Winter Protection for Docks Built on Georgian Bay Granite
The rock gave you a stunning shoreline and a tough place to build. Keep the ice from undoing that work.
Hard-won docks deserve protecting
Around Parry Sound, Pointe au Baril, Honey Harbour and the Thirty Thousand Islands, docks are rarely simple builds. Many are pinned to bare rock or set on cribs because there is little else to anchor to, and getting materials to a water-access island is a project in itself.
When winter ice grips a structure like that and starts to move, repairs are slow and costly. Keeping open water around it gives the ice nothing to hold.
Know your water this year
Georgian Bay rises and falls with the Lake Huron and Lake Michigan system, and the change from one year to the next can be large. Last winter's setup may not suit this winter's water.
- Measure depth around the dock every fall, not just the first year.
- Look for a spot with 4 to 6 feet of water, where an Arbrux pump does its best de-icing work.
- In a low-water year, read Do Dock De-Icers Work in Shallow Water? before you commit to a placement.
Hang it from the dock, or set it on the rock
If your dock has a solid side, wall or piling, the Dock Bundle attaches the pump directly. A pipe stopper keeps it off the bottom, which matters over uneven rock.
If the best water is out from the dock, or there is nothing sound to attach to, the Lake Bottom Bundle is a free-standing aluminum frame. It adjusts from horizontal to vertical, so it can be levelled over an uneven bottom.
Georgian Bay FAQ
Our cottage is boat access only. Is installation a big job?
No. The pump comes with mooring ropes and goes in quickly, so it fits easily into your closing weekend.
Do the inland lakes near Parry Sound need the same setup?
Often a simpler one. Smaller lakes such as Lake Manitouwabing see less wind, but ice still grips docks and cribs. The same depth and placement advice applies.
Will one unit cover my whole dock?
One pump keeps a 40-foot diameter area open. For a long L-shaped dock or a boathouse with a wide front, ask us about a second unit.
Weather the Bay with confidence
Arbrux pumps are made in Canada, UL and CSA certified, and covered by a 2-year warranty.
