Minutes before the sun sets on the shores of Frye Island, Maine, do-it-yourselfers pause for a thumbs-up, having completed their first dock installation.
PREFACE
More Than Just a Tie-up for the Boat
Do you spend more hours on the dock than offshore in your boat? Reoccurring engine failure or the exorbitant cost of fuel could be the cause for some. For others, it’s enough to simply be on the water for its allure, where the dock is convenient and sometimes has a living space. After spending enough time on the dock, eventually you’ll walk away with a “dock tale” or two and realize the added value that comes with a dock. It is more than just a tie-up for the boat. As a lifelong dock builder, I’ve come to know many who live out all they can on the dock. It’s their favorite destination and the center stage for making memories with family. Perhaps you can recount a favorite dock tale of your own.
A Dock Tale
It is with one of my favorite dock tales that I’d like to dedicate this book to my father and mother, Fremont and Norma Merriam. Their little cottage on Mousam Lake in Maine gave me and all my siblings childhood vacation experiences that remain treasured to this day.
The cottage was so small, my mother had to cleverly manage—like playing a game of Tetris—to fit her brood of five (at the time) all inside for the night. My father, who could have built an extra bedroom or two, decided it was more urgent to build a dock. His logic went like this: “You kids have bedrooms at home. We’re here for the lake, so a dock is what we need at the cottage, not bedrooms.” When completed, he had more than a dock, he had what appeared to be an airstrip floating on barrels. Since our corner of the lake was always calm, devoid of wind, he moored the deep end with chain and anchors, while the shore end, under its own weight, simply nested into the sandy beach. This held the dock with his runabout tethered alongside.
A dock of its size could not be ignored, especially by a pack of kids, many of whom came together from cottages nearby. They ruled the neighborhood all day from the woods to the water including the large dock that would become center stage for many stories. One morning, my brother, Tom, who was always fascinated with the contents of National Geographic magazine, became inspired particularly by its features covering the adventures of the world- renown SCUBA diver, Jacque Cousteau. With a mask, snorkel, and a buddy, Tom set out off the dock to uncover the lake’s sunken secrets. Minutes later, they exploded with elation on the surface about ten meters beyond Dad’s dock. Could it be the wreckage of an alien spacecraft or gold bullion? Now that would have been something! But, more like you’d expect, they found a lost and forgotten anchor.
To Tom and his buddy, this was a very good find, one to be proud of, especially after figuring out how to retrieve it. With all the young and curious spectators crowding onto the dock, Tom saw his opportunity. He swam down with a long rope and slipped its end through the anchor’s eyelet. Returning to the dock, Tom enlisted everyone to grab onto the rope like a tug-of-war team and commence pulling. The next scene became very intense. Everyone who had been a spectator was now in on it, hands locked onto the rope, bodies leaning and knuckles turning white. Though the team was impressive and determined, the anchor’s hold was proving to be unconquerable. With the team’s last ounce of spirit and strength, one final pull surprisingly made the difference. Hand over hand with the rope, tugging the anchor to the dock, brought victory closer and restored the team’s spirit with every pull.
About that time, my father arrived at the cottage and thought he should investigate all the hoopla coming from the beach. From his perspective, it appeared they had an alligator on the other end of that rope and clearly they did not know what they were doing. Suddenly, the team hears my Dad’s alarming shout from the shore. All heads turned back to see that the dock had been dislodged from the beach and that instead of pulling the anchor to the dock, they were pulling the dock to the anchor. My father did not know then that ten years later he would be in the dock business, designing and building nice docks for others. You can bet, he never once again anchored the shore end with just its own weight.
The family fun at Mousam Lake inspired my mother and father to eventually find a home where they could live on the lake year-round—one that had bedrooms. Eventually, their dream came true in the Sebago Lakes region of Maine. My father, a self- employed building contractor with an engineering background, discovered a lack of dock builders or good dock-building methods near his new home. With his design talent and ingenuity, he developed a dock system for himself that would become the prototype for a new business venture in docks. There, he continued to design and manufacture his own line of specialty dock hardware, making it available to do-it-yourselfers and other contractors.
In a region that was lacking much-needed specialized knowledge and proper materials for docks, I credit my mother and father for building a business that would fill the void, set the standards, and propagate the knowledge. Today, the designs and methods established during their years in business can still be seen, relied on by a newer and much larger generation of dock builders. Thanks to my Creator above and my mother and father who founded the business, bringing me in at a young age, I dedicate this book to them, Fremont and Norma Merriam.
Back to the story, the situation, though looking grim, improved tremendously once enough rope had been pulled in so that the floating dock was now drifting over the anchor. Standing directly over the anchor, Tom and his buddy were able to lift straight up on the anchor to break its grip from the bottom. What they realized was that the rope’s original angle upon tugging pulled the anchor deeper into the mud, only making it harder to release. Adding ten more kids to pull would not have helped. Instead, by standing right over the anchor with the line straight up, Tom and his buddy were able to manage it alone. Understanding this principal comes in handy when mooring a boat or a floating dock.
INTRODUCTION FROM THE DOCK PRO
For the dock owner, user, “do-it-yourself ” mender, and builder, a unique set of challenges at the shore must be faced with specialized knowledge and skill. Although self-learning through first-hand experience and tip exchanges between neighbors will always have high value, sometimes it would be nice to hear from a career dock builder, aka a “dock pro,” someone devoted to his calling, studious to the challenges you’re facing, and with the fervor to find remedies that bring resolve. In the chapters ahead, you will find the dock pro’s tips, based on decades of proven methods for simple things like installing a tie-up cleat, improving dock stability, and ways for protecting your boat while docked. You will also find complete details for planning and building various kinds of docks perfect for the “do-it-yourselfer” (DIYer), who wants to “hit a homerun.” If you have a dock or you’re about to build one, a windfall of special information is just ahead for you to take full advantage.
Exploring this book, you’ll learn about