Floating Dock

[scfishnman]

Anyone have any experience with floating docks?

We are purchasing a house on Lake Murray, SC. The floating dock needs some work. I have no experience with floating docks, but it seems to me that a pontoon boat tied to one will put a lot of force against the dock which is secured to shore only by the ramp from the fixed dock to the floating section. Shouldn't there be pilingss to which the floating section is attached?

[partybarge21]

I keep my boat tied to a floating dock. We have four pilings and the galvanized hoops around the pilings. This allows the floating dock to rise and fall with the tide.
We keep four boats tied to this floating dock with no issues. There is a lot of stress on our dock because of the tide water.
We all have to remember to keep our dock lines tight in order not to have the boats bounce off the dock. Between the bumpers on the boat and the rubber dock trim, we do not have to many problems.
We have a ramp from the fixed dock to the floating dock.

[wish2fish]

Other option is to sink a concrete anchor with cable attached and crank the cable tight or loose as needed. thats what your marina's do. You will want to put the anchor underneath the dock or out of the way so the cable doesn't interfere with boating or swiming.

[HandymanHerb]

Or don't worry about tying the boat to the floating dock

[WaltF]

Wow Herb, what is that thing?
Slap a motor on that baby n putt around n fish?!

[HandymanHerb]

It's got 2 trolling motors so he can troll around and fish with the whole family, now that's guys got one big deck

[dockholiday]

Majority of the docks on my lake are stationary, but the floaters, I have seen have guy wires (cables) with a winch to tighten or loosen as needed.
doc

[agsbill]

Here is the dock from a place I lived at on lake lanier.....the cables keep the dock in place....

Bill

[badmoonrising]

Our PC is in a floating dock and there are pilings at the ends of each slip and about 10-12 ft apart down the length.

Never had a problem ... just keep the lines tight and use adequate fenders.

[scfishnman]

Thanks to all of you for the input; except you Handymanherb -- the floating dock in your pic looks more unstable than mine .
Guess I will get a quote on installing some pilings.

[HandymanHerb]

I didn't read how he docks his dock, but he could have it in between pilings, but I say he ties it off the end of his walk deck that has pilings

[scfishnman]

Herb, I was just pulling your chain.

[HandymanHerb]

I thought it would be a great ideal, got a few friends take the toon, got a party take the whole dock, then you could have a whole crowd of toons tied off to it , floating around the lake

[badmoonrising]

Equip it with a bar and a stripper pole and you could make some serious cash.

[curtiscapk]

Saw this on last run on the lake. They towed it with seadoo jet boat. Just needs a pole.