Dock Building

[Donnie Matney]

Well we got the pond built this weekend. Now I want to put a dock in to fish/swim from. Anyone have any experience on how to build a floating dock? I dont need a big one, maybe a 10x10 platform with a walk. I need to know where to buy foam or plastic floats and how much it takes. I wanna stay away from the pricy plastic connector docks. I would really like a wood platform to keep the costs down.



Donnie

 

[Bill Hamilton]

Donnie,



I saw a very interesting boat dock the other day on Lake Anna which was intriguing. Someone took an old set of pontoon boat floats and built a platform on top of it. It made a great swim platform and could be anchored right on the shoreline or towed farther out and anchored. Easy to pull onto land if you want or need it out during the winter. You might be able to find one really cheap at a marina that will just give it to you to haul away.



Good luck!



Bill in VA

 

[Dan J.]

You should call around to some of your local dock builders. They can be a world of help! I purchased encapsulated floatation from a local shop (Brown's Bridge) at about 1/3 the cost per 800# piece ($100) of what I've seen in BPS and Cabela's and Overton's catalogs. Your builder is most likely getting the same type bargain. I've found each one I've spoke with around here to be very helpful. It's worth a shot.

 

[Bruce Freeman]

Check your local carwash, there chemicals come in 55 gal plastic drums that could be used to build the platform on? Most of the time they are willing to give them away (cheaper than haveing to pay to have them disposed of) and I think all of there chemicals are diodegradeable now? I can get you all you want, but the shipping might be an issue.

BF

 

[Steve Hutson]

Donnie, I've never built a dock before, but I can tell you what not to do.



My father in law has two ponds on his property in Alabama, plus one pond that he built with his neighbor that splits their property. When he and his neighbor dug the biggest one, Dan decided to build his small fishing dock before it filled. He built it about three feet to far out in the pond and approx. 8" to shallow! When the pond is at full pool, the dock platform is just barely out of the water. No matter what the pool level of the pond, you have to jump to get to it. I keep telling him to build a bridge. No matter what, there are some fine bluegills in the pond along with a good L/M population.



All of that to say, be careful where you put it.



Steve

 

[Donnie Matney]

Thanks for the the advice guys. Steve we shot the where the water would be with a transit, so I got a rough idea on where it "should" be. LOL I got a buddy who has 18ft cedars at his house that are all ready cut, I may use those and leave some extra untill the water fills up.



I still cant believe we got er done this weekend. I think we put about 30 hours on that D5. After the dust cleared we had a pond a little over an acre with the average depth about 9 feet. The only thing I am not sure of is my drain pipe for my spillway. The guy at the USDA told me to use 8 inch pvc, I am thinking I should of went with 12 inch to be safe. Hope fully it will not wash over the top when I get it blacktoped later.





Donnie