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Makings
of a Good Dock
The essentials are strong pilings and adequate width.
Pilings need to be of sufficient height that they're
likely to remain above the level of the storm surge,
and if they're too close together, as the water rises,
your dock lines will end up leading straight down.
The illustration below shows what happens when you
don't have enough space for adequate line length when
the water rises.
Check the pilings down
below the high tide line where they are likely to
be eroded. If they are, you can guess what will happen.
Pieces of lumber bolted to a wood dock, or lagged
to a concrete pier are totally inadequate, so don't
expect them to hold anything.
The best dockage consists
of a slip that is four-cornered with large wood
pilings, whether you're paralleling the bulkhead,
or on finger piers. Wood pilings are good because
they bend with heavy shock loads, sort of like a mooring
whip. And speaking of the later, don't expect these
to overcome the effects of wind and waves -- they
won't.
The illustration above
shows a more or less ideal dockage arrangement for
a boat against a bulkhead. Below, a good arrangement
for finger piers.
Note that the bow pilings
are set well off the ends of the piers, allowing for
adequate bow line length, and the ability to keep
the stern well away from the dock. The width between
pilings is enough to allow for enough slack in the
lines without the boat hitting against them.
What
About Floating Docks? If they are made of
wood, forget it. These don't stand a chance. Newer
floating docks are usually steel framed, and so long
as they're not threatened by wave action, they should
be okay. The main problem with floating docks is that
you have a lot of boats which are basically all moored
to the same structure. If part of it goes, usually
the whole thing goes. Plus, you have no pilings to
tie to. You're completely dependent on how well the
mooring cleats are attached.
The good news to come
out of this is that with good, thoughtful consideration
and preparation, the chances of your boat surviving
are very high. And the more you know and learn about
these terrible storms, the higher that probability
becomes. 
Back
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| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
 The
Problem of Complacency |
Where
to go? |
Storm
Prediction
Overcrowding |
Making
of a Good Dock
What
About Floating Docks? |
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