How To Build A Boat Dock

Learning how to build a boat dock can be a rewarding experience. Nothing is more fun during the boating months than being able to enjoy your boat without the hassle of having to launch and load your boat every time you’re out on the water! Most of the parts you’ll need for your boat dock are easy to find, affordable and will likely out-last your boat! If you’re ready to construct your very own boat dock, than take a look at what tools and parts you’ll need to construct it with.

To build your own boat dock, you will need:

• Treated lumber
• A saw
• A tape measure
• Empty barrels
• Rope
• Chains
• Metal stakes
• An electric drill
• Screws

1. Construct your barrels. To begin building your own boat dock, you’ll need to arrange your barrels. You will need approximately four to eight barrels for your dock to rest on, possibly more depending on the size of your boat dock. Your barrels should be sealed and water-proof. You may want to test each of your barrels for these qualities before tying them together. Once you’ve tested them, tie your barrels together using either chains that have been well-treated to remain water resistant, or you may also consider using rope for this step. Tie your barrels up in a combination of fours in the shape of a square. If you’re using more than one set of four barrels, you will need to tie all of your sets together to move on to the next step.
2. Measure your space. After you’ve constructed your barrel sets, you will need to measure their surface area and their width. Once you have your dimensions, you can begin to build your wooden platform. Before you begin building though, make sure you’re using treated lumber to prevent possible damage from the water and elements. Many of your popular platforms for boat docks cover the tops of the barrels but also fence in the sides of your barrels to prevent them from possibly escaping. You may also want to consider running planks underneath your barrels to prevent this problem from occurring. You may not want to drill through your wooden platform into the barrels; this may cause possible leakage. A better way to connect these two parts is to either build your platform where it completely encases your barrels or to chain them to the bottom of your platform.
3. Hitch your dock. After completing the wooden platform that rests on top of your barrels, you’ll need a way to keep them from floating away! Place two metal stakes along the shoreline where your boat dock is placed. Make sure these stakes are embedded at least a foot into the ground, with at least six inches exposed above the ground. Wrap chains around both your boat dock and these metal stakes. The advantages of this system include being able to remove your boat dock during the winter months, move it for future use elsewhere or remove it from the water in the event of flooding.

After you have completed these steps, you will have your own homemade boat dock! There are many ways that you may customize your boat dock. If you would like to build a fence around your boat dock, you may use scrap lumber from your project as poles and use some rope to connect these poles together. You may also want to consider using metal stakes at the front of your boat dock so you have something to wrap your rope around when coming into port. Make sure you seal your wooden platform at least once a year with a deck sealer and also check your barrels on a regular basis for possible leaks.