Aluminum Docks
 

I am looking for a seasonal removable 6 X 40 aluminum pipe dock (4 sections 6X10). In researching various models, there is certainly a lot of different types and quality out there. Does anyone have actual experience with a product called Alummikon Dock made in Maine ?? If so, what is your opinion of the product? Same for FWM docks..... Any other recommendations on dock products that are well built / durable. Also, any thoughts on decking material for the dock...Cedar, FlowThru, CertainTeed Vinyl EverNew, etc. ?? Thanks

I have a 6 x40 aluminum dock but it is a tilt up, not a pipe dock. Lakes Region Marine Construction installed mine and I think they are manufactured locally. Most of the local dock companies can install them. I can lift it and set it by myself, which is a big plus. I have PT but I'm not thrilled with it because it tends to warp when it gets dried out in the summer months. if I had it to do over I would choose a different decking material, maybe ipe or cedar???

I have seen the FWM docks. They are a great product very durable and built with top quality materials. The thru flow decking is great, especially if you are in a rough area where huge waves can become an issue for the decking. Check out production trailer and dock in Meredith, they are a FWM retailer.

I have had a FWM dock with the flowthru deck for 5 or 6 yrs. now. Memory is going. If you go on their web site, dock photos, gallery 1:20. The dock with the bow rider on whips, pontoon in the center, pedal boat and the pwc's is mine. I did a lot of homework before buying and this was by far the best I saw. We get some bad storms (in fact it was a storm that wrecked the old dock) and it has held up fine. There are now 3 on my street and we all use the same person for R&R. PM me if I can be any help to you.

Crank Up Docks
 

We install and sell crank up docks all over New Hampshire. We seem to install more and more every year due to the ease of operation and the amazing stability they offer during the boating season. Our docks are manufactured locally for us. I encourage you to take a look at our website. www.nedockandbarge.com

FWM Docks
 

http://www.fwmdocks.com/

Have 3-12" sections that are 3 years old now. They are the best you will find and local. We purchased directly and they installed for a small fee. 4 bolts hold the sections together and we take in and out yearly. Visit the boat shows and you will be able to see the quality difference of the docks on the market.

Producion Trailer & Dock
 

I have a Hewitt Dock and it is great..Howie at Production has taken care of this for years..Give him a call ...Very reliable

Our dock will probably need replacing within the next few years and I have had my eyes on aluminum docks and read all of the posts about them.

We do not have a mooring and my husband has concerns that an aluminum dock would not be strong enough to tie a 20 foot pontoon boat against for the season.

Are these docks strong enough?

Sunrise Point....in one word....ABSOLUTELY. But you have to get the correct dock. There are lots of cheaper ones out there.

I had the same concerns before I installed mine and it has held up fine and I live on a very very windy point with 24' and 15' boats. The first winter I had some issues with the wind twisting it while it was tilted up but LRMC came back and took care of it. It turned out that the huge boulder that it was attached to at the shore was moving. The dock was fine.

6x40 Crank ups
 

The 6x30 and 6x40 docks are made with 2x4 alluminum framing which offers alot of strength. We use 4x6 pressure treated tie off posts that crossed braced beneath the frame. We often tie our small 8x30 barge to one and leave it for days. They are a great alternative to a permanent docking structure.

Dock Selection
 

I agree with the above post regarding FWM Docks. We've had ours for several years now and couldn't be happier. We've continued to add onto it and have even changed the layout around from what we had originally had.

Before purchasing the dock from FWM my wife and I did a ton of research. We liked the idea of the crank up docks... but it's such an eye sore for almost half of the year. We have a nice view of the lake and couldn't see looking at an erector set. So in the end we really focused our search on a standard aluminum dock. And you really can't beat the FWM Dock in my opinion, www.fwmdocks.com.

6 X 48 w/patio
 

My aluminum dock system is a Floe. It is a rolling dock system that my boys and I install ourselves every year. I am on the roughest part of the lake and routinely see 3 foot waves. The best part of this system is that it can be adjusted for seasonal water height differences with a cordless drill. There are no posts, just leg kits with a large nut on the top for adjusting the height. This and the 15 year warranty was a big selling point for me.

http://www.floeintl.com/docks.asp?pageName=rollIn&sm=1

new blog
 

We answer dock and permitting questions on our blog. Questions answered by a wetlands scientist

www.nedockandbarge.com

Aluminum Docks
 

Watermark did our dock from soup to nuts and it is great. They build their own docks and it is very strong. I think they also sell pre-made docks. Contact Glenn or Walker and they'll help you out with everything. Their website is: www.docksource.com

Some toughts
 

So I always here about people considering aluminum docks I always ask one question why? Now sure the Aluminum docks offer Maintance free, and a modern look... But are they really worth the Money. When I started to think about revamping some of my dock I gave Aluminum some consideration. I came to one conclusion, unless I purchase a crank up, it wasn't worth.

