I appreciate the kind words. First to answer some questions;
1. At full pool, there will be another 2 -2.5� of water in the pond and the water level will reach the overflow pipe and the gangway should be about level.
2. I considered putting flotation under the gangway but decided against it just for aesthetics.
3. I could (in theory) remove some decking and put water in the barrels, but I nailed them suckers down �for life�. Ideally, I would like for the dock (unloaded) to float with the bottom of the rim frame about 1 inch above the waterline. I really don�t want to see any barrels at all, that�s why I chose the white ones, they seem less visible to me. By adding external weight, I can adjust it accordingly as I add things like benches, feeder, shade, etc.
On the subject of adding counter-weights, I stood on the outside edge of rthe dock and my wife reported �it looks level now�. My plan was to suspend the same amount of weight off each corner, I�m not going to tell how much I weight, but each corner will get 120#�s. I have closely watched DonoBBD�s dock build and greatly admire what he has done. He devised a bit more elaborate system using a second weight and pulleys to counter-weight and stabilize his dock. His initial plan appears in another thread her, but her is his diagram;
He deployed a modified version of this using two buckets of concrete as an anchor in lieu of the single pip depicted here. My question is�..is this necessary? My understanding of pulley systems (a.k.a block & tackle) is that the first pulley will redirect the direction of force and it is not a force multiplier. That being said, this pulley system will accomplish the same thing as suspending weight directly underneath the dock. Am I correct on this or am I out in left field?????
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http://public.fotki.com/jsing/hambrick-rd-1/dock-build/block-tackle.html[/img]
