I have been reading for a few years Matt S. and Blue discussing the issues at hand with Michigan’s economy. Being a typical pirate/republican it hit me a few weeks ago that there may be some water front property available at a reduced rate in that area of the country. Turns out that is true! So I bought one.
The unit I bought is on a dam controled river that is only 4 ft or so deep where the proposed dock would go. Low current. Small dock area needed. About 6′ X 10′ would do fine.
Googling docks I get the many possible docks for Lake Erie or Lake Cummberlin with few for a small river and a small boat.
So the question is floating or fixed? If floating do they have to come out of the water each year? (the bank to the dock is steep but not impossible.)
I simply need information from those who have built docks and have some idea of what I will incure. The existing unit the poles it is connected too were driven into the bottom but not deep enough apparently as all move and or floats. Thanks in advance. If you need more info I will be happy to provide! DanT
Replies
I built a floating dock on a hinged catwalk. I floated it on empty blue plastic drums. Turned out I needed a drum at the end of the catwalk as well as the weight of it was causing the dock to list.
The better dock have vertical "anchors" on which the dock can move up and down on, but at the same time they keep the dock from moving around alot or over stressing it's land based anchor points.
In hindsight, I would have researched it more. It seemed to me at the time that the hardware that was needed was not easy to find. I think the dock builders hold their cards close.
It's hard work. The hardware and the correct FLAT floats are all expensive.
Size it to your boat. Find the correct hardware. The wind and water will destroy things that you belive are solid and well built.
Eric
[email protected]
Thanks for the info. Thought provoking. Amazing what seems so simple can be come complicated in a minute lol. DanT
Thought provoking. Amazing what seems so simple can be come complicated in a minute lol.
I'm always good for that![email protected]
I wasn't speaking of you personally I hope you know. I am just always amazed at how you can take any number of seemingly simple tasks or ideas and once you dig into it the process becomes a study in itself.
In the eighties I bowled as a hobby. Seemed simple. Get a ball, get shoes, throw and knock down pins. Oh, you want to score? Well here are the thousand things you will need to learn and the list of equipment you will need to have customized to do that. Sheesh! DanT
Oh, I didn't take that personally at all!
I couldn't agree more with what you said, and in this day and age with the internet and all, I'm not sure if it helps or what it does.[email protected]
I like a floating dock.I live on a small residential lake (100 acres) and down in a cove so the wave action is not large, although we have had an occiasonal storm that has tested them.And while they make some noise, I don't see than as being noisely. In fact the slow squeaking of the "hinges" from the wave is more of a relaxing sound.Have a lot more noise from wind wiping the rigging on sailboats.First you need to be more specific for how you want to use the dock.Depending on how you are going to use it I think that 6x12 is bit small. Look at the size of the boat that will be tied up to it and how many people might be on the dock at one time. I think that 8-10 x 16-18 would be more usefull at least around my lake.If you use the rectangular shapped encapsulated foam floats and put them near the outter edge of the dock it will be stable enough.A google on floating dock plans, dock floatation, and dock kits will get you a lot of information on the size and number of floats needed.And you want to check with whoever "controls" the river. Most places have strick rules on dock sizes, floatings materials, how and where they can be, etc.BTW, one of my neighbors has a detached swim float that is about 6x10 and has a single steel tank running down the center of the float. It is very unstable. If you get several kids on one side trying to get up on it it that side will go down and dump an kids that are on it.The kids like to use it for King of the Hill..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
BillHartmann,
You're in an ideal situation for a floating dock. Given your situation I would be tempted to try one myself.. Do you leave your dock in during the winter? I've seen them left in in quiet spots like yours and they don't seem that much worse for wear.. all they do is pull the locating poles up and tie it to shore with rope.
Putting in and taking out my dock has become a chore I really hate.. Lately my son-in-law does it for me in exchange for using the boat during the summer..
I have it in all year as does everyone else. And I don't brink it is in.My is 14ft wide and attached with a 14 ft wide ramp to a concrete pad os that does not need anyother control.Many around here have narrow ramps that are only attached to the seawall with a cleat to keep it from moving in. then cables on 2 corners of the dock to anchors on the shore/seawall to keep them from moving sideways.They seem to be more reliable then using guide pipes. That used to be done, but here, but I don't think that are are many, if any, like that now. Probably a lot of that has to do with the bottoms. Around my end it is solid rock shelf about 4-6 ft down.And the ramp on mine is too heavy to regularly move in and out. But some with the narrow ramps could do that. But I don't know of any that do.We get ice and enough for ice skating several times a year, but not solid continous ice. The only damage that I have seen is some erroding of the end of the XPS foam billets. But I think that is done as much by the ducks at the ice. And now only the encapsualted version is allowed..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
How much does the water level fluctuate?
Does that area get a lot of boat traffic and large boat wakes?
Rough water on windy days?
