work platform

[paul aubin]

I find myself in need of a floating work platform to do regular maintenance, spring commissioning, and winterizing of the boats out back. Our family boat is kept on a 16000# lift so i can only reach about 1/2 of one side from the bulkhead. The rest is impossible or a stretch with the risk of a splash :( .

I had originally decided to buy a section of floating dock for this as i have way too many items on the to-do list but the best deal i have found so far is $900+ for a 40" x 10' platform.

I would like to build a 4' x 8' platform out of PT 2 by and plywood (about $100 ) I am at a loss on how much buoyancy i need to add to the float, i am thinking of using PVC drain pipe capped at both ends secured inside the box. can anyone offer any advice or a formula i can use to get this right.

TIA Paul

[Richard Wolf]

A long time ago I used to build floating docks. We use foam floatation, in the form of large block that was availible from a good marine supply store. Check around, their must be plenty in Annapolis.

Richard

[paul aubin]

Richard

I did look at buying the encapsulated foam blocks and they priced out at over $400 bucks ...just trying to save a few dollars :)

[Michael Adelong]

How about some large tire innertubes or old 55 gal drums welded together? Make 2 pontoons...

Mike

[Craig D Peltier]

I used to paint the ferry that went to Marthas Vineyard every winter in the water.Our 4x8 floats just had big chunks of styrofoam under em.Maybe 2 feet thick.Worked fine.

[Randal Stevenson]

How about some large tire innertubes or old 55 gal drums welded together? Make 2 pontoons...

Mike

If you do the drums, please make sure they are old food drums, as compared to oil drums.

[Ben Grunow]

The best way is to use the styrofoam billets but they are expensive. The problem I see is that a 40" wide dock will not be stable with a man working on it as the center of the flotation is too far inboard to keep the dock from rocking when you stand on the edge (which is where you will stand all the time). Ever walk on a narrow finger pier and fell the way they rock?

If you must make one use old plastic drums (boat yards get antifreeze delivered in them in the fall) and place them sideways on your float, not lengthwise to increase stability and put them tight to eachother-as many as will fit in your design. You can always open the tops to allow the raft to sink if it floats to high.

I would try to get a smaller inflatable or borrow a small float from the yard maybe 5' wide at the least.

Standard dock construction is 4x4s at the corner with a lower, submerged skirt of 2x10 (?cant remember foam thickness) and an upper skirt (just 4 boards that are bolted to the corner posts for each layer) with 2 layers of 2x's on the flat that retain the billets... 1 between the skirts and a layer on the bottom of the lower skirt. Hope this makes sense.

Having built several docks I know that bolting is a must. The only other thought I have on cheap flotation is to make a plywood box inside the platform and fill it with something that displaces water and is cheaper than foam and easy to clean up if the dock splits open (ideas include polyurethane foam from West Systems, ping pong balls, rigid foam insulation, kickballs, empty 3 liter soda bottles, 12" drain pipes.........). Not to open a can of worms but I dont know what is available to you.

Pics when complete please.

Ben