Boat Dock

[RedRangerVIP]

My brother-in-law and I are building a 20'x 4' dock for a portable dock that we can take with us to the lake we stay at in the summer for 2-3 weeks at a time.<br /> We ty up 2 17-18 ft boats and 2-3 waverunners.<br /> My ? is what is the easiest and cheapest way to anchor the end of the dock out in the lake?<br /> Need to make sure it stays straight when the wind gets up.<br /> Got ideas? , lets hear them.<br /> Thanks everyone!

 

[CN Spots]

Re: Boat Dock

'round here, docks like that have an anchor that's hauled out by a boat and dropped 50 to 100 feet or more from the dock (depends on the water depth) and tied to the end of the dock and pulled tight. They also have to post a "submerged cable" sign on the dock as well.<br /><br />spots

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Boat Dock

Can you drive iron pipe into the lake bottom at each corner of the dock? You can then strap the pipes to the dock.

 

[agitator]

Re: Boat Dock

Weld some mobile home screw in anchors to the end of the iron pipes and screw them into the bottom as deep as needed to make them secure. Remove them by screwing them out when not needed. I have seen this done.

 

[Belchy]

Re: Boat Dock

Depending on the bottom, if it is muddy than I would use a five gallon pail filled with concrete with a peice of bent rebar in the top too hook a chain too. These work great, and about four or five work great. And just tie a plastic bag or something on them when they sink again that way they are easy to find when you go to put the dock in again.<br /><br />Belchy

 

[tomatolord]

Re: Boat Dock

The quickest way is what everyone does is to just pound some pipe into the ground! That is what dad does.<br /><br />The pipes are on the side of the dock not the end, so the dock has to push and pull against the 2 pipes, just put a C collar on the side of the dock and pound in a length of pipe.<br /><br />You also need to anchor the shore piece as well, that helps keep the entire dock rigid.<br /><br />Pulling the pipe out is not really all that hard.<br /><br />Tomatolord

 

[LORDY611]

Re: Boat Dock

at our summer place with a sand and gravel bottom, we pounded in two 2" galvanized pipe about 1 foot long, a bit wider than the dock. Then build a support for the dock shaped like "H" using two 1" pipes and a PT 2x6 bolted across. Slide that "H" down into the 2" pipes (removal is easy). Set the dock onto the cross 2x6 and you're in business, unless it is tidal. Then you need styrofoam billets or barrels to keep the dock floating instead of the pipe setup.

 

[flashback]

Re: Boat Dock

get an old engine block or two and run a chain thru them and secure one end of the chain to the block and the other to a line..throw the block in the lake. the other end of the line you fasten to a buoy.. when you "launch your dock" go to the buoy and pull on the line until you retrieve the chain, then fasten the chain to the dock.. works good and it's cheap