Floating Docks?
A floating dock is just what it says. It is a dock that is not
fixed at a certain height or level. This dock type has several
advantages over a fixed dock.
Changing water levels are one good reason to have a floating
dock. Property owners with water front property benefit from
floating docks since these docks rise and fall as water levels
change. Waves and ripples from passing motorboats are another
reason that floating docks are advantageous over a fixed dock.
Rather than water sloshing onto the surface of the dock, the dock
rises and falls with the peaks and valleys of the waves.
Floating dock construction is very basic. Unlike a fixed dock of
a certain length, a floating dock is made from sections of dock
joined together and then anchored in place. Older floating docks
were made from wood and a piece of Styrofoam or a pontoon under a
wood structure, but today's floating docks are made from high
density floating polymers. These polymers come in various shapes
and sizes, allowing for almost infinite customization.
The modular construction materials popular today with floating
docks has a few advantages as well. With a few minutes of time and
no special tools, a floating dock can be reconfigured to meet
specific needs. Also, in the case of inclement weather, such as a
hurricane or freeze warning, floating docks can be taken up and
stored for an indefinite period of time. Try either of these with a
fixed position dock! Finally, since electrical systems and power
poles float, submergence during storms or surges is virtually
non-existent. A fixed dock's electrical system is always at the
mercy of a rising water table or large surge.
With new technology comes new innovations and with the newer
floating dock materials, launching a boat or personal watercraft is
simpler. Rather than backing off a trailer, push the boat or PWC
into the water from the floating dock and steer it back to where
the boat or PWC is desired.
Clearly a floating dock is the preferred method of dock
building.