dock leveling
 

Would anyone be willing to give me a ballpark idea of what it could cost to have a 50' wood dock leveled and straighten up a couple of the wood 4"X4" legs/posts? The posts sit on the lake bottom, not in it. Thanks

Save Money
 

It would be hard to guess at the cost without seeing the actual dock, the depth of the water, and how out of level the dock is. Sometimes when you initially look at and start these projects there is more work needed than what can be seen at first. Any of the local companies will give you a free estimate and then you will know the actual cost, not someone who has never seen it taking a guess.

I bought a "Farm Jack" at Tractor Supply in Tilton for $49.00. It will lift 7,000 pounds and works like the rachet type bumper jacks that used to come in the tunk of a car. It is just much bigger.

I have used it many times to level docks, straighten posts and make other repairs. It is really simple and saves a lot of time and money. You don't have to be all that handy, I certainly am not, but straightening a dock isn't finish carpentry either!

Other Option
 

I use a 2" pipe and a cumalong. Attach the pipe to the dock, use the cumalong to lift the dock and reset.

As said before, not rocket science.

Hope this helps,
Bill

Did the same thing.....just need a level and some shims. Did the whole job in just over an hour. Those farmers jacks will lift a small building and have many uses.

Thank You,
 

Thank you all for your replies.

Now I have another question...We purchased a used 12' aluminum rowboat which has evidence of having an outboard on it at one point but the seller can't tell me what size motor was on it. Do you folks think a 10hp is too large? Would a 3-5hp feel zippy enough or would it be a laggard? I'm a 190 lbs. and often I'll have others with me, at least one or two others. Thanks again.

Usually there is a plate on or near the transom that lists max weight and power. 8-10HP is probably about right for a 12' boat. I'm assuming this is a v-hull and not a flat-bottom/jon boat?

For Winnipesaukee, I'd "trade-up".
 

I had a 12-foot aluminum boat that came with a 10-HP outboard—the maximum allowed by the boat's manufacturer. Changing to a 6-HP outboard, I found that top speed dropped very little with only the skipper on board. But at the time, my navigating was mostly in quiet canals.

At the lake, a problem came up with three adults in the boat: the boat came up on plane OK, but the ride was wet, and control "iffy". Wakes, even from distant boats, were daunting. With three "up", too little freeboard remained for safe cruising in open waters. Now, we use the 12-footer only for "rescues" that we can see from shore—and even then, water conditions dictate that we stay in. :(

The passenger capacity listed "three-maximum", but it needed a 10-HP outboard to carry those three passengers safely. Power does matter with small boats. :cool:

A neighbor with a 14-foot "Feather Craft" aluminum boat with 6-HP has had the boat "in service" annually since the 1960s. It doesn't have the safety issues that the 12-foot boat has—IMHO.