How to Put out a Dock

We spent the weekend in Orillia on Lake Simcoe. Craig went to help Chuck and his buddies put out their docks, an event that happens each Spring. Here is a little pictorial documenting how you put your dock out. This requires as many neighbors and assorted sons and sons-in-law that you can muster. The more guys you have, the easier it is. I was the only female present and I was tolerated (OK, ignored) rather well. After putting on your waders (and hoping for no holes), you wrestle the trestles out into the lake.












The easiest way to get the trestle where you want it is to float it on a large piece of styrofoam. Notice the short sleeves, the air temperature was about 11 Celsius. I don't want to know how cold the water is!











Then you haul the sections of the dock out into the water and place them on the trestles.












Then you bolt the dock to the trestles. If you drop part of the drill into the lake, it is retrieved with a magnet on a string.











It helps to have someone stand on shore to make sure that the dock is lined up with the landmark on the opposite point. This reminds me of watching guys down in Mexico fix cars. I've seen 5 of them hang over the open hood and tell the other guy how to fix it. In this case, the majority of them are in the water and only 2 are giving advice!











Finally, you put the supporting "legs" on. A chainsaw makes short work of the extra wood at the top of the wood. After this, you head next door and put your neighbor's dock out.














Here's the best part of the whole process: the beer. Love that Canadian beer.