Structure forming a breakwater and capable of ice free, year round operation

A structure for use in a body of water, which comprises:

• (a) a structure having at least one level that includes at least one component from the group of components comprising a boat lift, a deck having a relatively narrow width in relation to its length to form a dock on which a person can walk or stand, and a deck having a width that is substantially wider in relation to its length than in the case where the deck forms the dock such that the wider deck forms an entertainment area that is able to support a plurality of people and furniture;
• (b) at least a pair of wheels that can be at least temporarily attached to the structure to allow the structure to be transported by ground to and from the body of water and to be rolled into and out of the body of water;
• (c) a buoyancy system carried on the structure to selectively provide the structure with a buoyant state in which the structure floats on the body of water and with a non-buoyant state in which the structure sinks into the body of water until the structure engages against a bottom of the body of water;
• (d) a wall or skirt extending substantially along at least one side of the structure when the structure is installed in the body of water, the wall or skirt being located with a portion thereof extending from at least slightly below to above a waterline formed by the body of water;
• (e) an opposing wall or skirt substantially along an opposed side of the structure, wherein the opposing wall or skirt is also located with a portion thereof extending from at least slightly below to above a waterline formed by the body of water, wherein the walls or skirts form a bounded chamber extending under the structure between the opposed sides of the structure;
• and
• (f) a device installed in a position in the body of water to provide a gap between the walls or skirts of the structure and an adjacent ice sheet in the body of water, wherein the gap providing device comprises at least one device chosen from a group of devices comprising a water recirculating device that pulls warmer water from near the bottom of the body of water into the bounded chamber and a water heating device that heats the water in the bounded chamber, thereby to create an ice free zone substantially around the structure to permit the structure to remain in the body of water during the winter.