Planning to set up or take down your floating dock? Whether you're preparing for a glorious summer on the water or protecting your investment from harsh winter ice, knowing the precise steps are crucial. This detailed, hands-on guide walks you through every phase, from the moment your dock arrives to safely storing it for the off-season.
Setting Up Your Floating Dock: A Step-by-Step Installation Manual
A well-executed installation ensures longevity and stability for years of enjoyment. Follow these stages carefully to get your dock perfectly situated.
1. Delivery and Off-Loading Logistics
The first step is receiving your dock components.
Transportation: Your factory-assembled dock sections will arrive via semi-truck and trailer. Your primary responsibility here is securing the necessary heavy-duty lifting equipment (like a crane or large forklift) to safely offload and move the large sections.
2. Preparing the Staging Area
The area where you prepare the dock before installation is just as important as the water itself.
Site Prep: Select a clear, flat, and clean staging area. Critically, clear away all debris and sharp objects that could potentially puncture or damage the dock's floats.
Organization: The assembled sections are typically labeled to match a shop drawing. Take this time to match the labels to the drawing and perform any minor field assembly required before they touch the water.
3. Placement: Gangway and Dock Sections
This is where the structure takes shape on the water.
Gangway Base: Begin by attaching the shore-end hinge half of the aluminum gangway to its secure point—usually a concrete pad on the shore.
Main Docks: Float the factory-assembled Main Dock sections into their approximate positions. Connect these subsequent sections using the supplied connecting pins and hitch clips.
Pile Guides: If equipped - once the main sections are pinned together, attach the pile guides (the mechanisms that wrap around the support pilings) to the main dock structure.
Gangway Finalization: Now, the gangway can be pinned at the shore and gently lowered onto the dock. This action locates the exact spot for the aluminum deck roller plates.
Crucial Tip: The gangway's connecting pin (pipe) must slide into the knurls with ease. Never pound the pin through the knurls! Secure the pin with the supplied stainless bolt set and attach the deck roller plates using the provided stainless screws.
Finger Docks: Float the Finger Docks into their designated spots and pin them to the Main Docks.
Safety Alert: Be extra careful with the narrower Finger Docks. They are top-heavy and are prone to rolling or flipping. Ensure they are properly secured until they are pinned to the main structure.
4. Final Quality Check
Before calling the job done, perform a thorough inspection.
Secure Connections: Walk the entire dock system. Verify that all connecting pins are properly installed and secured with their corresponding hitch clips.
Hardware Check: Ensure all pile guide hoops are properly and securely attached using the stainless hex head bolt sets.
Aesthetics/Safety: Now is the ideal time to replace any damaged Vinyl Rubrail.
Protecting Your Investment: Dock Removal & Storage
In regions prone to freezing water or heavy ice movement, dock removal is a non-negotiable step to prevent significant damage.
Dismantling the Sections
The removal process is essentially the reverse of the installation—disconnecting the sections by removing the pins.
Sequence: Start by unpinning the Finger Dock sections first and moving them back to the shore. Again, exercise extreme caution with the tippy finger dock sections.
Freeing the Main Docks: To separate the Main Docks from the pilings, you must unbolt the hoop section of the pile guides.
Gangway: Remove the aluminum gangway by simply taking out its connecting pin.
Preparing for Storage
Proper storage protects the integrity of your dock materials during the off-season.
Location: Move all sections to a flat, dry-land storage location.
Stacking: Sections should be stacked neatly. Limit stacks to no more than four (4) sections high to prevent undue stress.
Spacers: This step is crucial for Finger Docks. You must use wood spacers between sections, placed underneath the floats. This prevents the dock cleats from contacting the underlying float, which would cause damage over time.
Don't risk your investment! If you have any questions or require specific, technical clarification on any part of the installation or removal process, please contact our expert support team directly today.
