Checking Your Boat and Dock for Damage After Freezing Weather – And Report The Damage

After extreme freezing weather like was experienced last month, all Grand Lake area boat and dock owners are encouraged to check your docks and boats for damage as soon as you can, or contact a local marina to perform the inspection for you.

For those whose boats are floating in the water, inspect the vessels as soon as possible, especially if they have not been winterized.

The way sea strainers and reverse cycle heat systems that use raw water work, once the lake freezes over, there is no heat left in the water.

Strainers and heat systems freeze up, regardless of how warm the bilges are. The strainers crack and leak and the reverse cycle systems cease to produce heat.

Boats can sink when this happens.

Even if your boat is on a lift, check your dock to ensure that all is working properly.

Remember to use caution when on your docks due to the risk of slips from ice on the docks and walkways.

The extremely cold temperatures and ice can result in cracks in the hoses and tanks that can result in lift failure.

Check your dock to ensure all of the foam floats are in place and not damaged by ice.

Also check dock stiff arms, cables, walkway connection points and welds for possible damage.

Freezing ice can heave the dock up or down, moving it off moorings or damaging the anchor posts themselves.

There’s also the risk of ice flows, particularly in river waters, where large chunks of ice can flow down current and smash into a dock, causing damage.

Additionally, warmer temperatures can create a large ice mass which could be pushed up and towards your dock creating damage.

You can find local marinas, boat service professionals, and dock repair and replacement companies on other pages of this website.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security requested residents impacted by the recent winter storm to report property damages online at damage.ok.gov.

Reporting damage as soon as possible will greatly assist our ability to request additional federal assistance for the state as we recover from this historic storm.

Reporting damage helps ODEMHS document the overall impact of the winter storm and helps support the case for further assistance to help homeowners, renters, and business owners recover.

Oklahomans can report damage to homes, businesses or agriculture through the online survey at damage.ok.gov.