Floating or fixed?

Floaters are my choice..If the water level fluctuates, your lines always stay the same..no worry's about lines tightening or becoming loose...
 
Greg, I have been on both and I go for the floaters. I have been through numerous big blows on a fixed dock and standing out in 60+ winds and rain blowing the high tide into the fixed dock sucks. Had to go out every 2 hours and readjust lines until the storm passed. One boat near me was an absentee owner boat and it wound up with the piling sticking up through his bow. At least it didn't sink. On normal days with tide swings I either had to step up or jump down to board my boat. With the floating I could easily step onto my boat with any tide. I even was able to easily wash/wax the hull on the floater. Didn't have to readjust any lines or utility lines. I had 1 fender tied off on the dock for midship and one tied off on the boat aft and never had the dock rub the boat. By the way, my boat was a 1990 Silverton 34C.
 
I give up.
Do what fits your boat.
I guarantee your answer will change depending on your boat.
 
I listened to everything you said Bruce. Always value your opinion. New home is slip K-186, Naval Station Norfolk Sailing Center and marina. It is a floating dock. Geeze, I hope they don't regret putting me beside the Admirals dock! Seems like a great deal. About $6 per foot/month with water and electric included.
 
Always a benefit to be near the boss as long as you dont see each other being stupid.
 
I vote for "Floaters 10+"! If it is going to be your permanent slip get the large round dock wheels instead of fenders and ask the marina if they will allow & then through bolt them to the floating dock. I have had this for the last 3 years and been through every storm with no issues. I use 3 but I am parallel to the main floating dock, I don't have anything but shallow water and marsh on my starboard side.
Bill
 
It's NOB. Which Admiral? The hockey team or the C.O.?

Maybe it was by design. I would love to hate to have his job. He can't win no matter what he does.
 
Floating docks are fine provided they are in good enough shape to take that big storm that we all dread. Are the spiles in good shape and long enough to stay in place? Is the dock hardware strong enough to take the enormous stress that your dock lines will put on them? The real world is that all the lights will go out and the wind will be howling. Probably too late to put on extra lines. Probably too late to make a judgment as to how well the marina was designed.

I've lived though two New England hurricanes on floating docks my boat. They were not fun but they were nothing like the storms that southern Florida gets.

When the wind-driven swells start, all the boats on floating docks near you rock at different frequencies. The boat next to me (a 42 footer with no one aboard) would surge up against its lines really hard and then crash down until the next surge hit. In a half hour or so, you could see that it was about to break loose. We were talking to the marina on the VHF radio but there wasn't much they could do. We prepared to back out and get away before our neighbor crashed into us but that wasn't necessary. The really big winds passed.

I guess my point is that it's not fixed pier vs. floating docks but how well each are engineered to take a storm.

Bill
 
David, don't know which admiral. I don't think there is a land route that is going to work with the bridge in place. Haven't found a house yet. Going to live in the BOQ/ Shipyard for awhile. Jackie can can come down on weekends and we can look at real estate. I'll get to boat more as a bachelor.
 
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