FAQs

Where can I park my car when going out on my boat? Pier M is one of only two community piers in The Point to have a parking lot. It is located on the POA lot that is just past the corner of Yacht Road and Milford Circle. Note that we have path lighting leading from the lot down to the Pier. Please be careful of the pathway lighting as you transport items to and from your boat. If you notice that a light is out, please contact us at pointpierm@gmail.com.

What may I dock in my slip? The lease between Duke Energy (who owns the lake) and the Point Owners Association (the POA is a volunteer organization that operates the common spaces and generally runs the community) requires that community pier slips be used to dock only one watercraft. Duke as well as the POA audits community piers to ensure compliance.

How big of a boat can I dock in my slip?  Per Duke Energy restrictions, docks at community piers are limited to one watercraft ONLY (one boat or one personal watercraft) and limits the length of a boat that can be stored to 26 feet, and only Point residents may dock a boat in a community pier. Length overall is measured from the tip of the bow in a straight line to the stern of the vessel. Bowsprits, rudders, outboard motors and motor brackets, handles and other fittings, attachments and extensions are not included in this measurement. In addition, all boat lifts are to be left in the UP position when the boat is moored for the day. See The Pier Rules at: http://thepointatlkn.com/documents/#1466357183329-f1d40cc9-bc7b

Can I rent my pier slip? Community pier slips can ONLY be leased/rented to POA homeowners, and all rentals and guests must adhere to the same rules and regulations that apply to the homeowner. Please contact Hawthorne Management to receive the necessary approvals to rent out your assigned slip. E-mail at admin@hawthornemgmt.com or call 704-377-0114.

Can I install a lift in my slip? If you have a lift (or plan to install one), please abide by the following to help prevent your lift from damaging your slip. If there is an issue, please have it addressed promptly. 

  1. Your lift should be well secured to the pier, in accordance with the lift’s installation instructions, and your lift’s floats must be adjusted such that the air in the lift is the primary force that keeps your boat afloat, not the pier. Keep in mind that there is only one float under each finger of your slip, and if your boat weighs it down, the float will flood (which pretty much destroys the float).

  2. Remember that the heavier the boat or the further back a boat sits on its lift, the more stress it exerts on a slip.  Accordingly, when you put your boat into your lift, please make sure that it is centered and pulled fully onto your lift.

  3. It is perfectly fine to keep your lift down while you are out boating.  However, do not keep your lift submerged for multiple days at a time as it can damage your slip.  Numerous contractors have told us that it is good to keep at least a little air in the lift at all times. 

  4. If we see a lift that has been submerged for several days, a Pier volunteer may raise it to help prevent expensive damage to your slip (that you will be responsible for).

Can I use an extension cord at my slip?  We all need a little power every now and then.  However, do not leave an extension cord unattended if it crosses over the main pier walkway -- it’s a trip hazard/safety issue and we want the pier to be a fun and safe place.  A long-term solution to getting electrical power to your boat is to have a marine-grade extension cord installed under the main pier walkway.   

Can I plug in a battery warmer in the winter? Please keep in mind that Pier M has limited electrical capacity, and that various factors can cause the circuit breaker that serves your slip to flip to off (e.g., water can pop the safety on a GFI outlet, multiple engine warmers in simultaneous use can overload a breaker, storms can interrupt power, vandals can flip a circuit breaker). 

Accordingly, if you opt to use some type of engine warmer instead of winterizing or storing your boat offsite, you do so at your own risk.  Pier M will not be responsible for any damage related to power interruption, GFI/circuit breaker overload, weather, vandals, etc. You are responsible for making sure that you have power and taking appropriate steps in a timely fashion (e.g., flipping the circuit breaker back on, pushing in the button on the GFI outlet to your slip). 

The Pier’s electrical box is in the back right corner of the parking lot looking at the lot from Yacht Road. The breakers are labeled (Slips 1-8 share 20 amps, slips 9-16 share 20 amps and slips 17-30 share 20 amps). If you need to coordinate with other slip owners, contact information for many slip owners is located in the Directory on https://Pier-M.com.

How does the Pier M Board communicate with slip holders?  

  1. E-mail. Pier M communicates with Pier M slip holders via e-mail, as the costs and additional effort to mail things adds up. This includes providing updates about the Piers and notices for our annual meeting. Election of directors is conducted electronically too. 

  2. Website. We are one of the few community piers to have our own website. Check it out (and bookmark it) at https://pier-m.com. 

    1. To stay connected with your fellow boaters at Pier M, our website contains each boat slip owner's name, slip number, email, phone number and picture of the boat.  To access the pier directory, use the pier owner-only confidential password to access contact information for your fellow slip owners.  

    2. Please email us if you need to update your contact information (email, phone number), send an updated picture of your boat in landscape mode, or if you do NOT want your contact information listed in the Pier M website. 

    3. Note that the website’s directory is solely for use in Pier M business (e.g., a boat is sinking in a slip, and you want to notify the owner, you found something left by a slip, and want to contact the likely owner). 

What are the fees for having a boat slip? Hawthorne Management bills Pier M Slip holders the following fees annually:

Amount            When       What
$450.00              January    Pier M Annual Assessment (this amount is subject to change annually)
$172.00              January    Duke Energy Lease Fee
$  50.00 appx      July         Iredell County Slip Property Tax

Pier M may make other assessments if needed to meet our obligations to maintain Pier M in accordance with our Bylaws, the POA’s Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions, the POA’s Architectural Guidelines and POA rules and regulations relating to community piers.

Note: There may be an additional pier assessment in late 2023 or a larger-than-usual annual dues amount in early 2024. We have had difficulties getting repair people out for the past several years (pandemic woes) and are soliciting bids to address some owners association inspection findings and to make the pier lower maintenance. This was discussed at our May 2023 annual meeting and will be communicated to all Pier M slip holders. Note that neither the amount nor the timing of such an assessment has been determined.

If I sell my house, how can my attorney get information for the closing? If you need to validate if dues have been paid for the year for a particular slip owner, please contact Hawthorne Management directly at 704-377-0114.