How high off the water should the new dock be?

How far should the top of the dock be from the water?

My lake doesn’t change much unless monsoons come. I have always had a 14 Alumacraft rowboat with a 6HP, so it low. Alumacraft Classic w/ 60 hp coming.

I am getting impatient….still waiting for Terrova & Helix since April. It better get here soon. While waiting, last week I found a deal I couldn’t pass up on a 2018 GMC 1500 w/ 23K miles to tow my new boat. I bought a Shoremaster dock to be delivered next week to park my new boat. IF it doesn’t come soon I may have a 36×48 “garage” to put my new boat in.

Without a lift…ideally, I’d prefer to step straight into my boat (bench height or bow height or whatever I’m stepping onto).

If the water level doesn’t vary from season to season or year to year, then make it 12 to 18 inches above the water. Depending on what you want and what works for you.

Talk to your neighbors with dock and see what they have and what works.

And I was expecting to read a post from Eelpoutguy !

High enough for me to skip under.

Denny O wrote:

And I was expecting to read a post from Eelpoutguy !

Denny O wrote:

And I was expecting to read a post from Eelpoutguy !

That’s funny Denny O.
I’m calculating the next “new” dock and it’s going to be 24″‘s above the average water line.

I just broke the news to the FW – $75K for a perm dock with 8″ steel casings:???: But she is ok with that. We love dock life! Caught 2 eyes last night and had visitors and perhaps have caught more.

I set the bottom of my dock 6 to 8 inches above the water level.

I use a dock float crosswise under the dock section to float the sections out to the correct position and lower the legs.

I use a 4 foot level to level each section before adding the next section.

I am not crazy about perfect level (like some of my neighbors) but they need to be pretty close.

My pontoon is pretty much straight step and my paddle boat is a step down. The fishing boat is somewhat like the paddle boat.

I leave my Floe dock sections the same height above the water all year, this starts about 18″ above the water in the early spring when the water level is higher and ends above 30″ above in the summer. We have alot of Wakesurf boats in my bay and keeping the dock higher eliminates any worry when we get a ton of rain. If you have a steel dock the wave action worry is less…

Without the boat I guessed 12-15″. I guess I should go around the lake and measure boat & dock heights and see how they look. I hope they are friendly when they see me. I know of 1 boat like the one I have coming. But it’son a lift.

Is your dock used for swimming? We like to keep ours a little closer to the water so that it’s easier to get up out of the water (unless you have a ladder, in which case it’s a moot point). We try to keep it high enough that floating weeds don’t collect on the bracing underneath. It’s a personal preference thing.

We have to keep moving the fishing boat lift back because the lake our family cabin is on is getting so low. Pretty soon I’m going to need a parachute to get in the boat.

ThunderLund78 wrote:

We have to keep moving the fishing boat lift back because the lake our family cabin is on is getting so low. Pretty soon I’m going to need a parachute to get in the boat.

This is very true and what sucks is that the water level typically rises back up in the fall before you take it out so you’re dealing with much deeper ice cold water then…