Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Dock Questions for large water level changes?

Thanks a bunch for the link 2Old and I like your setup (property included). It's time to start collecting hinge components and the steel dock components. There's still a few things on my todo list before th3e dock project can surface. I've got some time to round up all the stuff. Maybe I'll do a dock build thread when the time comes.

I have got some great ideas and comfort from you all! Thanks again.

Opinions on preliminary dock design wanted...I have put together a gangway style design that should get me out past my submerged structure and habitat out into the depths of the pond without consuming too much of my small pond and was hoping to get any feedback from the group regarding any pros and cons. My main concern is stability for a couple of fishermen or their wives just sitting and talking. I hope to avoid both scenarios at the same time. LOL. The PlayStar floats have a 500 pound capacity each and I have followed the manufacture's suggested designs fairly closely. Instead of three floats for 10 foot of gangway per PlayStar's advice, I have stretched it to three floats for 12 feet. That is 160 pounds of dock per float (no people involved) compared to the manufacture's recommended 145 pounds of dock per float. I am considering adding upright posts to sections of the dock to attach ropes to as hand rails to keep from accidentally falling in the water. This will add some weight, nut very little. The 3 foot wide sections of the first cross piece will be open (no ropes) for fishing and the three flat sides of the last cross piece will be open as well.

I'd love to hear any feedback. BTW the decking (not shown) will be 5/4 treated lumber and the framework shown is all treated 2x6's and will have steel brackets and such for added strength at the joints.

I think that would be plenty stable. My only suggestion is to put a smaller float on the end of the gangway. It will help support weight of gangway, plus make it WAY easier to attach and disconnect the main dock.

Good Point Brian, maybe a 55 gallon barrel.

I used 2'x4' the same type as rest of my floats, just smaller and 4" taller. They sat perfect height when I put it in the water.

Look at these guys Dock Builders Supply for hardware to brace the corners, tie plates, etc. I used them to build my dock and a few others, and they are quality, strongly built pieces.

The only thing that I sourced at a different place is the galvanized bolts/nuts/washers.

If it were me I would make the doc much more square and bigger. Here is the issue.

Your always gonna wish you went bigger. How are 4 of you supposed to sit out at the end of the dock and fish and chit chat. Plus have chairs and a tackle box and a net and a and a and a.... You see my point here.

The last dock I just built in this pic the deck area ended up being 12x10 and that's like perfect for 4 folks a couple chairs even a small table as shown in pic. We even already said man we should of made the deck a little bigger! lol. Just saying I half Assed it the first time and it sucked!! So think it through first. I get you have to float something but I would make said deck area more square.

So make your gangway make sure it's anchored good to the shore because you will have twist with a floating dock. Make sure it's anchored good to the dock. IMO it would be much more stable with a nice say 14x14 deck then the whole T thing your doing. Then you all can enjoy the actual deck area. That's just my 2 cents tho.

Keep us posted and take pics which ever you do!

RC

Thanks for chiming in guys,

esshup - that hardware looks very well done compared to Playstar's commercial line and a price to reflect it. I have not pulled the trigger yet on purchasing the bracketry. I am hoping that something falls in my lap before I build...like, some stainless steel angles, bar stock, whatever. I sure would like to save several hundred dollars on bracketry. Who would have thought the stuff was so expensive after you added it all up.

RC - I hear you loud and clear! My mind is not made up, I'm just pinching pennies in my mind right now. The diagonal braces at both "T"s will be decked for use as extra room albeit not that much extra. 99% of the time it will be just me and the other % it will be me and a buddy. The wife and the chit chat will likely be done in the house, not while I'm fishing (unless she says otherwise)...LOL. At any rate, I look forward to building the dock one piece at a time as what I have sketched in my OP may look too big as it is in my little BOW. The above design is already 1/3 the length of my dam, but it will get me out to where I can fish most of the pond and allow for swimming in the deepest part. I suppose this design would allow for expansion down the road by adding another 4 x 12 section to the end making an 8 x 12 platform.

Yeah kinda just depends on what your use for it is for sure. Just throwing out ideas for ya. Course I do have 2 kids a wife and a mom and dad that use mine so hence why its bigger. If you went with the bigger platform you could always make your gangway shorter also to compensate for the bigger deck area.... The shorter that gangway is the more stable it will be also I think.

Keep us posted man,

P.S.

And yes them dang brackets are not cheep!!! I can testify to that for sure! I have 540 bucks wrapped up in brackets alone on this dock.

You could very easily turn that into a 12x14 and gangway if that is what you want. U might need one more float, but you would have less hardware. So it would be wash. That said I really like the look of the dock you designed.

I got my floats from Docks on Demand, they build docks for a living. The are in Benbrook, just south of Ft Worth, but might be worth the drive. It was for me. My floats were right at $4000 and I got 20 floats. I got my hardware from www.dockhardware.com.. About 1400.00 in hardware.

You are right at 1/2 what I built, so you should be able to build it for about $3K

Noel, one thing to keep in mind is sufficient room for the handicapped to get out to the dock. I had one built recently and paid extra for four foot wide gangway so that a wheelchair could make it.

This may or may not be a consideration given your circumstances, but after I busted my patella in a boating accident and had to endure a wheelchair for several months...

Dude! I keep forgetting to take pics of how our's is put together for you. I'll TRY to remember to do that today. Warning, it's nothing fancy but it has held together for a long time.
By-the-way, your plans look great.

Don't forget about Home Depot and Lowes for dock hardware, that's where I got my hinges. I didn't find them on the shelves but they can be ordered from their website.

I will try to check some another pics related to this.