Floating Dock question

[JASinIL2006]

Hi all, we are considering adding a floating dock section to our current land-based, permanent dock. The current dock is wood construction resting on a crib filled with rock. It is quite stable and is about 20'x25'.

Our lake is a small lake (3 miles long x .75 miles wide) in Northern Ontario, Canada and our cabin is a small cove on the lake. The lake freezes completely in the winter.

We want to add some floating dock sections to extend our dock into the lack and to proved places to dock several boats (e.g., 20' pontoon, 19' bowrider). At a minimum, we're probably looking at floating sections that would be about 5' or 6' wide and that would project into the lake about 25' from the permanent dock. We're thinking about a system like EZ Dock (https://www.ez-dock.com/product/60-dock).

As we consider this, we have some questions. First of all, we've seem some things that suggest these floating sections could remain in the water over winter. (Supposedly they float above the ice and and immune to the kind of spring thaw damage that tears up fixed docks.) Not having to move the floating sections to the shore would of course be a big plus, especially as we're getting older.

A second question has to do with how (or how well) these floating docks connect to permanent dock. I assume some sort of hinged gangway would be needed to allow for fluctuations in lake level (not a huge issue on our lake, but we sometimes see water levels fluctuate 12-16" over the season).

Anyone with experience using these types of docks?

Thank in advance!

Jim

 

[redneck joe]

i am zero help here but like to learn about this stuff so following along if you don't mind

 

[alldodge]

I have 2 EZ ports (used for water craft) which are made by EZ Dock, they have been in the lake which has frozen over and have had no effect. They are mounted to my Marina floating docks. They don't go very deep into the water so the freezing just pushes them up.

That said, I have no first hand knowledge about the dock sections

 

[rolmops]

The tricky part is the connection between the permanent and the floating docks. The floating sections will go up and down with the lake level,while the permanent dock does not go up or down. On top of that, the permanent part is stable , but the moment you step on the floating part things move around and up and down.

 

[Lou C]

Our beach association has a floating dock but it is removed at the end of each season, even though the dock is free to move up & down with the tides.
We get freezing but it rarely freezes solid.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Is the lake on a snowmobile trail?

 

[Scott06]

Hi all, we are considering adding a floating dock section to our current land-based, permanent dock. The current dock is wood construction resting on a crib filled with rock. It is quite stable and is about 20'x25'.

Our lake is a small lake (3 miles long x .75 miles wide) in Northern Ontario, Canada and our cabin is a small cove on the lake. The lake freezes completely in the winter.

We want to add some floating dock sections to extend our dock into the lack and to proved places to dock several boats (e.g., 20' pontoon, 19' bowrider). At a minimum, we're probably looking at floating sections that would be about 5' or 6' wide and that would project into the lake about 25' from the permanent dock. We're thinking about a system like EZ Dock (https://www.ez-dock.com/product/60-dock).

As we consider this, we have some questions. First of all, we've seem some things that suggest these floating sections could remain in the water over winter. (Supposedly they float above the ice and and immune to the kind of spring thaw damage that tears up fixed docks.) Not having to move the floating sections to the shore would of course be a big plus, especially as we're getting older.

A second question has to do with how (or how well) these floating docks connect to permanent dock. I assume some sort of hinged gangway would be needed to allow for fluctuations in lake level (not a huge issue on our lake, but we sometimes see water levels fluctuate 12-16" over the season).

Anyone with experience using these types of docks?

Thank in advance!

Jim

I think it depends on how hard the ice freezes up on your lake. We boat in update NY and the heavy ice floes will move the shallow water buoys that have two huge concrete blocks for anchors.

Not a huge data set but my brother bought a drive on floating lift from gulfstream two years ago.

Drive On Floating Boat Dock Systems | Gulf Stream Docks

Custom floating boat dock systems by Gulf Stream docks provide a versatile, durable docking solution for residential and commercial applications.

gulfstreamdocks.com

for him it works good as he has MS so is mobility impaired and this allows him to get in and out of the boat somewhat easier. We had 4 x 1.5" galavined piles drive into the lake to hold it in place , and I made a aluminum hinged gangway that ramps down off the permanent dock onto the floating section. This is just a aluminum angle frame with expanded wire decking welded to it and a piano hinge at the connection.

Our lake is different maybe than yours are they let several feet of water out to prevent flooding in the spring. So there is a layer of water and frozen slush on the lake bottom which presents no issue. We had insanely high water first week of april that ended up driving a bunch of trees etc into the lake and gave us the second highest recorded water level that left 40 cu yds of chit on the shore.

Bottom line 'Id be hard pressed in that northern climate to leave anything made of $$$ plastic in as you never know what nature will toss at you. Probably fine on a normal year but the once every 5-10 year ice or flood may mess it up

Not sure what your lake shore looks like but since they float can you just drag them up on shore easily? We have done all sorts of stuff over the years bringing in hoists and docks- 12 vdc winches , rope to the lawn tractor/ car whatever. Neighbor has a ranger UTV and I bought a JD compact tractor last spring both work way better than our older GT235 lawn tractor for this work and taking the jetski in and out of the water