dock Suggestions

[chuckchang]

hi all,

Just bought a riverfront cottage near Ottawa Canada and I want to build a dock for my boat (1998 Rinker 232 Captiva cuddy) which weighs about 4200lbs dry. Now there is a bit of current and my boat is fairly heavy. Should I build a floating dock or a fixed dock? I would ideally like to have a boat lift but not sure this will happen this summer. I've been reading about mooring whips as well. maybe that would be a good substitute to the lift for now.

Before i go on. The waterfront is a sandy beach with a little grade to it. my dock will need to be at least 45 feet long to get 4 Feet of water depth (still sandy bottom). Any suggestions?

thanks

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: dock Suggestions

hi all,

Just bought a riverfront cottage near Ottawa Canada and I want to build a dock for my boat (1998 Rinker 232 Captiva cuddy) which weighs about 4200lbs dry. Now there is a bit of current and my boat is fairly heavy. Should I build a floating dock or a fixed dock? I would ideally like to have a boat lift but not sure this will happen this summer. I've been reading about mooring whips as well. maybe that would be a good substitute to the lift for now.

Before i go on. The waterfront is a sandy beach with a little grade to it. my dock will need to be at least 45 feet long to get 4 Feet of water depth (still sandy bottom). Any suggestions?

thanks

45ft long?!! Geez, that's twice the length of your boat. Hopefully you just mean the rear of the dock will be 45' from waterline. The dock itself seed only be 3-4ft longer than the boat to allow you to walk around it. How are the lake levels where you're located? If they fluctuate a lot I'd want to go with a floating dock. Any 5Klbs boat lift will work fine for your purposes and can be found for around $1500-2500 used. Mooring whips are fine for rough water, but a little bit of current doesn't really necessitate using them. If you secure the boat correctly in the dock slip, it will have enough slack to move up and down, but not enough that a current will bang it around in the slip.

 

[Alumarine]

Re: dock Suggestions

Will you have to remove it for the winter?

 

[chuckchang]

Re: dock Suggestions

I have 4 sections of 11 ft plus a ramp and it gets me out to where I have 4 ft of water depth. I guess you could say its a shallow grade. The water doesnt fluctuate that much once the ice has melted, i'd say about one feet of fluctuation max. the river does freeze therefore I have to pull the dock out in november. I need about 3 ft of water because the Bravo one needs it.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: dock Suggestions

Well most boat lifts will need 2.5-3 ft at the front in order to drop low enough in the water.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: dock Suggestions

This southern boy doesn't understand the part about removing the dock every year--do you mean you pull out your pilings and dismantle the walk way, every year? Yikes.

The best advice would not come from us scattered around but from your neighbors there--see what the experienced locals suggest.

Here's what I prefer, if they agree: build your pier and set two mooring pilings away from the pier. tie your bow and stern to each, as well as to the pier. Use a pulley on the stern to pull and keep the boat from hitting. With a 1' "tide" this will be easy.

I don't trust mooring whips unless I am hanging around nearby. With a good moornig system of pilings you can leave it there unattended all season.

 

[gstanton]

Re: dock Suggestions

You might want to check with your local govt regs... I'm sure they have some thoughts regarding everything you ask! I know I can't put in/take out the docks before/after certain dates as well as the types of floatation, etc...

 

[wa_ssv197]

Re: dock Suggestions

Here is a dock that I just got permitted for my in-laws cabin.

 

[JimMH]

Re: dock Suggestions

I would suggest a combination. Again I'm a southern boy and we don't have to deal with Ice. The gang way out to our dock is 60Ft and the dock is 24X24 with a slip with a lift. The gangway fixed to pylons and the dock itself is a floating dock. The end of the of the docks have guide wires that attach to anchors driven into the shore that are at pretty much 45 degree angles. I don't understand the process of taking the dock out in the winter.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: dock Suggestions

I saw some portable docks on wheels at a trade show last week-but think you will need pilings to keep the boat secure.