By Anna Patiuk
Dock storage can be easily overlooked. Many friends and family I know keep the majority of fishing and boating gear along with outdoor tools stowed in the garage. When you are already by the lake, however, it can be a hassle trekking all the way back to the garage for one lifejacket. Dock storage is an added bonus that will make your life a little easier. Keep these ideas in mind when making your lake home ready for boating this summer:
Trashcans. Empty soda cans, granola bar wrappers and used napkins scattered across your cabin lawn is never a good look, and most of the time they end up there because of the lack of outdoor garbage cans. Having a trashcan on your dock makes it easy to throw garbage away after snacking on the boat ride. This one is large, made of durable fiberglass, and is rustproof and UV-resistant:
Small Outdoor Trash Can
Fish cleaning station. That trashcan might come in handy if you add a fish cleaning station to your dock. More and more companies are revving things up by adding sinks and knife racks to their outdoor fish cleaning tables. Choose one that is sturdy and has an FDA-approved surface for cleaning so you know bacteria or debris won’t be an issue:
Fillet Table with Drawers
Tackle center. It’s a fisherman or fisherwoman’s dream. Multiple drawers and sections make all of your tackle easily accessible and organized. All of the doors lock so you won’t have to worry about the kids getting into trouble either:
Tackle Storage Station – 20 Tray, 12 Drawer
Boat lift net. A day on the lake waterskiing or tubing can be exhausting. Instead of lugging all of your gear back to the garage or leaving it scattered across the boat, you can clip on one of these storage nets underneath your canopy boat lift:
STOW-ZALL
Combined storage and seating. Think of your dock as an outdoor living space. You need it to be functional, but you also want more than just the bare essentials. A simple and durable storage box with seating on top is one way to make the most of your dock. This one by Rubbermaid is large enough to fit seat cushions, floaties, and the little things like bug spray:
Rubbermaid Deck Box with Seat