Dock limitations

[go2ldook]

Looking at a 22 foot M series with the extended aft deck. Our dock slip is 9 ft wide. I know this is going to be tight. Our current boat is a Monterey Bowrider with an 8ft 3 inch beam. I have had no major issues docking it. Fortunately not one of the more heavy traffic lakes. We also have a pier extension on one side of the slip which will help. Can pull the boat up to it and ease it in. Not something I have to do with the Monterey, I just glide in, but I know docking a boxy tritoon will benefit from this.

I know a wider slip would be better, obviously, but may be difficult to impossible. Have seen posts about this, mostly with comments from people who have 10 ft wide slips advising. Have seen a couple of posts from people with 9 ft slips saying it works. Hoping to hear from others in this situation.

I will definitely upgrade dock

If they could shift the support beams so they are not jutting out into the slip space, would buy me an extra 9 inches. Not sure how viable that is, putting new pilings next to where holes habe already been dug. Anything more than that might get shot down by Duke Energy, who we lease our Lake front from. So I have to buy with the idea that the slip is unlikely to change.

Bunks: the aft side cross beam sits 19 ft back from the front of the slip. Dealer thinks 12 ft bunk boards would be fine. If I center a 12 ft board between beams, that has the bunk board extending 1.5 feet forward and after, so the back edge goes to a little over the 21ft point on the tube. Is that adequate or should I go for 14 ft? He pointed out that many trailers only have 6 ft bunks, so 12 should be fine.

Right as I was about to post this, the dock contractor that I had asked about refitting my lift suggested this conversion kit that provides deck support. Any thoughts on this? Everything I have seen has been mostly support for the tubes and from what I read briefly, that seems to be the preferred option as opposed to deck support

 

[Pbakk]

Supporting boat from the deck versus pontoons shouldn’t be an issue. I have Sea Legs (Ultra Legs) that support my tritoon without issue and it seems a common dock method.

 

[Vikingstaff]

That is tight. I got rid of our 10’ wide lift (supports for canopy) in part because it was such a stressful and difficult job getting it in the lift if the wind or waves kicked up after hours on the lake. I think your KEY advantage is the dock extension. I would think with that, you could do this so much more easily. Dock on the extension. Have 2 people. Use mooring ropes to allow the boat to drift out in line with lift, walk it forward. I can visualize this working easily vs trying to drive it in.

As for supports, both work great. You can support from under the deck, or under the pontoons. I think under the pontoons is most desirable, but it is built to be lifted under the deck. I have Sea Legs, so in effect, it’s lifted under the deck. Long way to say, go with what makes it easier for you to use, or makes more sense with lake depth. Both ways are approved by Bennington and wont hurt your pontoon boat.

Forgot to mention, if you go under pontoons, 12’ is fine. Absolutely no issue with that length for pontoon support. That is very standard for lifts. So again, you are covered there too. Anything longer is unnecesssary.

 

[DVW]

I agree with Vikingstaff the “KEY advantage is the pier extension”. Tie off a line having some slack between that extended pier and your bow cleat and then use your motor thrust to pull your boat up against the extended pier. That will give you control of the clearance on the other side of the boat when entering the slip. releasing the line on a windy day might be tough but not if the line is simply wrapped around the cleat and the tension is released when needed.

 

[go2ldook]

Thanks for the replies. A friend of mine came over with his old Aquapatio, which is actually 8'7" wide, and we got it in, no problem. Even having to squeeze it past 2 wide boat bumpers (that I will be replacing with lower profile fenders) it was bot a big deal. The pier is a huge help. Having caught my wake tower board rack on the cables in the past, I have already learned the advantage of easing my old boat out of the slip without power. Not a big deal.

Went with pontoon supports, which hopefully get installed this week. If so we are cruising this weekend!

Our contractor really pushed the deck supports for ease of docking...easier to line up. I don't think that will be an issue given my 9 ft lift beam, however, if it is, I may make a PVC guide that extends out and upward, almost like the deck support, just not touching the deck, to help like up the center toon. Best of both worlds.

 

[Vikingstaff]

Thanks for the replies. A friend of mine came over with his old Aquapatio, which is actually 8'7" wide, and we got it in, no problem. Even having to squeeze it past 2 wide boat bumpers (that I will be replacing with lower profile fenders) it was bot a big deal. The pier is a huge help. Having caught my wake tower board rack on the cables in the past, I have already learned the advantage of easing my old boat out of the slip without power. Not a big deal.

Went with pontoon supports, which hopefully get installed this week. If so we are cruising this weekend!

Our contractor really pushed the deck supports for ease of docking...easier to line up. I don't think that will be an issue given my 9 ft lift beam, however, if it is, I may make a PVC guide that extends out and upward, almost like the deck support, just not touching the deck, to help like up the center toon. Best of both worlds.

Excellent! Sounds like you have a great plan in regards to adding a guide if at all needed down the road. With your dock extension, and past experience using that lift, you may not even need it. Likewise, you have a nice idea, and if you could put that together easily, never hurts to have something helping a little bit.

Have a GREAT summer boating!!!