Thanks Brian for chiming in. I like the floats idea. Menards has some that are 4'x3' for about 100$ a piece. If I could pull the budget up I could use three of those to make a 4'x10'(or 12') floating pier. Flat floats and the wider girth would add to it's stability. AND the tire/concrete anchors will come I handy if it ever gets permanently installed.

I have also thought about putting two legs on the shore end that could act as stabilizers. I haven't thoroughly thought this out yet, but maybe a slip tube mounted to the shore side corners of the pier and a pipe that can be driven down into the bank with set screw style clamps to secure the pipe to the slip tube once it's in place. This would likely be uplifted in the event of high waters and have to rely on the land anchors to keep the pier from wondering too far, but actually beats one end of the pier being submerged as my pond, on occasion, use the 3 foot of freeboard in heavy rain events.

I guess what I am trying to do is build a Tom Sawyer raft that can be docked on shore (here or there) with some reliability. It will be a stationary pier 90% of the time and on occasion a motorized raft that will make for some good family videos.

2O2S - Fantastic looking rig you have there. If I ever get to converting my floating pier into a permanent "gangway and platform"...I want it to look that good. For right now, it would be nice to have a decent access for feeding fish and if the motorized function is a bit wobbly, the kids will enjoy it even more. You know how it goes..."Crazy Uncle Noel looses a nephew in the pond...nephew cries until he gets to shore, BUT has to do it again!"

Flame - I check my area for pontoons for sale and found some potential pieces, but 21 foot long was the smallest and that's too big for my tastes.

Bill, I have read plenty on conventional dock building. I find myself nonconventional all too often. I have done the internet searches on "Pond Boss etc etc" but I don't know how to get to the archives here directly.

Thanks for all the input - you guys know how to make a man think. Keep it coming!

Fish on!,
Noel