Building a Dock

[Steve(CO)]

I am building a house on a small (35acre) lake here in northern CO near Fort collins. The lake has excellent largemouth fishing, tiger muskie, crappie and also some walleye. I want to put in a dock that will last and have relatively little upkeep. I have read about the prefabricated docks made of plastic; the segments fit together easily and you can build any configuration you want. Has anyone had any experience with these? Cabela's sells one brand. I'd like to leave it in all winter. We often don't get really thick ice out here and the company says that's ok if you don't have "shifting ice." Any input will be appreciated.

[Lund_Dude]

Have you considered one of those docks on wheels? They show them every year at the boat show. I had always felt that they were good in theory, but would get stuck in reality. I bought a traditional aluminum dock and my neighbor went wit the wheeled one. Every fall when I am in my waders, he pulls his lawn tractor down and removes the pier in 5 minutes flat.

[1775prov]

My DAKA dock is the roll in/out type and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I do have level frontage, so I'm sure that makes it easier, but a rolling dock might be worth considering. My .02!

[Dave in Mpls]

I'll "third" the roll-in dock. My folks have had a place on a lake in N Wisconsin for the past thirty years or so. Up until six years ago, they had a "traditional" dock that required each section be installed one at a time, leveled, and secured before the next section could go in. Removal was the same. Guess who got to do most of that work :) Six years ago, I was able to talk dad into a present for himself - he bought an aluminum roll-in dock. I'm here to tell ya, that is the way to go!

Were it me, I wouldn't leave it in over the winter. Invest the 1/2 hour and pull it out - we work too hard for our $$!!

Regards

[EricCO]

If you need someone to test that dock and the fishing once it's installed, maybe we could have a Walleye Central Get Together on it?LOL

"Hunting 'eyes in the Three-O-Three"

[Iceman]

Roll-in is definitely the way to go. If you install a floating dock, eventually the ice will get it. There's a brand called "Port-a-Pier" that is the style you'd be glad to have. Here it is: http://www.port-a-pier.com/

[BD]

We have a 38 acre lake at the back of our farm in central Wiscowsin. The dock was built by my wife's uncle when he owned the farm. There is no problem with shifting ice. It is a floating dock constructed of 2x6 rough sawn hardwood (40+yrs) for the frame and 1x4 treated lumber (5yrs) for the deck. When it needs new decking 1 1/4x6 treated deck lumber will be used. It floats on plastic barrels and stays in year around. We have had no trouble with the plastic barrels leaking. When steel barrels were used they rusted through eventually and had to be replaced. Leave some deck chairs or other furniture on the dock and the flying carp will stay off. Otherwise you will be shoveling dropings off every day.

[Steve(CO)]

Thanks for the tips. I'll definitely look into the roll-in docks. Eric, it probably wouldn't qualify as WC fodder. A few were planted 5-6 years ago we caught several fat 18 inchers this summer. The bass fishing is incredibly good, however. If you are up in fort Collins sometime during fishing season (for me that starts again about late March- I'm cold blooded) let me know and I'll see if we can scarf up a few bass. We'll be building the house this spring and hope to be in by late summer.

[troutaholic]

One such floating dock that I am very familiar with was initiated "a stone's throw away" from my house.....here is an excerpt from their internet site:

"Two friends started talking about the dilemma of the boat dock in the harbor owned by one of them. Jack Neitzke's boat dock needed replacement and Cliff Vierus was adding ideas on how to get it done. Jack and Cliff came up with the idea of a floating boat dock. What started out as a discussion between friends became EZ Dock, Inc.

Cliff produced the mold for the first dock in his garage. From this very humble beginning, EZ Dock has grown to a major supplier of floating dock and lift systems for recreational and commercial use. In 1990 the first dock was rotomolded by Winnebago Industries using Cliff's mold.

Winnebago continued to rotomold the dock sections until 1999 when PlayPower, Inc. purchased the company. Production and offices were moved to their Miracle Recreation facilities in Monett, MO."
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The harbor that they are referring to is one in Winona, MN.

This system has seen some horrendous ice conditions AND severe flood conditions. I have never seen it ripped apart or destroyed in any manner.

There are several other docks in the area that use the EZ dock system and I have not heard of any problems. Several boat landings use the EZ dock system and I have never had an issue with the docks at all.

[tinman]

I have seen the E-Z Dock system at a sportsman show and it looks like a great system. It includes options for integrated boat lifts or jet ski lifts. They are pricey, but understandably so. If you have ever built a floating dock with foam, wood and steel, you know that the materials alone can be costly.

I understand that the dock floats high enough that it essentially ends up on top of the ice as it freezes, but I'd like to know how well it holds up against shifting ice. Also, how easy are they to move as water levels fluctuate?

Tinman