Fixed docks, are good to tie a boat to, quieter on a windy night, but a pain to adjust and use if the water level keeps moving up and down. It will never seem to be at the right height.
Floaters are noisy when the ramps are hinged to them, and floaters need to be larger in area or they can be tippy. A light weight floater with a boat tied to it can ruin a night's sleep if you get much wind. Floaters are always at the right height above the water. (until two or three people stand on one side)
I have one fixed and one floater. The floater is 6 x 12 and I wish it were twice that size for stability. The plus for its size is that I can tow it to the landing with a small boat, float it onto an old boat trailer and haul it out by myself.
You probably need to check on local and state codes.
oldfred
The water level is supposed to only change a couple of feet. The dam is supposed to keep it pretty constant.
Traffic is minimal as we are toward the end of the boatable area, only a few houses beyond us. A fair amount of stumps keep things slow.
A river with fairly high sides so the wind plays a minimal part I would assume.
I appreciate the info. I never considered the noise issue nor the instability. Thanks! DanT
http://www.floeintl.com/A lot of this company's stuff sold here. Good, but expensive.
mine is fixed... on piles... that i drove.... 6x6's and some 4x4's... I drove the corner piles first... from a pontoon... depending on what bottom is... mine is mud with few rocks... i was able to drive the piles 3-4ft with a home made driver leaving them high enough to have a rail or something to tie up to...... i then framed the deck/dock thru bolting everything... i was then able to stand on this to drive the rest of the piles... 100x easier than the ones from the boat... i drove alot of piles... 6x6's & 4x4's it was so easy from the deck that i figured more was good... so...i did more... this last dock addition is 20 x 10 and i used 20ft 2x10's for the frame and the deck... i started at first light and finished at dark... one very long day... did it alone... help would have been nice :)
I've also seen docks built to cribs... well framed boxes sunk and filled with rock or old concrete... then the dock attached to that...
get all your work done... then enjoy the water...
p
What is used for that sort of thing here on inland lakes is an AL setup with adjustable clamps where the horizontal walkway ties to the post frames. Also the whole thing can have wheels at t he outer posts so it easily can be pulled out in winter, then rolled back down and anchored at the shore again come sumer.
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Dan: my floating boathouse is connected to a floating dock which is 10 by 320 ft.boathouse is 24x32. we have horizontal steel pipes running from concrete anchors on shore to pivoting connections on the dock. those pipes keep the thing anchored set distance from the bank. cable Xbracing on the pipes keep it from moving up or down the bank in the current. I think the length of the pipes depends on expected flucuations in water height. don't know about where you are, here all designs have to be approved by the Corps of Engineers. (long may they rust). the ramps have 2x pads under the dock ends and wheels and are anchored to the land. i've seen 17 feet of rise and the thing is still there.(our pipes are 40 feet long) good luck, jim
DanT
I deal with this issue every year..(for the past 33 years)
First docks must be removed from frozen lakes! Far enough so that if the ice should go out the ice that wind shoves ashore doesn't damage the dock.. watch ice out on the lakes to see just how extensive that damage can be some years..
Floating docks tend to have higher manintinace issues and wear out quicker than rigid docks..
Adjusting ridgid docks for higher or lower water levels is at best an hour task. (100 foot plus a 30 foot U shape)
Experianced crews can install 10 foot sections about every 10 minutes, remove them in about 5 minutes..
Newbies? Well let's say that a section an hour is probably typical..
A well designed dock you don't get wet installing it or removing it..
You simply put it on a float. hook it to the previous section (or starter frame) shove it out the 10 feet. then toss three wood deck sections on top. Walk out to the end and install the down posts.. a few taps with the setting slider and you're off with the next one!
"I have been reading for a few years Matt S. and Blue discussing the issues at hand with Michigan's economy. Being a typical pirate/republican it hit me a few weeks ago that there may be some water front property available at a reduced rate in that area of the country. Turns out that is true! So I bought one."
Me, too! I found a real nice acre+ piece building site on Lake Michigan last fall. 2/3 rds the going rate. About 1/2 hour N of Muskegon. The development infrastructure is complete - paved streets, underground utes, storm and sewage drainage in. Community access to the beach 110' down.
It's about time I was buying on the low side for a change.
Where's yours?
Gladwin area, about 6 miles east of Gladwin. 3BR, 1 1/2 bath, double 75' lots, on a river that leads into Wixom lake. Secluded yet has all the modern features needed. The unit was built in 74' and looks it. It has been well maintained but still looks like 74'. Has varigated shag carpet etc.
I also bought for about 2/3 what I could in my state. For me it is 4 hours away which makes it usable for weekends. Got it with furniture, appliances and a bunch of misc. Wife is happy.........which means of course I am too! DanT
Thanks a bunch guys! I really appreciate the info and getting me going in a direction! DanT
This is a new floating dock system. I have seen it, and it is well built, no maintenance and low in cost.
http://www.accudock.com/