Pontoon docking alternatives.

[DeepCMark58A]

Pontoon gets delivered tomorrow. Probably not going with a lift or legs so the boat will be kept in the water. I am looking for a simple rod that attaches to the dock and the pontoon and holds the pontoon away from the dock when the boat is parked at the dock. Is there such a thing made and what is it called?

 

[Scott Danforth]

you mean a dock mooring whip?

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=dock+whips

 

[ahicks]

Unless you are on water you're pretty sure is going to remain calm under all conditions (this would include nearby boat wakes and fast moving weather fronts (t-storms), fastening a 'toon to a dock is likely going to damage one or the other, if not both. I've had 'toons pull a dock sideways 20'! 4" waves can come out of nowhere with very little notice. If the securely fastened pontoon is suddenly 4' higher than it was when you tied it up, it can lift the dock and blow downwind in just a minute or 2.

 

[HotTommy]

I saw something that looked like metal fishing poles sticking out from a dock this weekend. I asked a friend about then and she explained they were tying up boats close to the dock without touching it. I can tell you that based on the size of the ones I saw, I might use them for an hour or so when the weather was good, but I'd never leave a boat for days during thunderstorm season. .... Perhaps the OP can sink a mooring anchor near the dock and tie the boat to it and the dock with enough line to allow movement without touching the dock.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

you mean a dock mooring whip?

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=dock+whips

Nope not those, I did find what I was looking for.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

My dock is in a very sheltered area, for the wind to rip the pontoon away there would have to be a tornado, and if that were to happen I would have bigger concerns than the dock. Thanks for the help all.

 

[ahicks]

Mind sharing your solution?

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Mind sharing your solution?

I will try to cut and paste the listing.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

crisscross poles mooring and docking.

 

[adangelo77]

Do you have a floating dock or fixed dock? We have a floating dock with heavy anchors and it's fine to tie up to the dock.

 

[HotTommy]

crisscross poles mooring and docking.

And I was thinking my fenders were a hassle.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Yeah pretty tedious spending the 5 minutes to put the cover on and tie up the boat.