Not much to add to the good suggestions above. If you don't buy the galvanized metal bracing and try to make you're own, like I did, I'd say go with aluminum and have it TIG welded or stainless steel and weld it yourself. I used mild steel, cause it was free, cleaned it really well, etc., and used a marine grade epoxy coating, but it still started rusting after a couple of years. Alum or SS and you'll never have to worry about it. I used the coated Deck Mate screws and they have stood the test of time quite well. To anchor it, you could toss in a couple of engine blocks (bare) and use SS cable to tie off to the dock's underside or side boards. Just make sure the cables are long enough so the dock doesn't get pulled under water during flood conditions. I made my own attacment points by welding old axle U-bolts to a metal 6"x6" plate, drilling holes at the 4 corners, and bolting it to the side board of the dock. Always use backing plates or at the minimum, huge fender washers on the backside.
Last edited by roadwarriorsvt; 01/28/12 03:01 PM.
