(Sitting on the) Dock of the Pond :-)

[DaRube]

I would like to put a dock in the pond on my property. The pond is maybe 50 - 60 yards long, and gets to 15 feet deep in spots. I would like the dock to be sufficient to fit a coupla guys with chairs and fishing rods.....no boats.

I have basic questions....Measuring the depth in specific locations.....What material does one use for the posts? How do you sink the posts? What would be a good design?

Are there any websites that tackle these issues?

 

[scruffy]

DaRube, Why not use floats? Gives a solid platform, and allows for relocation when you get tired of the view. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif At that point, all you need to consider is your anchoring and ramp. Whatever you decide, ENJOY!

 

[Boondox]

Ditto on the floats. With free access to all the 55 gallon plastic drums I want, I've been thinking of doing exactly that. Small deck mounted on four barrels. A small anchor in the proper location. Presto!

Of course what would really be cool would be one of those paddle boats. Pack a picnic. Load the chow, the beer, the wife and all four dogs into the boat. Paddle fifty feet and drop anchor. Have a picnic on the water. Weigh anchor and paddle to shore.

The wife thinks I've lost it!

Pete

www.GatewayToVermont.com

 

[DocHeb]

For floats, check out:

<font color=blue>Pultronex Products</font color=blue>

 

[ERNIEB]

Not long ago I was at a jobsite where a dock was being constructed on a river. I was hauling off dirt, and I watched them while I was waiting to be loaded. I had to make several trips, and this much I can tell you.
The posts they used were creosote treated. This outfit must do alot of thid kind of thing because they seemed to have everything they needed. The thing they used to drive the posts in defies explanation but I'll try. They had a platform on poontoons, and on this was a sort of crane looking thing. It had a frame sticking out which held the post in place, and acted as a guide for a cylindercal weight which was raised and dropped on top of the post. Raised and dropped, raised and dropped, I guess untill the thing would not go any farther. The thing was powered by some kind of small engine.
I've seen alot of docks, and piers in fresh and salt water that use these creosote posts.
The only alternative I can think of is to use sono tubes, and pour some concrete ones. Just make sure you use type III cement in your concrete mix/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Ernie

 

[scruffy]

Ernie, back in my surveying days, I had the dubious honor of setting on my backside monitoring pile drivers setting piles for a couple of bayside docks at a pulp mill. The object was to keep them vertical, and to count the strokes of the pile driver. The number of strokes per foot of depth determines if the piling was embedded deep enough to be secure without shifting/settling. I don't think it would be a worry on something of this minor of weight, but I do think overall cost/difficulty would warrent using floats....which could be anything from styrofoam to barrels (metal OR plastic).

 

[jimmoore]

xxx

jim

 

[ronjhall]

Darube
If you decide to use post. You can drive post into bottom by using a water pump attached to a hose and 1 to 2 10' lengths of ¾ to 1" pipe. Cut end of pipe at a 45-degree angle. Attach other end to hose from pump. Set post in location desired. Work pipe with pump on around bottom of post. Moving it around to wash dirt out from around bottom of post. Depending on how much pressure pump puts out a post can be set 3 to 4' deep into bottom of pond. This system works best in soft bottoms like sand and mud. Same method can be used to remove post.
Hope this makes sense.

 

[RPM]

Of course, that would have to be a tractor mounted PTO pump right??! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

DaRube

I agree, use floats. The dock is easier to put in and take out. Drums would work good. Also, you could use EPS foam blocks (styrofoam is a brand name). They can be ordered in custom sizes up to something like 4'x4'x32. Since they are already flat, square and the right size, they make building the decking easy.

SHF