| Many waterfront owners would like to have a dock, | | | | a 10 horse power outboard motor. The other reason is |
| but are in a jurisdiction that requires a dock permit. | | | | that the 55 gallon drums are tremendously buoyant |
| Often these permits can be expensive, difficult to | | | | and will be as stable as any dock with similar |
| acquire, or both. However, in most locations, a | | | | dimensions. Typically these floating docks come in |
| waterfront property owner is allowed to pull a boat up | | | | widths of 4 to 17 feet and have lengths from 8 to 32 |
| on shore and leave it there indefinitely. So, one solution | | | | feet. For the dock surface, any common deck material |
| is to get a boat that works like a dock, or a dock that | | | | can be used. |
| can be licensed like a boat. In order to qualify as a | | | | Often docks use pilings to hold them in place. |
| boat it must be an approved vessel according to the | | | | However, a permit may be required for the pilings. |
| guidelines of the U.S. Coast Guard. In other words it | | | | Instead of pilings, the end of the dock can be anchored |
| must be a boat from a safety and licensing standpoint. | | | | in place with two anchors that cross underneath the |
| In some jurisdictions it might be required that your | | | | dock. In this way the anchor lines are out of the way |
| vessel be certified by the National Marine | | | | of boats pulling up to the dock. If there is some tidal |
| Manufacturers Association. | | | | movement, attaching the anchor with mostly chain |
| This technique will also work for lakes and waterfront | | | | instead of rope can minimize drifting. |
| properties that do not allow floating docks at all. By | | | | There are two other benefits of using floating dock of |
| mooring a dock that is disguised as a boat and | | | | this type. |
| installing a gangway you now have in effect a dock | | | | 1) The cost. Typically these rolling floating dock setups |
| even though a governing body would recognize your | | | | will be less expensive than a typical dock setup. |
| dock officially as a vessel. | | | | 2) The portability. Several commercial rolling floating |
| One of the leading edge ways to construct a boat | | | | dock models have highway rated wheel and axle |
| that can be used as a dock is by using what is called | | | | systems that allows the dock to be connected to a |
| "Rolling Barrel Technologies" which is the use of 55 | | | | standard trailer hitch on a car and towed out of the |
| gallon polyethylene plastic drums as the flotation | | | | launch ramp on onto the highway. This works great for |
| system. The reason Rolling Barrel Technology is so | | | | seasonal situations where the water freezes during |
| effective for a dock/boat set up is because it is light in | | | | the winter months. |
| weight so it is easily moved with something as little as | | | | |