Dock BoatHouse (new lakehome)

[Moe Szyslak]

So im closing on a lakehome next week and looking into my options for dock/lifts/etc. I know some boat lifts with canopies can be a pain to get in and out of sometimes. I see lots of "boathouses"(H style dock setup with a metal structure covering both sides of dock and a large tarp drawn over it) on lakes like minnetonka and was wondering if anyone here has owned one or installed one??

They look very convenient once they are set up. Is there any specific type of anchoring that needs to happen from the dock to lake bottom to prevent the structure from high winds? I have searched online but have not found much regarding installation and anchoring.

[jake125]

Go with an automatic floe lift and you will never need to think about getting another one again

[Tom7227]

The style you are looking at also need to be removed and I suspect it would be a bit of a challenge to get the legs out of the lake bottom. Plus you don't get the boat out of the water and so the hull could well end up dirty or full of gunk.

[Moe Szyslak]

I was thinking about installing lifts without canopies under the "boathouse". This would still create shelter for the boats but also allow easy access in and out of the boats.

[IcePro]

You might want to change the wording on what you asking.

New Boathouse or Boat storage structures are not allowed in MN.

Boat lifts with canopies are OK.

Check the MN DNR HSOforum for more information.

[Moe Szyslak]

Do you have a link? I can not find this. Interesting that they are covering all of minnetonka and are still for sale by many MN companies if they are illegal. I think we a speaking of two different things.....

http://www.niccumdocks.com/BoatHouses.aspx

[BartmanMN]

I'd say if you have a Niccum and a boat lift inside, you'd have the best of both worlds, but it will cost you and you'll have more to store during the Winter.

[BoxMN]

FWIW - if you are a fishing pontooner, either a lift canopy or other dock "roof" over the top of your toon is a PITA, unless it is so high your rod tips won't touch if you use rocket launcher storage tubes. I can't imagine taking each of my rods out of the holders each time I wanted to dock the toon, ha!

I just leave my toon tied to dock, and use a cover when we are not there - a bit of a hassle but takes about 5 mins total. There is a bit of dirt line on the pontoons but I applied Shark Skin to them whenit was new so all you need to do is take a rag to it once a year and it cleans it almost like new. I highly recommend this product, especially if you are getting a new pontoon. Easy to apply, but expensive.

FYI - I know the covers you are talking about, and I can assure you it is more of a hassle taking out/in than a lift with a canopy. Most of those covers also have docks on three sides of it as well, meaning more stuff in/out each spring/fall... Good luck.

I just installed (had it installed..) a "Lift Dock". Now I just need to remove the decking pieces, then hold a beer in one hand and turn a winch handle in the other to remove/put in No wet feet, no adjustments necessary, in/out in 10 minutes, no help needed. No more money in my wallet though, doh! ha!

[Queenswake]

You know, I have always marveled at these on Minnetonka but never once thought about how they get them off the lake at the end of the year. I would guess they have to disassemble the entire canopy structure and haul that back in piece by piece? What a job for having it out there less than half the year.

[delcecchi]

You know, I have always marveled at these on Minnetonka but never once thought about how they get them off the lake at the end of the year. I would guess they have to disassemble the entire canopy structure and haul that back in piece by piece? What a job for having it out there less than half the year.

Just make a phone call and write a check to your "dock guy" and it is taken care of. No sweat at all.

[hydro]

Del hit the button. Owners with those big canopies just write a check and have the structures assembled or taken out while they continue their leisure.

[BoxMN]

Del hit the button. Owners with those big canopies just write a check and have the structures assembled or taken out while they continue their leisure.

I was talking to an "estate grounds manager" up in the Brainerd area, and this place has like 15 at least of those shelters for antique boats. They leave them in all year and have basically electric troll motors that keep the ice away from the docks. He said they do have loss (damage) and electric costs that come to about $25k-$40k per year.... but that is tiny compared to the cost of putting it all in, which would be over $150k per year to do! If I recall he said the that was just one way cost, but I can't really recall, I was sipping some beer on incredible docks

[CAMAN]

Get a boat rail system and you will never need to remove a boat lift again. We just installed one last fall and love it. Just need a couple guys to remove and install the rail sections. Ours looks like this.

[delcecchi]

So a guy can still build what amounts to a permanent wet boat house, regardless of the regs, so long as it looks sort of "temporary"?

[Jameson]

Just make a phone call and write a check to your "dock guy" and it is taken care of. No sweat at all.

THIS!!!!!

My main gig is servicing docks on Tonka.

If you look at a few of the Minnetonka dock companies websites you should get the idea of how things work. This isn't my site (promise it isn't and mods sorry if the link isn't allowed) but it has a super cool video when the site first opens that shows an install of a dock on Tonka: http://thedockguy.com/ . To pull the docks, instead of using a pipe pounder seen in the video we use a post puller.

A boat lift without canopy and dock with boathouse is what I recommend. If the dock is up north I strongly suggest buying it from someone up there and having them service it. Need a list of "dock guys" then just search for Lake Service Providers on the DNR's site. The docks on Tonka are most often referred to as 'Crepeau style' docks. Mr. Crepeau made them back in the day and now several companies do including Crepeau, Niccum, Servadock, and others. Basically all the same stuff, same dimensions, just maybe welded up differently.

edit: As far as anchoring, it depends. The down pipes get pounded into the bottom and have some anchor to them. Often stabilizers (down pipe at angles) are added to help anchor.

[Jameson]

I was talking to an "estate grounds manager" up in the Brainerd area, and this place has like 15 at least of those shelters for antique boats. They leave them in all year and have basically electric troll motors that keep the ice away from the docks. He said they do have loss (damage) and electric costs that come to about $25k-$40k per year.... but that is tiny compared to the cost of putting it all in, which would be over $150k per year to do! If I recall he said the that was just one way cost, but I can't really recall, I was sipping some beer on incredible docks

You was more than sipping. The worst dock on Tonka is $20,000 in, $20,000 out (rumored) might be a bit higher. I think it has about the same 15 boathouses. Mud bottom on this dock and it takes extremely long downpipe. Usually 2 barge crews will tag team it. Of course everything is more expensive in Brainerd.

[BoxMN]

You was more than sipping. The worst dock on Tonka is $20,000 in, $20,000 out (rumored) might be a bit higher.

Well, this is just his boathouse... I don't quite recall a boathouse like this on Tonka My numbers, and memory, is likely off, haha! But I know it was above what I keep in my wallet!

http://lakeandhomemagonline.com/2013/12/25/adirondack-style-boat-house-deeply-rooted-on-nisswa-lake/

Edit - hmmm, those must be old pictures, because now the floor around the boats meet right up to the hulls so you can walk right up to the boats, or maybe the panels are out. The pics don't do justice to just how huge this place is on the inside. Beautiful to every detail.

[BartmanMN]

Wow!!!. Must suck to be rich.

[Jameson]

Well, this is just his boathouse...

Yeah, we are definitely talking apples to oranges.

[BoxMN]

Yeah, this is the guy who just donated $60M to St. Thomas. Of course, rumor has it his companies probably got a $60M contract for the construction, but that's still a lot of pocket change...

While some folks might not like the bigness of his northern exposure, he does do a lot and gives a lot to the Nisswa area (I think a park and museum was donated?...), and Brainerd area in general. I guess his place in Naples FLA is something to see as well...

Sorry for the distraction, back to docks!