update- I get the 1/2 HP deicer at WM and go to RI where the dock is.
the river is frozen at the pilings already. (and the dock is suspended
in the air for the winter.) as planned we arrive at high tide so we are
as close to the ice as possible. we chop the ice with all sorts of
things not designed for this job. the pilings have actually already
been moved sideways a few inches by the ice. we chop a hole big enough
for the deicer at the deepest end of the dock and hang it with the two
lines that are supplied. Turn it on and wow it works, but I am
concerned about the water at low tide. so after visiting the sisters
and brother we come back at low tide to find that it is very shallow
indeed. At the deep end, with the deicer about 6 inches from the
bottom, the top of the deicer is almost touching the surface of the
water and it turns out that this is not a particulary low tide.
Not sure what to do at this point, afraid that there is just not enough
water and since it is very cold, I think that it might be too late in
the season for something clever like building a mount that puts the
deicer in deeper water.
Oh well, any ideas?