Docks

Chances are, unless you trailer you boat every time you use it, you've got your baby tucked neatly away at a local marina or personal waterfront dock. If you boat regularly on the same lake, storing your pontoon or deck at the dock just makes sense. After all, getting to and from the boat is a snap and you're ready to head out at a moment's notice.

But have you ever thought about how your dock can stand to serve dual purposes for your boating lifestyle? Stay with me for a minute-your dock/slip space serves as an extension of your boat's space-not so different from a back yard patio to your house.

Walking the docks on a summer boating day, I always take note of creative, inviting or innovative ways to maximize precious dock real estate. After all, you're paying for the space. Why not use it to its full potential?

Creative dock maximizing strategies range from storage bins to keep those extra life vests, towels and bumpers to planters, benches and even hammocks.

Floe International is just one company that offers a full range of dock accessories including, steps, ladders, hammocks, bumpers, dock edging, cleats and handrails.

These small additions have potential to really make your space and extend the enjoyment of your dock neighborhood in general. Maybe you are lucky to moor at a marina that allows off-the-dock fishing. Or perhaps you and your friends just want to throw a party on your stretch of dock. For whatever reason, sprucing up and maximizing your dock space is a great way to make your boating dollar stretch, while not having to stay home and hang out on the couch.

Have waterfront property and a boat? Well, it just makes sense to extend your access to the water from your back yard with a private dock system. After all, there is no shortage of companies that offer products and configurations to keep your vessel safe.

Connect-A-Dock

Connect-A-Dock has become an ideal choice for lakefront and waterfront homeowners who want a dock system they can put together quickly as well as a dock that requires low maintenance. Connect-A-Dock is a high-quality floating dock system with an extremely easy to use, patented connection that allows for easy setup and configuration. Made from durable polyethylene plastic, it never needs painting and will not rot, peel or splinter. Connect-A-Dock contains no foam or CCA's, making it environmentally safe and completely recyclable.

Initial construction time for one person and an average dock is one hour. And it can be easily reconfigured at any time. The 1000 Series is perfect for smaller bodies of water such as small lakes and ponds and can also be used as a safe swim platform. It's free of splinters and nails and will hold up in harsh conditions and heavy usage. With Connect-A-Dock, you can simply purchase a preconfigured package or buy individual pieces to create you own design. The beauty of this system is its ability to easily adapt to the changing needs of the owner. One day the dock can be a T-Dock and the next it can be easily and quickly reconfigured into an L-Dock. Lots of accessories are available that will further add appeal to your dock including planters, benches and guardrails.

EZ-Dock

Often used in both private and commercial applications, EZ-Dock is another ideal, stable, versatile and maintenance-free docking system. The flotation design of EZ-Dock makes it virtually unsinkable under normal use. With EZ-Dock components, you can really extend the beauty of your waterfront. Because it is designed to be maintenance-free, you can spend more time enjoying the water with your family than doing dock repair.

Understanding that everyone has different needs depending on their area and water configuration, EZ-Dock offers endless design possibilities for your specific property-it makes creating the ideal layout simple with an online design tool. The site features "EZ designer," which allows you to visualize the ideal dock for your shoreline and area, then offers a quote for the components you've selected. Its long list of accessories also helps to make the most of your space. From corner storage boxes and benches to swim ladders and slides, EZ-Dock has the product to help give your dock a lift this summer and maximize your boat's storage space.

Floe International

Its patented quick-connect system lets you link Floe dock sections together to create any configuration you want such as slips, L-docks and sundecks. If you change your mind next year, you can simply relocate the quick connects and make a different configuration. You can also easily add on sections to your dock each season as your needs grow.

Floe docks are among the most stable in the industry and are easy to level and install. It offers wheel kits on every section so if you have a 40-foot dock, you aren't lifting the entire section to pull it out of the water. Floe's easy system also allows you to level your dock without getting in the water with its "easy-level" system. Effortlessly level each dock section independently from the top with a cordless drill or the leveling tool. If one wheel drops into a hole or sinks into the mud, it can be easily leveled. This leveling system eliminates having to lift and level the heavy mid-section of a dock.

Offering five different lengths of support legs, a Floe dock can accommodate a depth of up to 8 1/2 feet. Double bracing on each support leg creates stability and eliminates the side-to-side sway that may be common on older docks. They are more rigid and durable than other docks that use vertical, non-braced pipes-especially when transporting over rough terrain.

Floe docks are available in many decking options including aluminum and "aluma grain" with the look of wood and maintenance ease of aluminum.

Off-season storage is also easy with Floe. Dock sections can be pulled out and stored while still connected or for areas with hills and terrain, they easily disconnect to be stored like sectional docks.

True Deck

TrueDeck panels set a new standard in beauty and durability at a reasonable cost. Its four-way design forms a pleasing, continuous pattern, even in T- and L-shaped dock applications. With less labor and cost to install, plus lighter weight and greater strength than some brands, these innovative Deck Panels provide many benefits to private dock and marina owners alike.

Specifically designed for marine use, TrueDeck panels are designed to endure the elements with full UV protection and engineering resin. These panels can withstand a wide range of conditions-extreme heat, cold and exposure to the sun while remaining cool underfoot.

