Floating vs Fixed docks

[northshoreone]

The marina that I am in is adding more floating docks currently. My boat is now on the end T of a fixed dock in the inner part of the marina surrounded by land/condo's. The new floating docks would be more exposed to wind but would be an advantage with storm surge vs fixed docking. I am looking for impute on thoughts pro or con on floating vs fixed in storm conditions.
Thanks

 

[rsmith]

Ft Pierce Fl city Marina floating docks 2004

 

[northshoreone]

OK THEN!!! NOT a endorsement of floating docks is !!

 

[saltshaker]

During Sandy we had a 13ft surge. Boats that suffered the most damage were at floating docks with short pilings then fixed docks. Boats with the least amount of damage were at floating docks with tall pilings. Floaters are good but they need to be built well and have pilings tall enough to prevent everything from floating off and no longer secured.

 

[captddis]

Put me do for fixed with big tall pilings

 

[SEVEN]

Ben on floating docks for 40 years with no issues. Only difference is we do not have the storms you guys/gals have on the East coast.

 

[Walter P]

I have been on fixed docks and floating and IMO a floating dock with very tall pilings is the best way
to go. As Jack Sardina said, during Sandy floaters with short pilings had the most damage, followed
by fixed and best was floating docks with very tall pilings. My 48 MY stays in the water year round and
it is close to Jacks club. We had at least a 13 ft surge (I was told it was actually 14) and we had zero
damage. Our club requires that all lines be doubled with the largest size practical for the cleats on the
particular boat. Interestingly there was a large loss of boats and probably 95% were on the hard when
the storm hit. Many floated off the blocks and into deeper water and either sunk or broken up. My friend's
Hatteras 38 C floated off and was carried about a mile and a half into the bay and sunk. We knew where
it was because the hardtop over the bridge and the antenna's were sticking up. It was a total loss.

Floating docks make boarding easier and lines can be secured more precisely.

Walt

 

[captddis]

Floaters are only good if they are in a protected area without wave action and with high pilings.

There was a floating high end marina here that everyone said that it was great for a storm . They laughed when I told them the boats would be up on the street.


A minor tropical storm came through, with the wind right into the basin.
A 61 Hatt sunk and most others were damaged. The marina was totaled.

 

[Pascal]

The are so many factors.

Personally I prefer a wide slip with fixed pilings so that the boat can be secured without using fenders. If the pilings are tall, and the slips wide enough, you have some safety margin to weather your average storm and surge.

I've never been a big fan of floating docks except of course in areas with large tides (over 4') but then the pilings need to be tall enough so the docks stay in place with storm surge. Floaters often require fenders coming in, wooden pilings don't if you have a decent run rail

The type of boats also plays a role. Sportfish maybe be easier to get on and off from floating docks rather than higher fixed docks. Motoryacht will require stairs on floaties but sometimes not on find docks depending on the height and design.

 

[MikeP]

We have had our 53 at both; convenience-wise I much prefer floating docks. BUT, as noted, if the floaters don't have sufficiently tall pilings, given the right conditions, the docks can float off on their own which is a BAD thing.

 

[kjcampos]

hi Mike ...last year we were at Diversified Yacht Services in Fort Myers Beach having some insurance work done and there was a bad storm with more than a 6' storm surge we were on Floating docks and our boat and all the other boats there just floated up and down with no issues ...the CG station is right next to then and they took their boats out cause they have Fixed docks ...there was 2' of water over the Bulk Head at Diversified with with the whole area flooding....boy was i glad i was on fixed docks...didn't have to keep letting up on my lines if i would have been on Fixed Docks.....again they have very tall and very thick concrete pilings and Docks

 

[rsmith]

The problem with floating docks and tall poles is that as the tide rises the leverage on the poles increases. No wind or tide is one thing but with hi winds all that windage from the boats tied to the docks at some point the poles will snap or pull over in the mud. Remember most of these pilings are jetted in and many are not that deep. I have the boat behind the house and ordered extra long poles that are jeered and hammered below the bottom hard pan.

 

[Walter P]

It's pretty obvious from the posts on this thread that as with everything else relating to boating, most
things are a compromise. (something most politicians can't seem to do) From floating docks without
very tall pilings to adjusting lines with the surge (which BTW requires you to be there either on the boat
or at least on the dock) . Our situations are not all the same but that's part of boating.

Walt

 

[rsmith]

One thing to remember also no matter where you tie up you need to look at the integrity of the dock and pilings. I've seen many pilings that look good at Hi tide and are pencil thin at low

 

[saltshaker]

The problem with floating docks and tall poles is that as the tide rises the leverage on the poles increases. No wind or tide is one thing but with hi winds all that windage from the boats tied to the docks at some point the poles will snap or pull over in the mud. Remember most of these pilings are jetted in and many are not that deep. I have the boat behind the house and ordered extra long poles that are jeered and hammered below the bottom hard pan.

setting the pilings deep and below the hard pan is critical. After Sandy we had several pilings fall over the following winter. We have fixed docks and when the water came up the bigger boats pulled some of the dock and pilings up with them. They settled back down when the water receded and no one noticed until a few tipped over during the winter.

 

[northshoreone]

The Harbor Master Rick says the pilings are in the bottom 30 ft and at current high tide I would estimate that the pilings extend beyond the top of the dock about 12 ft plus. This is in Tarpon Point Marina in Cape Coral FL. The tide is 2 to 3 ft I have seen it as high as 5 ft during Tropical Storm Debbie a few years ago. I'm in the basin now which is water/land owned by the complex. The new docks are in front of the hotel on water not owned by the complex, so boats fishing or very near your boat out in that area can't be asked to leave vs the basin where they can be forced to leave. The basin has a large number of rental boats in it and one of my concerns there is having someone that has rented one loosing control and hitting mine which is square in the path of most of them coming and going. I have had one encounter with that happening with a small boat while I was there once thankfully with no damage to mine. The boat in the slip next to me was not so lucky when a sailboat ran into the slip next to him and ran the anchor down the side of his boat! The comment by many here is correct concerning so many factors to consider! Thankfully the current Tropical Storm in the area is appearing not to be a major concern at the moment but as we all know the season has really just only begun!

 

[krush]

setting the pilings deep and below the hard pan is critical. After Sandy we had several pilings fall over the following winter. We have fixed docks and when the water came up the bigger boats pulled some of the dock and pilings up with them. They settled back down when the water receded and no one noticed until a few tipped over during the winter.

Those pilings were not in deep enough. Especially in residential docks, most of the shit-kicker contractors don't know what they are doing. Depending on the ground, a piling may be more in the mud than it is above.

If the bottom is clay/silt, pumping piles in is very bad, it makes for a week pile. Pumping in sand is fine because the sand fills back in. Vibrating for sand works well, but vibrating in silt/clay is not as good as driving it in. Or, a quick push down without stopping (once movement slows, the suction grabs it and needs a whack to get it going).

Ice is stronger than wind.