Floating or fixed?

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Gregory S

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I have my choice of a floating dock or fixed dock at the marina at Norfolk Naval station. Tidal surge is about three feet. What do you guys think?
 
Thanks NC, certainly more like what I'm used to on the Ohio river. Looks like a nice Marina, can't beat the price! :)Can't wait to be a Chesapeak Bay boater.
 
3'? I prefer fixed with wood pilings but it really depends on the boat. with larger boats you're higher up so it's easy to get on and off... with a smaller boat, floating is easier.

what i like about fixed wood pilings is that you dont' need to use fender whereas floating docks usually leave marks on the boat if you dont' use fenders
 
Depends on the arrangements. Keep in mind, my perspective is that of the guy who not only runs the boat, but maintains everything outside the machinery spaces as well. Floating docks-properly hanging fenders will do you for most weather. Gets sporty, a couple Norwegians will normally do the trick. Now, fixed piers - pilings need to be kept from rubbing on the rails. Some moorings make that easy enough, where you can rig lines to keep it off the pilings. Some arrangements you're laying alongside, where the best you can hope for is a floating camel - so you beat up the waterline instead of the rail.

But having smashed up my knees, back, neck, and a shoulder getting the snot beat out of me on boats, I'll take the nice easy step from a floating dock to the deck any day over ladders and a well timed jump.
 
Like I said over there.
Floating it is.

Easier for anyone that has special needs let alone anyone. Easy on easy off. And When the hurricane comes to town the boat stays with the dock.
 
Greg,

I've had both. Floaters beat fixed bar none. Many boats from my old marina (fixed) went to my current marina (floaters) for a weekend, reserved slips for the following season and never looked back.

That surge in NORVA is 3 feet in EACH direction. The total tide swing is a minimum of 6 feet on a normal situation. BTDT. Take into consideration storm tides and the monthly moon tide and the swing gets closer to 10 total feet. 5 up and 5 down. That requires constant line adjustments. Do you really need that if you are the on call Doctor and a storm is enroute. Add to that, it is a RPITA to board unless you are at slack tide. Boating is supposed to be about relaxing. I am now working in RIC and have only been to Saint Max 3 times in the last two months as opposed to weekly. She has been in exactly the same position in the slip as when I winterized her shortly after Thanksgiving. That includes a 16 foot surge swing where the stationary docks with the ramps to the floater were a foot plus under water. All they did was cut the power to the docks until the storm passed.

Who did you sleep with to get a floating slot at NAVSTA?

Why NAVSTA. That's a long haul from the Naval Hospital. Orders get changed?
 
if you have a boat with high freebord fixed is better since you dont have to club up and down, For low freeboard boats the same is true with floating. So IMO it depends on the boat not the owner.
 
Seems each has it's prponents. And all make good argumrnts. Strongly leaning toward floating for the reasons mentioned by David. Got lucky with a phone call and 2 floaters available. Why NOB? Closer than Littlecreek. No change in orders. Still NMCP.
Asked the marina manager where I should have the boat shipped to for off loading, flybridge re-attatched and launched. He quickly suggested Portsmouth boating center.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Gregory S

Seems each has it's prponents. And all make good argumrnts. Strongly leaning toward floating for the reasons mentioned by David. Got lucky with a phone call and 2 floaters available. Why NOB? Closer than Littlecreek. No change in orders. Still NMCP.
Asked the marina manager where I should have the boat shipped to for off loading, flybridge re-attatched and launched. He quickly suggested Portsmouth boating center.

Click to expand...


Portsmouth is a good recommendation. However, thinking...thinking....thinking....Are there any straight shot no overpass to go under routes between you and points east? What is the route to the various rivers north of RIC that would allow you to transport w/o removing the bridge? Is there a need for me to look at a map to save you $$$$$.

Have you decided where are you going to live? Have you made the house hunting trip yet? I truly miss that excitement.

If you need any help moving, let me know.
 
Floating for sure. I've had a floating slip for 3 years now and love it. You just walk right on and off without worrying about the tide. I haven't had the need for fenders in the slip. The best part is that you don't have to worry about adjusting your lines when there's a storm.
 
3' foot tidal swing? Floating all the way. I've had larger boats (over 30') on both. With a floating dock your boarding will always be the same and if you have a swim platform with access to the cockpit, boarding is an easy step away. Yes, you will need fenders. With fixed docks and a tide swing boarding can be a challenge at times. Really sucks when you get to the marina late on a Friday night at low tide and the wind is blowing the water ever farther out. We had a 3' tide swing that could easily be a 5' swing if the moon and wind were right. Yes, you can rig your lines on a fixed dock so fenders aren't needed but that means you are keeping the boat off the dock and your step to the boat becomes a bit more interesting. For that reason I always used fenders and even had a counter weight and pulley set-up to employ to help control the distance from the fixed dock when we were on the boat.
 
With floating you don’t worry about tide changes, just tip up and its done. Depending on construction floating can be very noisy and the poles cant be used for tie up since the boat will move with the dock and lines get trapped in the rollers. The poles on floaters need to be robust and tall since in storm tides the docks may float very high exerting great lateral stress. Look at the poles for evidence of how high the rollers have gone and how much safety factor they have.

With fixed I don’t have to deploy stairs and in some marinas they are frowned on because they interfere with peoples passage. Why would I want to add stairs when fixed fit better? When visiting floaters are difficult to get off the first time because the height is so different before the stairs are deployed and getting a line on a cleat down on the dock is a pita.
oat and fixed are common here and fixed is just simpler, easier, quieter and more comfortable for high freeboard.

If I had low freeboard I would prefer floating especially if I didn’t plan on overnights at the dock.
 
Here are some pix of Greg's new home.



norfolk_marina.jpg
 
What's with all those sticks on top of those skinng boats??
 
quote:
Originally posted by MikeeH

What's with all those sticks on top of those skinng boats??

Click to expand...


As best I can figger, it's a Norfolk thing. No lines. No fenders. Just a big stick. Maybe it's a mooring stick. Maybe to cast off they pull on the stick, leave and do whatever it is they do.

Rumor has it what they do is like standing in a cold shower in a rain suit tearing up $100 bills and watching them go down the drain.

When they return, they push the stick back down. I guess it's kinda like nailing your boat to the bottom of the ocean.

They come back covered in salt and sweat, don't shower, put on funny looking clothes and scour the marina for free liquor and food which is usually found on stickless boats. Then they depart for the day.

Strange habits those stick people have.
 
looks great, can't wait. You big water boaters are going to have to come down and impart lots of local knowledge to this river boater.
 
Floating. If you have to step up, just get steps. If you have wind and extra high tides you will like your decision.
 
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