Many lake home and cabin owners spend as much time at their dock as they do indoors. Whether you are looking to replace your dock or you just wish your existing dock could be outfitted with useful accessories, the following sampling of products will give you some great ideas. All are intended to enhance usage of your dock and your time; some focus on improving safety for you and your guests, or protecting your lakeside vehicles and toys from the elements.

Three popular dock accessories are available from ShoreStation. The gear tower - perfect for hanging life jackets, tow ropes or towels. The large tabletop can be used for drinks, a radio or even cleaning fish. The gear tower includes a plastic waste can and has an optional light attachment. The Aqua Step, a smaller version of ShoreStation's Shore Steps, makes it easy to get in and out of the water, especially for children and seniors. And the ShoreStation's cedar-plank swivel chair is perfect for parents wanting to keep an eye on children swimming nearby, as well as for fishing or just relaxing. Contact ShoreStation at 1-800-859-3028 or log on to www.shorestation.com.

Pier Pleasure provides a variety of lifts, docks and accessories. Dock accessories include:

1. A tripod winch that lets you remove your dock without getting into the water. It breaks the suction of dished footpads from the bottom of the lake and raises the dock sections so they can be transported to storage.
2. Aluminum dock steps with skid-resistant tape and adjustable legs to accommodate any water depth. Angle can be adjusted.
3. A wheel cart used for installing and removing sectional deck systems. The cart attaches to the top side of the dock sections, enabling you to simply push, instead of carry them to and from a storage area.

 Contact Pier Pleasure at 1-800-658-7010 or visit www.pierpleasure.com.

ShoreMaster now makes curved dock sections that are fully compatible with its sectional docks, and are available with the same decking options - plain aluminum, white painted aluminum, cedar or IPE hardwood. Round, waterfront platforms can be created by fastening together curved sections. An 8-foot-diameter circle is created with 90-degree sections, and a 12-foot-diameter circle with 45-degree pieces. A gazebo-style setting is also possible, complete with an optional round canopy and railing. Contact ShoreMaster at 1-800-328-8945 or visit www.shoremaster.com.

Marine Dock & Lift is selling new styles of dock furniture from ShoreMaster that complement its new curved docks. It also handles a full line of products from EZ Dock, including new bench designs and hexagonal dock sections. Constructed with rugged polyethylene, EZ Dock's modular building-block design enables broad configuration flexibility. Its beige color reflects heat - important for bare feet. Slip-resistant surface. Call Marine Dock & Lift, Center City, Minn., at 651-257-4265 or 1-800-314-3625. Visit online at www.marinedocklift.com.

DAKA Docks & Lifts of Pine City, MN New this year at DAKA is a Roll-In Sectional Dock made up of 5-foot wide decking sections (compared with conventional 4-foot docks) to create 25% more decking surface. The low profile aluminum frame and wheels sets every 12 feet create a clean, stylish look. Plus, an innovative screw-jack leveling system provides independent side to side leveling and 36 inches of travel. DAKA also offers a full line of accessories to increase the form and function of any shoreline system including an Adjustable Shore End Wheel Kit and steel or aluminum Swimming Ladders available with 3 or 4 steps to add convenience and safety to the dock end.

Porta-Dock's line of framework, configurations, decking and accessories is guaranteed to work with any model of boat, pontoon or personal watercraft. Products include a shore-end ramp section in 4- and 8-foot lengths; dock benches in fiberglass, aluminum and cedar, and armrests in fiberglass and aluminum; a shore-end wheel kit for easily rolling the shore end of your dock; horizontal and vertical boat and dock bumpers in white or gray; and canopies to fit all models of boat docks and boat, pontoon and personal watercraft lifts. Canopies are available in white, hunter green, gray and beige. For the nearest dealer, call 1-800-783-7070. Visit www.porta-dock.com

Contact Harris Warehouse and Canvas for ready-made and custom-made boat covers, boat lift and dock covers, and slip covers for items like personal watercraft. Hundreds of materials available; lifetime warranty on workmanship. Harris also repairs zippers, tears, patches, grommets, snaps and more. Call 612- 331-1321 or 1-800-397-5026 or stop in at 501 - 30th Avenue S.E., Minneapolis.

Hill Hiker "lifts" transport people up and down steep inclines. Residential customers include people of any age who face a steep incline from the cabin to the lake. Each lift is custom-configured for each hillside and angle of incline. Models for residential and commercial installations are available; residential models hold up to 750 pounds. Call Hill Hiker, Inc., at 952-476-2422. Check out the products online at www.hillhiker.com.

Anchor torch poles to your dock without a drill or hammer. The self-anchoring Tiki Deckster® holds all types of torches. Simply drop its T-bar between two deck boards, twist and tighten to clamp the base to the dock. Durable ABS plastic body and stainless steel T-bar.

The Shore Tracker® Marine Railway System uses a 1.5 HP electric motor to power a two-way winch for retrieving and launching watercraft. With standard capacity of 5,000 pounds, it can be adjusted to fit runabouts, pontoons, inboards, deck boats and floatplanes. All parts are maintenance-free galvanized steel. The Marine Railway System is manufactured by D.H. Docks & Tracks in Nisswa, Minn. Call 218-963-2566 or 1-888-DH-DOCKS. Visit online at www.dhdocks.com

Roll-n-Go® shore ramps use affordable aluminum docking as an alternative to PWC lifts and boat lifts. Four models (1200, 2000, Pontoon and PWC) provide options for all personal watercraft and many boats, including pontoons. For example, the 54-pound, 11-foot Model PWC holds up to a three-person personal watercraft or 1,000 pounds. Roll-n-Go also offers leg supports for their ramps as well as their new Float Kits which allow their ramps to be attached to existing docks for out-of-the-water docking. Aluminum construction with stainless steel hardware. Contact Roll-n-Go atm1-866-876-5548 or visit www.roll-n-go.com.

Sunstream FloatLift^TM by Niccum Docks, Inc. This new product offers ultra high-speed hydraulic lifting of boats with incredible ease. With the push of a button on a remote control you are able to raise or lower your boat within 30 seconds. You can even stop it partway to allow for easy loading and unloading or cleaning. These lifts can be used in practically any water location and is solar charged to provide even greater flexibility of usage. For more information call Niccum Docks at 763-682-4600 or visit www.sunstreamcorp.com.

Tie your boat to any spot in any dock by packing the Portable Dock Cleat. No tools are needed. Simply insert its T-bar between boards in a dock or pier and rotate, then tighten by hand, as directed. Place a knotted rope through the wrench and pull tight. Stainless steel anchor. The portable Multiple Fishing Rod Holder holds one or two rods from your dock. Works with spinning rods, pistol-grip rods, casting rods, surf rods and cane poles. No tools needed to install it. The rod holder's T-bar fits into the gap between deck boards.

Many of us in the Midwest refer to our piers as docks. (To keep things simple we have referred to piers as docks throughout the accessories article.)

A PIER: A seaside structure: a platform built on stilts jutting out into a body of water, used as a boat dock, a place from which to fish, or as an entertainment center.

A DOCK: A place for ships to moor: an area of water between two piers or next to a pier, where ships can be moored safely for loading and repair.

Our thanks to an observant Lakestyle reader who brought this to our attention.

By Barb Umberger