Owning your own dock enables boat owners unrivaled ease of use for their greatest aquatic asset, their boat. Nothing beats rolling out of bed in the morning, throwing on a bathing suit, grabbing a banana off the countertop, walking barefoot across the naturally heated wood planks of your perfectly maintained dock, and jumping into your boat for a morning water ski session. Here are some tips to help you keep your dock in perfect condition all summer long:

• Protect the dock and the boat from each other using bumpers. This is beneficial to upkeep of both the boat and the dock.
• Keep the dock from getting dirty, slippery, and grimy by power washing it almost every month.
• Hammer down or replace raised nails.
• Replace rotting or damaged planks.
• Use a belt sander to smooth out rough areas before they split and cause more problems.
• Place carpet or a rubber mat on the corners of the dock to avoid causing harm to the boat when harsh conditions affect your ability to dock the boat.

With these tips in the back of your mind all summer long your dock is sure to be the envy of every lake front home owner in the area. It might even outshine that brand new boat of yours.