Docktime Made Easy!

We Have a Problem on the Dock!

Docktime — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:39:02 +0000

Either the dock is too far from the beer fridge, or the beer fridge is too far from the dock. Either way we had to solve the problem so we kreated the kottage-tek kottage kreations "Beer-Me" Zip Line. here is where we discover and solve the problem.

Wanna make one for your dock...here's how:

Dockdrinks: Up The Cottage Creek Without and Opener...

Docktime — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:14:20 +0000

It's happened to all of us, you fancy a refreshing drink, look around and the opener is no where to be found. The good folks over at Made Man have you covered with these informative videos...

And for the wino's out there...

Made Easy: Winter Tires All Year Long

Docktime — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 20:16:10 +0000

With snow in the forcast, some of you may have thoughts turning to snow tires. After all, the logistics of winter cottaging are difficult enough without worrying about getting there in the first place! I for one find it a huge pain to swap out tires every winter and decided to try a different route.. Year-round winter rated tires, made by Nokian. The WR G2 is a "durable SUV non-studded winter tire that can be used all-year-round. The asymmetrical inside-out tread pattern allows our engineers to design different areas of the tread to focus on the different driving conditions you will encounter throughout the year. So while seasons may change, your choice of all-weather tires remains the same."

As you may well know last winter we had very little snow so I can't comment on the tire's performance with any extreme conditions besides the fact that whatever snow / icy conditions we did get these tire performed as expected. After the hot dry summer we just had (conditions that one would expect to be the enemy of a year round snow tire) the tires seem to be wearing as expected...no worse than the all seasons we replaced with the Nokians. I must mention here that I have prepared myself to see greater wear, and possibly a shorter lifespan on these tires, but when you factor in the cost, and time, of swapping out tires twice a year, I figure it's a wash. Plus you gain the benefit of not having to store tires. I hope to put them through their paces this winter and will keep this post updated with my thoughts. Let's hope for a snowy winter wonderland up at the lake!

Quickie Seadoo 230 Wake Graphics and Bimini Upgrade

Docktime — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:34:17 +0000

Our 2007 Seadoo 230 Wake was looking a little aged... The graphics were dated and the tower combined with the bimini posts, was getting a somewhat crowded.

It was time to put a little effort to bring the boat into this decade. First off were the decals. A couple of hours with a hair dryer and fingernail took care of all but a few of the decals. A quick transformation resulting in a cleaner look!

That was the easy part. Dealing with the overhead crowding situation took a little more effort. We had enquired at the Toronto Boat show SeaDoo booth regarding an upgrade to a simpler. sleeker tower and discovered that it was not possible since the hull wouldn't be reinforced in the proper locations. We moved on to plan B, got rid of the original bimini poles instead, and went to Monster Tower for a solution. We chose the bimini cargo rack as a replacement.

With about and hour of assembly followed by another hour of measuring, drilling, measuring, drilling, we had a 'floating' bimini that could also carry a days worth of boards and skis around the lake. Clean and understated, the Seadoo is now ready to ride into the rest of 2012, looking a lot less 2007!

Next upgrade: Modifying the ballast system to allow for a hose to be attached to spray down and wash out the boat after a day at the beach....

"Wicked Awesome" Cooler from MEC

Docktime — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 14:30:31 +0000

A good cooler is the backbone of great times spent in the heat on, or by, the lake. MEC labs have come up with one we think is our pick for the perfect cooler. Sure you can get bigger and/or cheaper ones but this hits our sweet spot! We also know that the MEC crew has tested this to meet their rigid standards of quality and build, so it will last. Two thumbs up for the ingenious bottle opener placement. You will never loose another one in the sand again...

Top off a summer paddle with crisp veggies and cold bevies. Fits in the centre compartment of most double sea kayaks and easily fits in a canoe.

MEC labs reports that in controlled tests with chilled cylinders containing 355ml of barley infused liquid, the Chilli Cooler performs "wicked awesome." To be precise, when kept at a constant 32°C and containing a single ice pack, it maintains an interior temperature below 10°C for 16 hours and below 12°C for 24 hours.

