Concrete Docks

Bad Obsession · Mar 25, 2010

I would not want to dock at a dock with concrete docks. Think about how abrasive concrete is. It would grind the gel coat right off of a boat with a few touches.

Wood is forgiving. My favorite docks are the floating docks with wood or fau-wood tops.

Steve Dion · Mar 25, 2010

The concrete docks that I have seen have wood on the edges to attach the rubber baby buggy bumpers to. They make a far superior dock to anything that I have ever seen. If you step on them with bare feet you do not get splinters.

I think that there are lots of advantages but I must assume that they cost a lot more too.

kenn · Mar 25, 2010

Concrete is great for a breakwall or breakwater, but overkill for regular docks.

Most marinas and yacht clubs in Canada have figured out how to make docks that can survive winter.

Stu Jackson · Mar 25, 2010

Nice to hear Canada has figured out docks. Only ? I have is when are you going to figure out cleats???

Instead of those raised wooden 2 x 2 s???

Steve Dion is right about wooden edges to our concrete docks. Ours rarely (never say never!) get blown away. Where they do, on a somewhat regular basis like in hurricane alleys, it seems appropriate to use wood.

I've been in one marina for 12 years with wood and this one for 13 years with concrete. Concrete is so much more stable in our environment (your mileage may vary!

).

shemandr · Mar 25, 2010

We have floating concrete docks here in Greenport at the Michell Park Marina. I've tied up to them many times. They are very stable and dampen waves nicely. They are sturdy to walk on. If they are properly made there is wood trim or rubber like padding where a hull would hit. You use bumpers like any other marina tie up. I don't really see a down side - they're not like a concrete pier. I don't think they remove them in the winter but our winters are not what a Maine winter is.

sailingdog · Mar 25, 2010

He's right, floating docks are far more forgiving to the boats, especially in areas with larger tidal ranges, like Maine. Floating concrete docks are very expensive and heavy.

The major problem with floating docks is what happens if the storm surge is higher than the maximum height on the pilings the floating docks are secured with, since they can then float free... which is bad.

It also is harder to tie a boat to fixed docks so that the boat won't hit the dock when the tide shifts. But fixed docks are less susceptible to damage from winter storms and ice.

Rick D · Mar 25, 2010

Good Docks

Yea, concrete floating docks are great. More expensive in the beginning but far less maintenance. Most of the Mexican and Central American marinas are going with concrete. Bellingham is the big dog in the concrete dock business, at least in the west. Still, they are not maintenance free. There is wood used as ties and on sides which eventually require replacement. I know of concrete docks which are more than 50 years old and still functional. I know wood ones too. Most wood ones are disintegrating tho. The wood ones of that vintage are either trashed or replaced one float and finger at a time.

Here's a link to Bellingham if you are interested http://www.bellingham-marine.com/company/index.aspx

Ross · Mar 25, 2010

Re: Good Docks

With concrete piers you use industrial strength fenders, AKA truck tires.

Bill Roosa · Mar 25, 2010

I Love Concrete

It is truly a maintenance free substance. Liquid rock that takes ANY shape you want then turns to solid rock FOREVER.
Course I might be biased, I'm a civil engineer. We build things that don't move.

sailingdog · Mar 25, 2010

No, it's not... New England winters take their toll on concrete... it does require maintenance.

Bill Roosa said:
It is truly a maintenance free substance. Liquid rock that takes ANY shape you want then turns to solid rock FOREVER.
Course I might be biased, I'm a civil engineer. We build things that don't move.

petersea · Mar 25, 2010

one more vote for concrete docks

PaulK · Mar 25, 2010

How well floating concrete docks work for you may depend upon how calm your harbor is. They are heavy, and large waves will get them moving, with the resultant chafing on each other and (despite wooden edges and bumpers) and on boats. We had a storm here last week with 75mph gusts raising 2' waves in our harbor which is usually flat as a millpond. Lines chafed through on more than one boat, and they got some nasty scratches. On the other hand, I think the club purchased the docks back in the 70's. With just standard maintenance - replacing rubber bumpers or dinged wood, anything that lasts for 40 or so years is a good thing.

RAD · Mar 25, 2010

I've had the pleasure of staying at Camanchee Cove marina in St Augustine and the concrete docks were pretty robust and looked like they would last forever and wondered why you don't see more of them.

BobM · Mar 26, 2010

I have to agree with Sailingdog

sailingdog said:
No, it's not... New England winters take their toll on concrete... it does require maintenance.

If you believe this...we have a bunch of badly degraded concrete bridges to sell you up here in New England! Of course that might be due to lack of maintenance.

tomgrigsby · Mar 26, 2010

(The major problem with floating docks is what happens if the storm surge is higher than the maximum height on the pilings the floating docks are secured with, since they can then float free... which is bad.)

.... On the other hand, if the surge is high enough to float the docks off pilings, you're looking at a 10 ft surge. You're going to have boats with lines going down below the water to the submerged fixed docks. Can't get to your boat to adjust the lines when the docks are submerged and that could be really bad too, particularly in a narrow slip if your overall line length is short. And I've seen power boats get blown under the dock when the tide was low and then fill and sink as the tide came in.

I just had to make that decision here. I'm at Smithfield Station which has floating docks. During one really big storm they nearly overtopped. But the thought of how the boats were doing at the fixed docks where I was considering moving made me decide to stay here.

Rick D · Mar 26, 2010

Must Be A Left Coast / Right Coast Thing

Floating docks are the norm here. Here's a couple of photos that indicate their durability in our conditions. The first is in Mexico, 25 year-old Bellingham docks in an area with a nasty surge. Could use some maintenance, but holding up well. The second is in Marina del Rey. Bellingham also, but 50 years old; should be replaced sometime soon, but did well. The third is in my current marina, five year old concrete docks. Having been on wood docks for 34 years and concrete for four and on a marina board, I'll take concrete.

PS: when we had the recent Tsunami, I was a little concerned. At high tide, there are maybe four to five feet of piling exposed. The tsunami event was about four feet according to a live-aboard neighbor. That's probably two feet in each direction. Still, I'm glad it wasn't worse or at an extreme high tide.

Blitz · Mar 26, 2010

Bill Roosa said:
Course I might be biased, I'm a civil engineer. We build things that don't move.

Except Bridges

Rick Sylvester · Mar 26, 2010

Lots of relative pros and cons for sure

I've lived on each type during the past ten years. I loved the concrete floaters. But I can assure you that they don't have to float off the top to be a problem. Just ask the folks at the Vinoy in St. Pete.

I live on concrete fixed now. Although I like them fine I harbor no illusions about what would happen if Anthem got up on them in a storm.

You pick your poison.

Concrete Docks

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