Floating Dock with Barrels (UPDATED)

Step 9: Attach and secure...

Now it's all finished but the platform is floating free and the ramp is somewhat unstable. So I placed poles (not pictured) on the corners of the platform and sunk them as far as I could in to the lake bed. I also placed a few on the ramp to keep it from getting pushed to the side. Just don't make anything too tight, everything needs to be able to move by wind, people walking, water level changes. I've already found the poles make great places to lauch bottle rockets from as well as place tiki torches! (I'll throw a pic of that in soon)

I also attached the platform to the ramp with rope, carabiners and eye hooks. Check out the pic on how I did it. Now it can still be easily detached to float out if need be.

It's not as stable over all as I hoped...if you walk to the far corner of the ramp it dips pretty low in the water and actually rolled the ramp before I added the poles. I guess I could just add 4x4" pillars and take out the barrel........maybe once the water level goes back down to winter levels.

Comments

[Irock148]

would this be able to hold a boat

[yeti bear]

 i would suggest attaching your ramp to the platform with pin hinges... remove the pins and you can float it away, but the platform provides stability for the ramp.... after thought..... leave the ramp attached to the platform and drag the ramp out with you... it is wood and therefore buoyant, and it will make a much nicer way to pull yourself out of the water

[UK_Westy]

Perhaps if you placed the barrels across the platform, it would have been a little more stable !

[pilx]

Yeah, I thought about that after the fact...it's a little too late though unless I want to completely rebuild it. I think I might just take out the barrel and do supports for the walkway though.

[dcn_52]

I like your plan looks like a nice dock. Looks like a nice place to have a few. I hope mine turns out half as nice.