building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

[massimofinance]

Hi all: I am on lake St. Catherine in Vermont. the water off the shore is no more than 2-3 feet deep generally, and I need to build a dock. Was going to buy one, but I think I can save a alot by doing it myself. Am thinking about building two 8 foot sections with 2'x6' supports and decking on top (all outdoor treated wood) then, I will bolt the two sections together on the site, making a 16' deck, with 3 feet placed on land. At the other end, I will put two 4'x4' posts (supported with cross braces). I have seen two set-ups, one where the 4'x4' posts are attached to big steel wagon wheels, so you can roll the dock out in the winter. Or, I can just place the posts on the water bed, on top of concrete slabs. My questions are: Does this sound like a good plan? Where can I find the wagon wheels? (I found the plastic dock wheels) Anything to watch out for? Can I leave it in the water all winter long?<br /><br />Thanks!

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

Though I know not much about dock building,I DO know that leaving it in all winter long is asking for trouble.Last year on Long Island the freeze broke pilings that were used to drive trucks and cranes over.I mean big heavy pilings ,not a pressure treated 4x4.

 

[Navigator]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

You could always go the Floating dock Route. They cost a tad bit more, but since they can move, the ice flow doesn't seem to bother them. I've seen some folks connect them together with links of chain instead of the hinge fasteners usually used. The chain gives them the side to side flex needed for the winter. Or if you really wanted to, they can be unhitched and pulled ashore for the winter.<br /><br />Nav

 

[Bondo]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

It depends on the water conditions At the waterfront,........<br /><br />Up in Maine,... I can't Leave Anything,.. Anywhere In the Water, over winter.....<br /><br />1 reason is, It's the Law,........ Other than the Waterline,... I can't Disturb the Biosphere,..... <br /><br />The Other Thing is,...... We face Southwest(this shot is about due west),..... <br />The Winds,+ Ice Flows are Brutal,....And this is a small lake........<br /><br />This is what I whipped up to Conquer the Issues,..........You can see the dock down by the water......<br />Ayuh,....... It gets Pretty Deep, Pretty Quick............ <br /><br />

<br /><br />Now,..... At Lake Bonaparte, Lewis county, Ny.,... Just Outside the Adirondack Authority's Blue Line,........<br />The Rules are alittle less stiff, when working over the footprint foundation of a former Boathouse,............<br />I've got 20 tons or more of Steel in here,......<br />Being on the Southwest corner of a main bay,....... ALL the Ice flows Away from Mine,+ Batters the boathouses over on the eastside of the lake......<br /><br />Oh,.... Early Bird news release;........ This 1 is about to be For Sale,..... No Price yet though,.. realator is working on it.....<br />

<br /><br /><br />At my New lake/riverfront homeS,....... (I'm also buying the brown 1 on the left edge of the pic)<br /><br />I see a floating dock that'll project into the river about 12',.... And run nearly the Full width of my property........ It'll be hung on sliding steel rings to change with water levels,... <br />And,.. In winter, I'll winch it Straight Up it the air, to block the West Winds..........<br /><br />

<br /><br />

 

[massimofinance]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

Bondo, thanks for the pictures! My neighbors have your first set-up, the long dock on steel wagon wheels. I would love to go that route, however I cannot for the life of me, find those steel wagon wheels! Any ideas?

 

[TELMANMN]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

My old wood dock lasted 6 years till it was kitty whampas. I then got a floating dock. I am on a mucky frontage in a small bay(it is open most of the year even up here) and it has survived 12 years so far. A simple floating dock does ride up and over the ice so unless get a ice floe in the spring you are good. <br /> I also have friends who had docks and cabins/houses close to the water, that were destroyed because of ice. Go figure.

 

[Bondo]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

however I cannot for the life of me, find those steel wagon wheels! Any ideas?

With all the abandoned Farms,+ Antique Shops in VT,....???.....<br /><br />Actually,..... The Wheels on My dock were built using a couple of Rings, cut from an old propane tank,+ some pieces of Pipe,...... Welded up by My 1st Lady,............... <br /><br />Here's another shot,...........<br /><br />

<br /><br />My Love,.. her then 13 year old Son,+ Myself threw this together 2 winters ago,.....<br />There's about 2 Miles of 1/2" Black Iron Pipe,+ the 2 pieces of propane tank in there..........<br />We pre-assembled the main frame into 3 pieces about 12' long,+ hauled them to Maine on top of my ladder rack,.... <br />Then finished the build right there in the driveway at Chemo,.....<br />My BIL furnished the Decking after We delievered the Dock.........<br /><br />I've seen car or truck wheels, without tires used before, on other people's docks........

 

[massimofinance]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

That is great, Bondo, real nice work! Let me ask you, do the wheels ever rust and don't spin? Did you use an axle? Bearings? <br /><br />I found a place in AZ that sells the wagon wheels, google steel wagon wheels, they are the 1st place to pop up...

