After many months (years) of planning, fundraising, and installation - our new dock is fully operational! 

Our 25-year-old dock was a large, flat raft with a ramp into the water on one side that was held in place by a handful of 'spuds' that dropped into the lake bottom, and it was in need of serious maintenance in order to stay functional. Between that and our growing program and fleets requiring more space, the SYSC Board of Directors decided to embark on the journey of choosing and fundraising for a new dock that would serve our needs for years to come.

After a bit of research and estimates from various manufacturers of dock products, we landed on EZ Dock through Badger Docks, LLC. The EZ Dock product is a rotomolded plastic, modular system that links together with nylon 'dog-bones' to keep the pieces together but flexible enough to handle movement. We wound up choosing this system because we felt it had the most accessories that would help our program in the long-run. Some highlights of the new dock system:

• Six boat ports for the 420 fleet 
• Two boat ports for the smaller powerboats
• Low-profile dock pieces for launching and retrieving 
• Dock boxes
• Pier extension for docking any boat
• Flexible system for cleats and other accessories
• 'Float-step' Ladders for our sailors to get out of the water with low risk

The boat ports are intended to help us reduce damage to the boats as they're docking, and they also leave us plenty of free space on the dock. Previously, the boats were stored on the flat platform - now, they are kept where they are pulled out, giving us room to run classes and roll sails right next to the boats. The new dock is larger than the old one, and with a small finger pier extending east/west away from the shore line, it gives us room to grow right along with the other programs on the lakefront. 

In addition to the accessories the EZ Dock system provided, it was also chosen because it is designed to stay in place over winter. While the old dock had to be moved out away from the wall, the new dock is permanently fixed in place and will 'pop up' on the ice for the most part when it freezes in, reducing the risk of winter damage. 

Stop down and take a stroll on the new dock - we hope it serves our sailors well for years to come!