Dock Question

[steve_paul]

For those of you who have docks and experience with either crib style or Floating style I would appreciate your input.

 

Current dock at the French River needs to be replaced. Ice flows have knocked it all cockeyed off the crib and the crib seems to be coming apart as well underneath it.

 

Throughout our journies trolling for muskie this past week, I did not notice alot of floating docks on the River. I have a great design for a floating dock to use and most of the materials to construct it but am a little worried since I did not see many in use up that way. Is that due to the current / ice flows / etc or just that fact that crib styles have been used forever up that way.

 

The existing dock has been reinforced / braced up and should last the season but we will have to pull it out at the end of the year as it won't last ice break up next year. Also, dock is normally left in as my Aunt does not have the means or strength to take out the dock each fall when she closes up and it is left in the river all winter. The new dock likely would be the same and left in all winter unless I can work something into the design to winch it up on shore at the end of the year.

 

Any input into these to these styles, designs, benefits, drawbacks, help, $.02 worth, $.05 worth - anything would be appreciated.

[fishnsled]

I don't know much about docks other then they can hold some BIG fish. So here's my 1 cent worth of info.

 

Crib docks are great if you can leave them in and not have to worry about taking them out. A bubbler can help but my not be very practical give your location. They are the best for fishing.

 

Those floating plastic docks are probably pretty easy to get in and out but are not very stable and the least bit of frost they become a skating rink.

 

A buddy of mine built a wooden dock with floatation under it. It was fine but not very stable. We took some 2x4's and pounded them into the bottom on the lake and then nail them to the dock. I've also seen them with metal poles and brackets to allow the dock to go up and down with the water levels. Not sure how easy they are to get in and out of the water. This made it stable but he didn't want to take out the dock in the fall. The next spring it was OK but the following year not so much. The ice came along and took it write out.

 

What might be your best option is one of those metal docks that crank up. They have adjustable legs for leveling to the bottom, the wooden planks come off in the fall when you crank it up, you do not want to have very much, if any snow build up while it's in the air. Crank it up high enough so snowmobilers can't hit it and even have some type of caution tape, flag attached to it as a warning. In the spring just lower it down and put the boards back in place. Although I've never looked into docks, because I don't need one as of yet, this style has alway interested me because of the easy of getting it in and out. Might be the most expensive one as well but I don't know.

 

Good luck with your decision.

[jwl]

when we got our new dock a couple years ago we where thinking on a floating dock, at the time the "dock place" advised us it would cost about 3 grand to get a decent set up this was about 4 years ago. and that you have to have a cement base in the water to anchor it too at the front.

 

being as we where not in the price range to spend over 3 grand on a decent dock we found a pretty good deal on the kind with the aluminum framework where the 4X4 sections of dock slip right into the frame..it's 24 feet long, in 2 sections, one is 16X4 the other is 8X4 for the ramp part from shore that attaches to the main section...easy as pie to put in and out of the water...I can take mine out of the water myself without even having to get in the water. It was actually right around the same price as building something simular all out of wood when I drew up a plan and costed it out, and the frame will virtually last forever.

 

just a thought, I realize you where looking for something that doesn't really have to come out, but IMO even a floating dock with a cement anchoring point if the ice was bad enough it would probably shove around your cement.

Edited July 7, 2008 by jwl

[Big Cliff]

I would go with the floating! My buddy put one in last year, there are cement blocks to anchor it to with chains and steal posts that drop down to the bottom to make it very stable. In the fall, he ties a rope to the chains and a plastic jug to the rope, pulls up the steal posts, pulls the dock along the shore and just ties it off. It works VERY well and I think it cost him about $1600.00. If I had the money, that's the way I would go!

[steve_paul]

Thanks for the input guys - much appreciated.

 

I was thinking of a 3 part dock. We have dock legs - 2 which we would anchor to shore and attach the first section to. The second section is then hinged to that and dropped into the water with floatation at one end. The non floatation end would be hinged to the 1st and above shore. There would be about a 1 - 2 foot drop to the water level over this 8' span. The 3rd section then is hinged to the second and we could use the 2nd set of dock legs at the end of this section to attach the end of the dock to. Figure it would not be as stable as a crib style but would allow the rise and fall that comes with ice flows and the river level rising and falling. Where the dock is is sheltered for the most part from the current and would not be subjected to as much ice out pressure as the other side of the island.

 

I have a very basic diagram I will try and scan and post tomorrow that might make it clearer what I am thinking.

 

Also, for the end of the season, unless someone is there to help, my Aunt would not be able to swing, rise, crank etc the dock out so leaving it in for the winter is almost a necessity.

[Meely]

Bein a "burly" fella myself.....as are most of my other "goombas", I'm kinda partial to a good solid crib dock.

A neighbour of mine up north has a floating dock and we have to "stagger" ourselves when gettin in and out of his boat. One time we forgot and 2 of us got out at once......we were ankle deep in water.

 

Meely

[steve_paul]

LOL Meely, floating docks and fluffy people can be an adventure. We are looking at doing the dock 8' wide to add some stability.

 

Plus no one will be allowed on the dock when I am on it.

Edited July 8, 2008 by steve_paul

[Guest lundboy]

I had floating docks on Ranger Bay on the French. Built them out of 45 gallon (or equiv) plastic barrels usually available at the hardware in Noellville and rough cut lumber from Lahaie Lumber mill in Alban. Pretty well had to be floating because the dam manager tends to not control the water height very well. I built a bridge piece from the shore out about 15 feet, and attached one end to shore and the other end to the floating portion with big hinges so that it could raise and lower with the water.

 

Then in the fall I would just undo the hinges, and pull the floating portion up parallel against the shore (leave it in the water) and tied with rope to the trees on shore. Never had damage.

Edited July 8, 2008 by lundboy

[steve_paul]

I had floating docks on Ranger Bay on the French. Built them out of 45 gallon (or equiv) plastic barrels usually available at the hardware in Noellville and rough cut lumber from Lahaie Lumber mill in Alban. Pretty well had to be floating because the dam manager tends to not control the water height very well. I built a bridge piece from the shore out about 15 feet, and attached one end to shore and the other end to the floating portion with big hinges so that it could raise and lower with the water.

 

Then in the fall I would just undo the hinges, and pull the floating portion up parallel against the shore (leave it in the water) and tied with rope to the trees on shore. Never had damage.

 

That sounds pretty much exactly what I am planning, thanks for the input LB. Much appreciate it.

 

We already have the barrels, plus enough good lumber on 2 existing docks so won't have to buy much to make this work.