By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Docks are nothing new to Aaron Osekowsky.
When he was in high school, Osekowsky worked on docks on Lake Arrowhead with Brian Perrin, one of his best friends whose father, Rob Perrin, owned Kiwi Docks.
“During summer breaks,” Osekowsky said, “we would help out – paint docks, pump the toilets on Lone Pine Island.”
Osekowsky left the mountain briefly when he attended college in San Luis Obispo and then worked in San Diego for a few years. He bought his first home on the mountain in 2013 and commuted to his job in San Diego.
In 2020, he was presented with the opportunity to purchase Arrowhead Docks Unlimited. He did so, partnering with his long-time friend Brian Perrin.
Today, the two own and operate both Arrowhead Docks Unlimited and Kiwi Docks, with Osekowsky overseeing the day-to-day operations for both.
The two companies, Osekowsky notes, offer two different types of services and products.
“If you’re looking for speed,” he said, “Kiwi Docks is your company. If you want a dock this year, you’ll get it. At Arrowhead Docks Unlimited, we focus on high-end custom work.”
The docks installed by Kiwi are ultra-high quality but are standard in design with minimal color and size choices to get a dock to the customers faster. “That customer wants a good, reliable dock now,” Osekowsky said.
He works with customers who turn to Arrowhead Docks Unlimited to design just what they want. “Some people just want a plain dock. They just want to pull up and tie up. Others want something that is more elaborate, perhaps with full electrical setups, refrigerators, sound systems, TVs, cameras.”
Osekowsky’s focus stays on docks. “The only thing we do with boats is recover them,” he said. “We have the crew to do that.” And, he added, “as the only dock company with a lakeside facility, we are best suited to the job.”
Aaron Osekowsky’s crew was able to roll this dock back over using their crane. They recovered all but one or two docks that had rolled during Snowmageddon.
During last winter’s blizzard, Osekowsky’s crew recovered more than 100 boats. Early this March, they recovered a boat that had sunk in the heavy rains the mountain experienced.
This 16-slip dock had what Aaron Osekowsky calls “significant issues” during and after the 2023 blizzard. His crew is standing on top of the 12-foot canopies while clearing the snow to save the dock. Osekowsky believes eight boats were sunk under the dock.
One boat they recovered had ended up on top of the owner’s dock. The dock cleats had pierced the bottom of the boat so the crew towed the whole unit back to the yard. They used a crane to lift the boat off the dock. “This was more efficient,” Osekowsky said, “and eliminated further damage to the boat by not dragging it off the dock.
“Now,” he added, “it’s up to the insurance what will happen. Every time we saw a pontoon boat last year with a puncture, it was totaled by the insurance. We probably recovered 10 boats last year with less than 10 hours on them. If they sink, they go straight to the scrap yard.
“We always tell people that the best possible thing they can do is get their boat off the lake for the winter.”
This rare classic boat was safely recovered after Snowmageddon and transferred to the owner’s insurance company. Aaron Osekowsky said he was told the boat is being repaired and will be returned to the lake.
After last winter’s storms, Osekowsky estimated it would take two years to catch up and get all the recovery and repair work done. “We’re more than 50 percent through it,” he said. “There are still customers waiting. Most people are understanding.”
Osekowsky feels wood is best suited for docks on Lake Arrowhead. “It has proven itself over and over. Wood flexes with the waves rather than fighting them. The waves will go up and over the dock rather than tearing it apart.”
The way docks are built today is different from 30 years ago, he noted, but the fundamentals are the same. “Docks are stronger than ever. Wood is one of the longest lasting and most cost-effective materials. I find them nice looking rather than industrial.”
Kiwi Docks has been offering a dock watch program for 20 years, something Osekowsky has now taken over. He recently had three barges out, going around to the dock watch customers, checking on their docks. “We notify them is all is good or if there is a problem,” he said. His crew monitors the level of the lake and checks docks after a storm.
“Big issues can be eliminated by five minutes of work,” he said. “If no one sees it, it can cause lots of damage.”
Osekowsky said he is “happy and appreciative for the opportunity to build a replacement rental dock for the Arrowhead Lake Association. We will build it at our yard and float it over.”
He added they build as much as they can on their premises and then assemble the dock on site.
Every spot around Lake Arrowhead is different, Osekowsky noted. “There are different climates on the lake. Something that will last at the back of Meadow Bay, that gets no waves, might only last a couple of years elsewhere.”
This boat had to be towed to Aaron Osekowsky’s yard upside down; it was then removed using his crane.
Osekowsky says there is a real sense of pride in his crew. “They want our work to look and be the best,” he said. “They enjoy the challenge of the hard days – tough weather.” Because of the size of his crew, they are able to repair docks, whether they built them or not.
The two dock companies share installation, maintenance and fabrication crews. “Both companies have been around for years,” Osekowsky said. “The crews knew what they were doing. There was a benefit to bringing them together. They learn from each other.
“We took two of the most successful companies on the lake and made them better.”
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