The wife and I picked up some acreage with a pond on the back 2 or 3 acres, and the dock to it is in major disrepair. It’s a non-floating dock, and a large length of it is over land to bridge any high water level, but when the pond isn’t full, it stands some 4ft above the water level.
All this to say, I want to rip the dang thing out and build a floating dock. Has anyone ever constructed one?
I’ve seen the DIY blue 55gal drum plans, but this is Texas, and the sun would beat the bajeezus out of that plastic. It would be just super to invest all the time and timber to just have it sink when one or more of the floats decides to crack and leak.
However, proper rotomolded and foam filled floats are about 6x the cost from what I can find ($25 ea ish for the drums, $150ea for 550lb dock floats).
Most cost effective I could find, but still would have to ship from Florida….
Then I have to get the hot zinc dipped galvanized hardware. If only I had a method of making my own brackets and then electroplating them [safely].
I’d like to have a t-head still, so the wife and I can sit out there and enjoy the tranquility / cast some lines (plus the dogs), so thinking about at least a 10ft x 10ft T head, maybe larger (but $$$$).
Does it have to be metal construction, or would pressure treated lumber suffice?
Do you have a hookup on used but in good condition parts to construct such a thing, by chance?
It doesn’t have to be metal. These are commercial docks. Plus, the water here at the marina can rise and fall up to 7 feet. The spud poles need to be on each side to keep it from becoming a roller coaster. A 10x10 dock.I would use 4 spuds at each corner. Those floats bolt on and you would only need maybe 6 or 8. Plus decide how high you want it to float. Ours are 3x4 -24 inches high. They make 16 inch and 12 inch thick floats. 2 x 10’s are heavy if you make a 10 x 10.
Well I need to map out the pond to figure out the topography of the bottom still. Neighbors say they’ve never seen this pond dry up, it gets something like 30 acres of land runoff, but I wouldn’t hate to tap a well just to help it stay full (amongst other husbandry things, like aeration, dye, etc). I need to find out where the deep spot(s) are if I’m going to add aeration to help the presently static water, turn over.
Nothings cheap. Consider 2x8’s. The weight won’t be an issue. You may get away with 6. Just remember they will be difficult to install once it is floating.
Just an update. CAD-ed up a couple full featured models of the idea I had. Here’s it with a 20ft x 4ft floating gangway that would be anchored on land with pinned hinges to allow for water height changes:
Still have to make the “spud pole” brackets and figure out where to place them, but considering this pond sees little height variation (maybe 2 ft) and essentially no waves, I would think having 4x total, at these locations, with more of a “slot” for the guide poles to account for water level drop, would be sufficient?
Last thing I need to do is determine the max water level of the pond, and then based on that where to create the pad to anchor the gangway to, and then how long to finally make it. It wouldn’t need to be as long as the current dock (60’ gang, 8’x8’ T-head) since it floats. Making a 60ft gangway would be cost prohibitive too. This thing is already knocking on 4 digits.
I have one suggestion. You might want to add some pins in the spud pole brackets so you could lock the dock in place at high water level for future maintenance. You may want to be able to have the dock above water level to replace parts, treat wood, replace hardware,…
Ok, maybe two ideas. If you think you might ever want to add railing (grandkids, wheelchair access,…?) I’d go ahead and install some brackets along the ramp and deck sides. And/or, maybe just a gate at the ramp entrance.