More info on the Chilli Cooler here

Taylors Recycled Plastic Products

Docktime — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 16:23:40 +0000

A bit of history first. I bought my first (and last) Taylors products about a dozen years ago. I splurged on their patio tables and they have been in the same spot outside since that time. Beside a little bit of wear, they are as good as new. At Taylors it's a story that repeats itself all the time. They build stuff that lasts forever and realized the only way to get repeat customers is to start making different things. This is where the "do want" comes in because we really like the new Muskoka chairs. We've had more than a few wood ones that have ended up as kindling after a few years of abuse and, I admit, had they been better cared for they might have lasted longer. Thing is, "Docktime Made Easy" rules require an almost "set it and forget it" mentality for everything. Thus, I have left my patio table in the same spot 24/7/365 for a dozen years. Now we would like to do the same with some muskoka chairs. They are going to look awesome on the dock and probably will outlast the wood they're sitting on. The only difference is we will bolt them down because at around $250 a pop they're as good as gold (or gas) on the lake. The hard thing now is to decide on what colour to choose. If you have a suggestion please comment.

Docking Made Easy with the Dock Wand!

Docktime — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:07:30 +0000

Luc Cote of Dock Wand showed us his innovative new product, at the 2012 Toronto Boat Show, that makes docking easy. So simple that we're amazed no one had thought of this before. In his words:

It always bothered me that there were so few, if any devices to assist in docking a vessel. I consider docking to be, by far, the most difficult and dangerous procedure a boater must undertake. As an avid boater, and owner of a busy water taxi service in Toronto Harbour, it is something I have had to do upwards of 100 times a day during peak season. No matter how perfectly you place the boat beside the dock, it will invariably move to a more undesirable spot by the time you run from the helm, jump off with your lines and attempt to tie off. For several years I have designed and constructed numerous mechanical systems to try and automate the docking process, and had some success along the way. It's rather amusing how complex ideas are eventually reduced to simple elements. Dock wand is the culmination of all that effort, thought process and experience on the water. It's with great excitement that I launch what I believe to be a game-changer in the way we dock our boats.

Ingenious, yet uncomplicated, The Patent Pending Dock Wand can have you handling your boat like a pro within minutes. Adaptable for all sizes and types of vessels, power, sail, runabouts, pontoons, and functional on any kind of dock cleat. A one-time initial setup for your vessel takes approximately 5 minutes, after which Dock Wand can be deployed with the wave of your wrist. Dock Wand permits you to dock and launch without having to transition between the boat and the dock, providing you with an increased level of safety and confidence.

Here's a list of Dealers. Luc told us there will be more added all the time so you might want to give them a call (416) 992-7871 to see if a new dealer has been added closer to your location.

Keeping Your Cottage Screen Doors Intact Made Easy

Docktime — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:35:46 +0000

Another great idea from a The Cottage Life Forum member:

If you have sliding patio doors, you or somebody else has walked into or through the screen not even aware it was closed. I came up with the idea of sewing old fishing lures onto the screen and yes, I removed the hooks first...

For this and many more great ideas, discussions and more check out the forum here!

DockDeal Alert: 4-Ton Log Splitter

Docktime — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:52:59 +0000

In our More Docktime...Five Important Steps post we mention 'power equipment...the more the better' and most cottages have a fireplace or at least a fire pit. Unless you're built like Paul Bunyan or have kids old enough to 'chore' them into splitting a pile of firewood you might want to check out this deal. Canadian Tire is offering an electric log splitter for half price. Around our cottage we used to pile wood and when it was big enough go rent a splitter for the day. At this price it's a no brainer...

Yardworks 4-Ton Log Splitter $199

1¾ HP engine with 4-ton splitting capacity
Cylinder splits logs up to 20½" (51 cm) in length
Mobile base for easy positioning

The splitter has a 4.9 out of 5 review with pages positive comments and the listing is here. The sale ends October 6, 2011...all I can say is leave one for me!

Delicious Cottage Turkey Made Easy...and Fast!

Docktime — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:52:35 +0000

I had the opportunity to fry myself a bird last Thanksgiving and am eagerly awaiting to do it again!. The oven at the cottage where we spend Thanksgiving had been acting up for quite a while and instead of relying upon it to produce the centrepiece of our feast, I opted go the southern route and fry it. Our turkey cooked in under an hour and boy was it yummy!