These unique Deck Panels are also maintenance-free and offer a self-draining, slip-resistant surface that practically cleans itself. Friendly to the environment, TrueDeck panels are designed to allow light, water, wind and debris to pass through. They permit 42 percent light transmission to meet environmentally-sensitive installations over sea grass, while enhancing underwater plant growth and fish habitats but will not support mold or mildew growth and are unaffected by marine borers, salt water and pretty much anything else Mother Nature can throw at them.

Rugged yet beautiful, TrueDeck Dock Panels are available in Cape Cod Gray or Sarasota Sand colors to complement just about any marine environment.

Lifts

It's no secret that the marine environment can wreak havoc on an unattended hull-especially in brackish water. If you're lucky enough to have permanent moorage for your boat, you've likely weighed the pros and cons of leaving your pontoon at the dock versus trailering it to the lake each weekend. Well, stop worrying about the pros and cons because you really can have it all. Boat lifts are the perfect solution for a number of reasons. Barnacles, algae and corrosion to your hull can rob your motor of speed, power and gas mileage and can lead to costly maintenance. Getting those pontoons out of the water and on a lift will not only reduce these effects but also offer the added value of security against theft. But where to start is the biggest question. Lifts come in all shapes and sizes for a wide variety of applications depending on water depth and location.

Private, residential waterfronts generally have shallower depths that allow for a lift that sits on the bottom of the water. In other marina applications such as public slips, a floating lift might be more ideal. Selecting a lift that is best suited for your needs will depend largely on your individual circumstances. For example, if you live in a climate that often plays host to bad weather, you may want to consider a freestanding lift-one that sits on the bottom of the lake and can be taken in and out of the water. Add a canopy to help further protect your vinyl from the sun's rays in climates that often see high temperatures.

While many boat lifts are hand operated, it is possible to purchase and install a motor to help put the proper muscle into getting that boat up and on its lift.

Pontoon boat owners will most likely find that a pontoon-specific lift offers more stability and protection for the entire length of the deck.

Manufacturers like Hewitt, Floe and Porta-Dock all offer great solutions for getting your boat up and out of the water.

Other lift options like the ones offered by Jet Dock and EZ-Dock enable boat owners to "drive-on" a floating dock and winch the boat out of the water-perfect for marinas with deep water that won't accommodate a freestanding unit.

Hewitt

A Hewitt lift can provide long- lasting value and protection for your pontoon boat. The narrow pontoon lifts along the entire length of the deck between the pontoons, imposing no danger of damage. The cables and pulleys stay clear of the water while the lift is in the up position. The design and aluminum construction offer weight-saving, low maintenance, long-lasting value. These lifts will accommodate boats up to 28 feet and 3000 pounds with a high-efficiency winch.

Floe

Floe has a variety of superb boat lift guide-in systems so that even the most inexperienced boater can park like a pro every time. Floe boat lifts come standard with corrosion-resistant components such as custom-engineered extruded aluminum structures, stainless steel fasteners, stainless-steel leveling cables and heavy-duty aluminum pulleys with machined stainless-steel pins. Floe pontoon bunks are made of durable "eon." This synthetic material is long- lasting, will never crack or fade and is anti-abrasive, unlike wood, which needs to be replaced every few years. Floe's extra-deep boat lift canopy system provides optimal protection from the sun and rain because your boat is tucked up further, and the deep frame design keeps the fabric from blowing in or up.

Porta-Dock

Porta-Dock offers a complete line of maintenance-free aluminum pontoon lifts. Its lifts are designed and engineered with features to customize your lift to your particular boat or pontoon. Porta-Dock is constructed of high-quality marine alloy aluminum for maximum strength and durability. The benefit is that aluminum is completely rust-proof and corrosion-resistant. Weather or ultraviolet rays do not affect it. The maintenance-free bunk assemblies adjust both vertically and horizontally for maximum boat support. A lift wheel is included on all models and Porta-Dock's lifts come standard with a self-braking winch for safe and easy operation.

Shore Station

Shore Station also offers a complete line of lift products to suit any environment. Its hydraulic lift is fast, effortless and allows the system to be positioned above the waterline and away from the dock for safe and easy access to the boat. What's more impressive is that Shore Station has combined the lasting durability of aluminum with galvanized steel for added strength in critical areas. Its option padded bow stop is fully adjustable and acts to further protect your boat while you can't be there to watch it.

Shore Station lifts are designed for years of dependable service with stainless steel pins, brass bushings in platform pulleys and stainless steel platform cables.

The hydraulic pump along with remote make moving your boat to and from the water easier than you thought possible. Its distinctive drop side arm clears the way for easy access to your boat and its unique design adds to the sleek profile of these models.

Jet Dock

Drive-on lift options are really an extension of your dock itself. They offer a floating lift for your boat that can be convenient when you want a quick solution to getting your boat out of the water. Drive on lifts take away the need for hoists-hand and hydraulic-and offer a convenient storage alternatives and may be the perfect solution for you. Pontoon Boat docks from Jet Dock are easy and convenient. Jet Dock also provides a convenient dry-dock for pontoon boats of all sizes.

EZ-Dock

When your day of boating has ended, putting the boat away isn't something you really want to spend a lot of time slaving over. The dry docking boat lift from EZ-Dock will keep your deck boat dry and free from impact, floating debris and algae. The EZ Dock boatlift system is engineered for most fiberglass V-style hull boats. Multiple adjustable rollers can accommodate boats with a 14- to 21-degree deadrise and you can configure regular EZ-Dock sections to create a horseshoe-shaped docking system for other watercraft including pontoons.