Dock Life

Can anyone chime in about keeping your boat in the water over summer. Do's and Dont's. Things you wish you would've done or known sooner. We get to live it up for a summer with a house on the lake. I've always dreamed of this lifestyle, but as we are moving I'm starting to process things I've never had to think about like: best method to tie up boat to the dock. Is there a cheap lift alternative? or just a good bumper tie up system? Will the extra sun exposure take its toll on the vinyl? Is there some cleaning/conditioning process you do to prevent too much sun? Will remaining in the water discolor the hull? Should I remove it from the lake every so often to clean it or something? Then just thought of this, what about filling the boat with gas? Whats best solution for filling up on the water (no water gas station obviously). Should I leave cover on the boat overnight or will that cause it to mildew etc?