I regularly replace and renew docks at my marina. With six fingers running up to 180 feet from the main dock, it is a substantial task and one I prefer to do only once, the best way I can, while remaining affordable. The docks require significant durability and stability, since they receive heavy traffic from boaters, particularly during the summer season. We are also the float plane terminus for Thetis Island, bringing additional foot traffic and aircraft movements to our docks throughout the year.

For the most recent dock construction project, I reviewed the suitability of a variety of types of flotation, and opted for roto-moulded flotation from Barr Plastics, under a dock of our own design. This particular dock project was a replacement of the main finger, which is situated perpendicular to the tidal flow and prevailing winds, and has the other fingers joined to it. It is essentially the backbone of our dock structure. Our design allowed the dock to be built in a modular fashion, assembling in sections with staggered joints to give rigidity, while allowing relatively easy movement of the sections for sequential assembly.

The use of 48 by 48 by 16 inch Barr Plastics roto-moulded flotation gave the desired flotation values we determined we needed and also allowed placement of the flotation at the extremes of the dock sides, which would give us optimum stability while maintaining a large open area for debris flow-through under each dock segment. Being able to place flotation at the corners of the dock segments for stability underfoot, means enhanced safety. The thick roto-moulded covering meant no concern of damage from collision or debris abrasion. The dock has proven to be solid and stable under virtually all conditions of weather and use.

I have used a variety of different foam flotation methods in previous dock construction. I was determined that this particular dock had to be exceedingly robust and have wear-resistant flotation to ensure a long life. I also wanted no degradation of flotation values, and maximum latitudinal stability, since its role would be as the main backbone dock. The Barr Plastics roto-moulded floats do not absorb water, so we avoided the slow insidious settling I have experienced previously using polyurethane foam and styrofoam flotation. The roto-moulded encapsulation also means the Barr Plastics floats are essentially impervious to the attacks of marine birds and mammals. Otters like to hollow out the tops of foam billets creating burrows, which makes a mess of floating foam bits, reduces flotation values, and seriously weakens the flotation. At the same time, seagulls and ducks like to feed on mussels and other growth that finds the flotation a home, and as they pull their food from the sides of the billet, they also remove a small portion of the foam which is attached to the marine life. The Barr roto-moulded flotation billets, with their heavy plastic encapsulation, do not have these degradation problems.

I am very satisfied with Barr Plastics. I received detailed and comprehensive technical advice in our deliberations as to what size and type of floatation we needed. The billets have a high degree of durability so transportation proved to be no problem, and they arrived in pristine condition, ready for immediate use. Styrofoam and polyurethane foam we had used previously was often damaged in shipping, and the foam blocks still required treatment to seal them. This had been costly and time consuming, took many hours of labour, and was somewhat weather dependant, so it was something I definitely wanted to avoid. We build docks in the winter off-season, so weather can play a real factor in our rate of progress. The Barr Plastics billets met cost/durability criteria, they were ready to use immediately, and they were easy to incorporate in our dock designs. I still have some older docks to be replaced in the near future, and I am planning on again using Barr Plastics roto-moulded flotation for the construction of these docks.

P.W.S. Deacon
President
Thetis Island Resorts