floating docks
 

My neighbor is looking to replace his old 20' crank up dock. He is considering the floating dock modules that are pinned together. I'm asking for him has anyone had experience with these floating docks? His boat is a 18' outboard. Lives on the south side of island in a no wake zone. But the wind can be strong coming through the channel with good chop.

There are several brands out there. He has looked at www.jetfloat.com. What other makes are there? Are they difficult to put together and easy to store. I know of one person who has a small configuration who leaves his floating dock in the water all year long.

Any information would be helpful. What about permitting?

My neighbor says thanks

Floating docks are used all over the place. It wasn't until I came to the NH lakes that I saw anything else. The key to any good floating dock system is how well it is anchored, and how easily that anchoring system can be adjusted.

The good news on Winnipesaukee is that adjustments likely aren't needed all that often. However one might find that an occasional adjustment helps.

With that said you can anchor with Spud Poles, anchors, etc. really depends on the situation.

I have considered going to a floating dock in the future, as to make installation and removal easier I could just pull it to the boat ramp and load it on a trailer.... 2 - 4' x 20' floating sections, and a nice re-purposed trailer...

With all that said, some people have trouble with floating docks because of the movement. (i.e. walking on them)... hence why if I did such I would make large sections.... the kind like you have linked here, will roll with the waves, and on a rough day, might make for an interesting adventure getting to and from the boat.

Willing to talk more about this, if your neighbor would like......

I rented a house one year with a floating dock, hated it!

my cousin has them on a small lake in New Hampton, work fine there, but on Winni, I would pass, unless in like the channel or somewhere were no wakes even come close. Plus yes can be unstable. I am also not a fan of them, especially if they are small and more than one person is walking on them

I had some floating docks once. Three sections washed up on my beach. Never did find the owner. My neighbor considered using them but too small, and unstable. I think the docks at MP HQ in Glendale float, very stable. They are attached to pilings with metal hoops so they ride up and down with changes in water level. I'm not sure if they stay in the water year round--certainly look permanent. I've seen similar on tidal waters, so maybe i'm wrong about MP. Can somebody from Glendale can comment?

They do float...iron rings allow them to move up and down on pilings, and they stay in the lake year round.

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How to build .... www.decks-docks.com/how-to-build-a-floating-dock .... from the March, 1963 Popular Mechanix ..... ha-ha-ha ..... well, maybe not!

We almost always use floating docks due to the tide where we boat. They are mostly not very pleasant to use (the concrete ones are good). I prefer a stable dock if there's no tide. If you are going to use a floating dock and you want it to be comfortable, make it big, stiff, and heavy; and make sure that it cannot move much laterally. If it's willowy and allowed to move side to side, or rock, it will be awful. The motion is not like a boat moving in the waves, it's more jerky and unpredictable, and the noise will be irritating.

A good friend of mine has a nice aluminum dock with big plastic wheels and adjustable galvanized steel tube legs. He can easily launch it himself using gravity and a winch to control the descent. The wheels are set to keep the walking surface just above water when it's sitting in its place, then he has a screw jack that he uses to push the legs, one at a time, into the bottom and lift/level the dock. The light weight of the aluminum and plastic decking makes it pretty easy to haul out with a winch at the end of the season too. If the shore does not work with wheels, perhaps a hybrid with floats for moving and adjustable legs for stability would be a good compromise.

Good Luck!

Yes and they surround the docks with acquatherms in the winter.

About ten years ago, Meredith replaced their Cattle Landing town dock with a new, all-concrete, $125,000 floating dock. Most everyone agrees the old dock that had been in place since maybe 1930 was a better dock because the very end spot was always available for someone to get dropped off, or picked up.

This is no longer possible because that end area now has a large vertical telephone pole piling and attached dock hardware in that spot which makes it tough to drop someone off, or pick someone up.

Supposedly, an ice eater water circulator is not needed for this all-concrete floating dock with its very robust design but it does in fact have two ice eater, water circulators in place every year because the dpw doesn't want to risk the dock getting damaged, or something.

Is the type of a concrete dock that could be used by the Coast Guard for access to their arctic ocean, ice-breaker ship.