Fall to winterize your boat. Now, it’s just as important to prepare it for the summer boating. You can’t just drop your boat in the water and go.
Here is a list of things to check before the boating season starts:
Boat Batteries
Interstate Battery
Checking the battery is a given. When you do so be sure to check the following:
- Is it fully charged?
Are all battery terminals clean and secure?
Is there corrosion on the boat cables? If yes, it is time to replace them.
Are the cable clamps clean?
Charge your battery and check it with an amp meter. Check its health now and again in a month. Make sure to replace any battery that did not hold a charge.
Don’t wait until you are ready to launch your boat and find out the battery is weak or dead.
Check all Boat Lights
Boat Lights
Now that we know the battery is good be sure to check all of the lights. Plus, clean and tighten all connections. When the boat is bouncing on the water,
a loose connection can cause serious problems. Do you have replacement bulbs available in your kit? Ensure that all wires and connections are clean and tightened.
Electric System
- Inspect all electrical connections have clean, tight, corrosion-free connections.
- Remove corroded terminals and use a wire brush to clean them, along with all cable ends.
- Charge your battery and have it tested to ensure it can hold a charge.
Boat Trailer lights
Trailer Lights
You’re checking the boat batteries and wires but how about the trailer wiring. Are the connectors clean? Is the connector on your vehicle clean?
There’s nothing worse than following a trailer with no lights or flickering lights.
Oil
If you didn’t change the oil before storing your boat in fall, be sure to do that before you use it in the spring.
Change the drive oil and the filter at the same time.
Is it time for a new oil filter? How about the gas filter?
Cooling System
Now it’s time to check your boat’s cooling system. In fall, you drained the cooling system to prevent the lines from freezing. Now it’s time to fill it again. Check all hoses for any cracks, especially at the clamps. Empty any raw water at the intake strainer.
Fluid Levels
- Check all fluid levels
- Be sure to change engine oil, oil filters and drive lubricants if you didn’t do it during fall weatherization.
Are the gas hose and connections free of cracks?
- Inspect the fuel system for leaks and pay attention to fuel hoses and connections.
- Evidence of a damaged fuel hose includes brittleness and cracking.
- Are the engine, exhaust, and ventilation systems functioning correctly?
- Don’t use fuel that contains more than 10% ethanol (E10) as it will damage your engine. Better yet – don’t use ethanol in your motor at all.
Remember to keep fuel in your boat over winter to keep moisture out of the fuel tank. We recommend the use of NON-ethanol gas over winter to help prevent gumming up the carburetor, plugs or fuel injectors.
Distributor
Check the distributor for corrosion. You can check the distributor by removing the cap and visually inspecting it. Make sure to re-attach it securely.
Belts
Worn Boat Belt
To determine if the belts need to be replaced, push down on them. Belts should only bend slightly when you do this. If a belt gives a lot when you apply pressure, it needs replacement.
Look for black soot around the timing belts and on the pulleys. If present it is a sign of a bad timing belt. The edges are rubbing against something. Keep in mind that the alternator belt tends to wear out the fastest.
Worn belts may leave a black residue or soot near a pulley and will fit loosely. Check the underside of the belt for cracks and signs of wear.
Propellers
Damaged Prop
- Inspect propellers for pitting, cracks and distortion.
- Damaged propellers will cause vibration and damage to your drive train.
- Make sure the propeller is secured correctly, and have the bearings replaced when needed.
- Inspect the boat hull, looking for blisters, distortions, and cracks.
Drain plug
Be sure to install the drain plug before launching. Remove it when the boat is on your lift so water does not accumulate.
Finally, but not least
Check your life jackets. Are they in good condition? Are there enough on board for all potential passengers and are they the correct size?
Coast Guard Approved Life Jackets
- Be sure all fire extinguishers are the correct class for your vessel and are charged and stowed in the proper place.
- Take advantage of any safety inspections offered by the US Coast Guard (USCG), USCG Auxiliary or US Power Squadrons.
- Follow this link for more information:
Happy Boating!
Do you have a friend that may be interested in this information? Please share a link to this page with them.
PWS is located at 7325 St. Hwy 57. That’s 1 mile North of County MM (Hwy 42) and 3 miles South of Sturgeon Bay at the Idlewild Road intersection.
Our staff is here year-round to assist you.