 

[Bondo]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

The Hubs we used are an 8" pc. of 1 1/4" Pipe,.......<br />The 1st axle was a pc. of 1" pipe,... But it proved to be Too Light........<br />What's there now is a pc. of 1" Shaft,.... It was Wobbley,+ caused stability issues, so I shimmed the Hubs down a little with strips of the 1" pipe.......<br />I left it rather Loose fitting,.. just so it Can't Rust Solid.......<br /><br />Get Off the Internet,+ Get Into Your Car,....... There's Thousands of Wagon Wheels laying around the country side in VT.,.... <br />I See them All the Time.........

 

[tomatolord]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

The key with the floating dock are the floats - Pickle barrels or soap barrels from the car washes are the cheapest <br /><br />the real ones have foam inside so when they get a hole in them they will still float.<br /><br />Dad had a telephone pole dock in upstate Pa that the ice would push around and bend 10 ten bolts like butter <br /><br />He then put in a floater <br /><br />He got a long piece of angle iron and had two axle shafts welded on either end to attach wheels <br /><br />He has 4 holes in the angle iron and put 4 bolts on the dock <br /><br />When it was time to put the dock out we bolt on the angle iron and roll it into the lake and then pull of the "wheels" when were done. It takes about 1/2 hour to get the dock out and was pretty easy to do and set up.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

Just to toss another option out- A marine railway, if you're not already thinking of one, is quite expensive so skip this response, but if you have one or are considering, instead of a dock, I have a remote control for my winch. I ride in and out. The remote was less than i could build a dock for.

 

[TELMANMN]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

Been looking into the railway dock, not so much for the summer but easy way out in the winter. Crank up, fix up then cover up. Best of all, along with a floating dock, what more could one want.

 

[joblo33]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

We built a railway at my cabin and built a winch powered by a 5hp honda with an old volvo transmission and a cable spool with a cable that's premanently attached to a big cart on the tracks. The cart for it has boat trailer rollers for my boats and at the end of the season we float the floating dock onto it and winch it out of the water.<br />

<br /><br />We have a pier with a ramp that extends down and sits on the float. (sitting on top for storage in this pic)<br />

<br />Eric

 

[swist]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

Yikes Bondo, that house looks like the livingroom is about 18" off the water. Aren't you worried about a flood. With the weather going crazy, some storm that dumps 15 inches of rain in two hours will raise the water level fast on any inland lake/stream/river.

 

[Bondo]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

Ayuh,....<br /><br />It's been known to get as high as the top of the Small Block wall on the right side of the pic...<br /><br />I think it's on the Waterfront Realesate thread that I explained that it's on it's way Up now,.......<br /><br />The Ground Floor Level is going to be at the level of the concrete that you can just see above the umbrella on My dock........<br />Under the houses will be Wide Open concrete Patio,..... The houses will be sitting on Steel I beams......<br /><br />Oh,..... BTW,..... I Just closed on the Brown 1 on the left side of the Pic. this afternoon...........

 

[BF]

Re: building a lake-side dock: what do you recommend?

Another option that hasn't been mentioned is the "draw bridge" style dock. That's the hot ticket in these parts on lakes where the ice moves around during the thaw.<br /><br />I don't have a pict, but basically you make a steel frame, and have legs (usually 4) attached to it. 2 at the far end, 2 in the middle. The shore end is bolted to a mount that is usually cemented above the water line. The 2 bolts act as hinges. The clever ones run 2 2x4's on the flat down the length of the doc, and then build 4x4' or 4x5' foot sections of pressure treated decking. These fit around the steel frame and lie on the 2x4's and are secured to them by a few long deck screws. <br /><br />In the winter, you remove the decking (4 screws per panel) and stack it somewhere on shore. Then use a mast near the foot of the dock (about 8' high piece of pipe etc) with a roller on the top of it, fits into a socket that was placed when the concrete was poured. Attach end of cable to end of dock, go over the mast, to a hand winch anchored to tree or whatever up the shore a bit (a screw in anchor, or a cement piling)... You winch up the dock, legs and all until it's about 30 degree angle or so. That way it's all clear of the water.<br /><br />In the spring, you lower the dock, store the mast and re-attach the decking.<br /><br />A bit complicated, but it's the hot ticket. 1 person can get in/out, by themselves, in about 1/2 hour. Never having to lift anything heavier than a single panel of decking (which you can make smaller if you like).<br /><br />I know 'cause my neighbor does this, while my BIL and myself are wrestlin' with a very heavy removable dock, for about 2 hours every fall.<br /><br />Most that use this for a dock also use a similar system to hoist the rails for the their boat launching system up out of the water.<br /><br />For us, this has been a "next year" project for going on 4 years now! You know how it is.