Instead I continue to use wood constuction. I make the sections smaller 4 X 6 instead of 4 X 8... I make the floor boards removable... all in all I have reduced the wieght which was my concern. I Have a structure I can easily fix if something happens. I also couldn't beat the cost... (4) 2X6X8, about 8 decking boards and some strapping. Because I already have all the hardware for legs etc. I don't have that cost. All in all people really need to look back at wood, and realize that by changing things with ideas like removable floor boards, Pipe legs etc. you can reduce wieght and end up with an easy to remove system.... for way less money.....

The original post asked about 6 foot wide sections. That alone, from a weight perspective, makes a big difference. The 15 year warranty on mine was definitely a consideration. The biggest reason for me was the seasonal dock in/out procedure that dock companies get ridiculous money for. With the aluminum, I do it myself with my sons saving upwards of $700 per season for a dock my size and we can do it in less than an hour. There was a 3K difference in price at the time. It was worth it to me. This is the year I break even not having to pay an installer :D:D

...used to hire three guys on the weekend to remove my dock....and it was a major pain finding people to do it....so I finally got smart and figured a way to remove it myself....w/ a 10' ramp built with 2x10's & a boat trailer winch attached to a very convenient tree trunk....even remove a 10'x10'x6' 450lb boat lift..

While one does not make any money by cutting expenses, at least you save....

So, how much would I be paying to say Center Harbor Dock or some other company to remove four 8' antique aluminum & wood sections and a big boat lift? I used to pay three guys $50 each, and now I do it alone... (?)

Here's a tragic but interesting side story from over ten years ago. One year, one of the helpers, a young 20-year old kid maybe from New Hampton, didn't return because during the winter, he killed himself in a car in a Florida residential garage by attaching a hose to the exhaust and routing it back through a window and into the car. At least, that's what the police decided is what happened. His dock removal buddy told me that it was probably most definately a drug related murder and the Florida local police just called it a suicide, with not much follow-up investigation.

After hearing about that, the wheels started to turn, and I started thinking about doing my dock removals by myself.....

......

Anyone from New Hampton remember his name.....a troubled kid.... There's not too much info on the net about NH suicides......nothing NH local on www.suicidememorialwall.com (what a creepy website) that I could find. Nothing better to do here......hmmmm.... on a cold & windy day, deep into the dead of winter.....ho-ho....:)

Missed the 6' wide part there.... well once again an option is to make smaller sections now we will move onto 6 X 6 sections.... To lighten them up once again you make the floor boards removable... and then you make the 2 center supports removable....using joist hangers I have found works excellent for this... once you have the frame in place you just drop the center supports in. I have done it even on my 4 X 6 sections with one center support. Once again it makes the sections just as light if not lighter then the Aluminum 10' sections, and the cost is considerable lower.

My reasoning for staying with wood is this... Although I know the Aluminum docks are nice, and I am not trying to say they are not worth the money... I don't weld Aluminum, so down the road when something breaks, I will have to find someone to weld it. As opposed to the wood, where I just pick up the supplies and make the quick change out. I of course am also handy and now have extra sections, so when I see one needs to be replaced I take my time over the summer and rebuild a spare section.

I am not try to sway people away from Aluminum, just putting it out there, that if designed right wooden docks are just as good of a solution.

[QUOTE=LIforrelaxin;117885 ...weld Aluminum, so down the road when something breaks, I will have to find someone to weld it. [/QUOTE]

I have an old all-aluminum dock, maybe made in the 1950's or 1960's, and there's usually ways do make repairs without going to East Coast Welding-Gilford for a fancy-dancy heli-arc aluminum weld....such as galvanized mending plates from the hardware store and stainless screws....or a pressure treated wood repair rib underneath or something....probably not from Wal-Mart.....


A good place for scrounging aluminum dock hardware is out the back yard at M&M Marine Salvage, and the Meredith Transfer Station, conveniently located directly across the road from one another.

LI, I think that it was your suggestions a few years ago about separate dock sections and floor panels that we incorporated into our existing dock. It has made a huge difference in the weight and ease of removal. With the use of our existing hardware and some blemished 2x12's that were given to us, we were able to re-do most of the framing and make new cedar decking panels. The cost of materials was about $150.00.

You make a very valid point about repairs. I can repair our wood dock with my own tools and wood from the lumber yard.

I still dream of having an aluminum dock someday. There are a few used aluminum docks by Watermark available on Craig's list. I had been in touch with them about one of the docks, but since it was wider than our existing dock, they felt that a permit would be required.

Someday....

If you live on The Broads
 

Auminum docks are a big no no. A heavy wood dock on driven piles or on a hinge with a crank is the way to go. A 'newbie' up the street spent a lot of money putting in an aluminum dock and within a few years it was destroyed. He got smart and did what his neighbors did. Replace the aluminum with wood.

How do you think it would do on the Broads - Rattlesnake Island area?