PileMate announces the success of its comprehensive marine protection system, setting a new standard in marina safety by offering a solution to ice jacking, which often affects marina owners because of freezing water that can threaten the integrity of structures like docks, pilings, and retaining walls from the seabed. The consequences of this may neither be minor nor inexpensive, potentially paving the way for ejected pilings, emergency marine contractors, barges, and cranes.
For Dimitri Lemonides, a Brooklyn native and Sag Harbor-based innovator, these challenges presented an opportunity to rethink how marinas protect their assets against ice and storm surges. That two-decade mission culminated in floating sleeves that deliver passive protection, built to offer resilience in all weather and tidal conditions.
“We kept hearing the same question: how do we stop ice from damaging pilings?” Lemonides recalls. “This was back in 2005. That winter, we tested a few prototypes, and they worked. Over the last 20 years, we’ve deployed these systems across marinas, and the original units are still in service.”
Ice jacking, he explains, occurs when a marina’s ice sheet freezes around a piling and, as it expands, it can exert a force strong enough to extract it from the seabed entirely. As someone who has remained at the heart of the matter, Lemonides observes that marina and property owners often face three options heading into winter: run electric propellers or fans underwater to circulate warmer water and prevent surface freezing, leave the pilings unprotected and absorb the damage in the spring, or invest in a passive protection system. In the face of these choices, Lemonides believes that the first two are commercially and environmentally indefensible.
“There is a huge amount of infrastructure and carbon footprint that is at stake due to the electricity used to run the propellers,” he says. “Rivers that use fans underwater might still have ice damage because the fans can’t keep up with the cold weather.”
Observing these bottlenecks, Lemonides positions the third option as the solution, one offered by PileMate. He explains, “The PileMate Marine System is designed to passively protect the piling with a plastic sleeve.” According to him, each piling sleeve, available in 12”, 15”, and 18” diameters and spanning ten feet, are strategically placed and installed with two feet below the waterline and eight feet above with an aim to create a floating barrier that passively separates the exterior ice sheet from the interior of the piling. The system, Lemonides insists, can eliminate the need for electricity, potentially removing the energy, carbon costs and further expenses related to that maintenance that other methods may incur.
He points to an example of a marina that operates 90 underwater electric propellers, each 0.75 hp, to prevent freezing. “It costs $16 an hour in electricity to run all the machines, which might burn about six gallons of oil every hour during the winter months,” he explains. “For a 45-day freeze season, that’s roughly 7000 gallons of oil for one marina, and it still may not fully protect the pilings.” To address what he believes to be a mechanical blockage, he highlights that PileMate’s sleeves are designed to eliminate all ice-related ejections, with no electricity consumed and no operational disruptions, underscoring the environmental imperative of adopting a passive marine protection system.
Further honing in on its mechanical ingenuity, Lemonides highlights that PileMate’s system uses a plastic sleeve with integrated flotation, designed to allow the PileMate to move with the ice instead of resisting it. “As the flotation floats the PileMates up and down, it can absorb the stresses of freezing and thawing. It’s a zero-maintenance, high-impact solution that does not require a crane or barge for seasonal repairs,” he explains. For marina operators, Lemonides observes that this can translate to operational certainty and potentially reduce labor demands.
Additionally, he highlights the system’s predictable performance, noting how it can transform how property owners and marina managers plan for seasonal transitions. Client testimonials have reinforced his perspective, with one stating: “I’m grateful for the installation of the PileMate system at the Northampton Colony Yacht Club. We came through the big freeze of 2026 with no problems at all, no need to run bubbles or fans, zero energy cost, and 100% satisfaction.” Lemonides also highlights that the system offered robust protection during the North Easter blizzard, informed by his client, who has integrated PileMates for 15 years.
After decades of iterative design, field testing, and product validation, Lemonides positions PileMate as a paradigm shift in marina engineering. He entered the industry with the purpose of addressing the longstanding problem of ice jacking, and today, with a passive and environmentally conscious solution, he considers that purpose achieved.
“My team and I have created a system that can anticipate natural forces instead of battling them, and I believe that alone can offer marinas a rare combination of reliability and sustainability,” he shares. “Our goal has always been clear: provide a solution that works, endures, and protects,” Lemonides says. “PileMate can be that peace of mind for marina operators and dock owners everywhere.”
About PileMate
PileMate is an innovative marina protection system designed to safeguard docks, pilings, and boats from year-round ice jacking, storm surges, and marine borers while optimizing marina capacity and tie-off convenience. Built over two decades ago and proven in marinas worldwide, the U.S.-made solution delivers reliable protection and peace of mind for boat owners and waterfront facilities alike. For more information. visit www.pilemate.com.
Media Contact
Dimitri Lemonides
dimitri@pilemate.com
