Newbie Question - Docking & Rising Waters

[abandzack]

Hi guys! I am pretty new to boating and have a question. We have a 2016 Sweetwater 2286 Pontoon boat. Last year we trailered it back and forth to the river every weekend. This summer we are renting a dock space (because trailering was very annoying). It's been out there for 2 weeks and I love it. However, we have some big storms coming in and I am worrying about rising water levels. I can watch the gage online. Normal seems to be around 10 feet. At the moment it is 11.5 and rising with a full day of thunderstorms tomorrow. Looking back I see that it sometimes spikes to 15. At what point would you pull your boat out of the water and onto a trailer? Maybe we are just being paranoid, but it's a brand new boat and it's scary!

The river has locks & dams to help maintain the water level and it never gets really wild, I can only see the water level history back to February. I don't know what other people do around here. We asked the guy who owns the Marina, so hopefully he will get back to us, but wondering what you guys think.

Thanks!

[curtiscapk]

Welcome a foot or two isn't going to hurt. We trailer as well but our marinas were functioning with the lake 20 ft high!

[Bamaman]

The question is are the docks you're tied up to floating docks? Or, are they fixed docks? If they're floaters, the chances are your boat's going to be okay. What does the marina management say?

We had a marina that broke away from its moorings in a flash flood and floated down river a mile and a half--and wedged underneath a low 1/4 mile long bridge. It really damaged some cruisers and houseboats.

Two years later, a tornado came through and picked up the docks 12' out of the water--with boats strung by their ropes. It was anchored to over 100,000 lbs. of concrete blocks on the lake bottom. Many boats and all the docks were destroyed.

That's why they have insurance on boats.

[BobL]

If your dock is fixed (non-floating), then spring lines will take care of 2-3' swings in water levels.

https://www.tropicalboating.com/2010/04 ... pringlines