07/13/2023
ATTENTION WATER FRONT OWNERS: Please note that with all the rain in recent weeks, most all waterbodies are Full or Over-Full and this can result in damage to property, docks and vessels.
Winnipesaukee is 5-1/2" over full and Sunapee is 18" over full yesterday July 11, 2023 (rising over 1 ft overnight!). This means water levels are at unprecedented high levels for this busy time of year. Please be aware of your wake and the damage it can do along the shoreline.
If you have a seasonal dock with removable decking, you may consider removing the deck panels for the time being so that they do not float away.
Or, an alternative is to lay planks on the dock and set a few plastic garbage cans full of water on top of the planks to hold the decking sections down. Note that even if your dock is not fully underwater in calm conditions, wind driven waves and boat wakes can causing things to lift, especially as the waves get bigger and/or water levels continue to rise.
If you keep your boat on a boat lift, please make sure the lift is high enough above the high water level to assure that waves cannot lift the boat up and slam it back down or forward onto the lift. Also, if you have a hydraulic lift powerpack on the dock, make sure the powerpack does not get swamped by waves or pulled off the dock into the water...we have already had numerous calls, especially from western regions of NH, of powerpacks being washed off the dock. It may be best to block it up off the deck and screw it down.
If water levels are above your permanent dock, keep an eye on things to make sure the dock frame is not separating from the support below...there is a lot of lift created by water over the dock and the buoyancy of the wood frame which can seriously damage even a strong dock such as a permanent structure.
Keep an eye on docks and boats tied to them as high water can also cause tie lines to tighten beyond breaking strength and/or pull "up" so hard during wave activity as to pull the tie posts or dock frames off their supports.
You may have to re-tie your boat every day, especially if water levels continue to rise, and in extreme cases you may consider pulling your boat out of the water...
Many beaches are suffering erosion due to high water and rough conditions...it may be prudent to sandbag parts of your waterfront to protect these structures, especially if water levels continue to rise.
And, be extra careful when boating...high water levels mean there is a lot of debris floating around such as logs, branches, docks, vegetation, etc.
that has been washed off the shore or docks and keeping a careful lookout when operating your boat is extremely important under present conditions.
If you have any questions or need some advice, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Thanks, and lets all be careful out there...
THE WATERMARK TEAM
Watermark Marine Construction
Phone: (603) 293-4000
E-mail: [email protected]
