Posted on July 3, 2015
Exploring Boat Dock Configurations and Layouts: Infinite Possibilities
Infinite Possibilities
Written by Eric Muckenhirn, ShoreMaster IT Director
Growing up I have always liked a little change in my life. Driving from point A to point B, I was not afraid of changing up the path, taking a different road to see some different scenery or stopping by a landmark on the side of the road to learn something new.
Four years ago my family bought our first dock system. It was part of the Infinity Series from ShoreMaster. It is named Infinity Series because of the infinite number of configurations you can have. Your only limitation is what you can dream up. Our family’s first dock was a functional and a modest straight dock. It was made up of four standing 4’ X 10’ Infinity sections, with cedar decking straight out from shore, and a swim ladder at the end. It was good enough to get us on the pontoon and out on the lake. Simple and functional. Summer #1 configuration was complete.
When you own a lake home, friends and family LOVE to come visit. A lake home is a place where friends and family want to visit and congregate. If given the opportunity, people will also congregate on the dock. The following season, we bought some more 4’ X 4’ and 4’ X 10’ sections thinking we knew exactly what we wanted; a platform at the end, a new slip for the pontoon to help with boarding, and also provide access to the sailboat. Summer #2 configuration was in the books.
Last summer, my family purchased a Jet Ski. The family was pretty excited about the Jet Ski, but the question came up about where we were going to park it. We decided to use the same configuration as the previous summer, but add another slip for the sail boat and park the Jet Ski outside of the sailboat slip. Summer #3 configuration was finished.
This season, as in seasons past, we decided to change it up yet again. We purchased some 45° angle dock sections and completely redesigned the dock layout again. Reusing the dock pieces we had, we were able to go out a little farther and rebuild the swim deck. Minnesota had lower water levels earlier in the spring/summer, so being able to move the pontoon out helped with launching. We were able to go farther out by reconfiguring the dock setup, removing the slip for sailboat, and moving the Jet Ski over to the main part of the dock. This configuration is by far my favorite. The 45° angles really make the dock look sharp with their rounded edges. The dock furniture at the end makes you feel like you are sitting out on water. The platform out at the end acts as a relaxation area. We also have two vertical dock bumpers at the end for when friends want to moor their boat to the dock.
We really love our dock. It has provided us with the flexibility to add-on as we needed. You are not limited to one cofiguration. By redesigning the layout, you truly can come up with many different designs to suit your needs and varying lake conditions each summer. Start simple like we did, and then over the course of some seasons you can add on piece by piece. Pictured is the standing RS4 dock. The entire setup, each summer, was reconfigured and installed by my dad who is 62 (sorry for posting your age) and me (an IT guy).
You might not want to reconfigure your setup as often as we do, but next summer you might get the itch. Believe me, it is fun knowing that you are only limited by your own creativity.
