Buying a dock is an adventure. There are so many things to think about. What exactly are we going to do on this dock? Cannonball contests for sure! I have one son who loves to fish, the other two kids love to boat and tube. It has to be safe (no wobble) and aesthetically appealing. No more old, wobbly and slippery dock. My husband and I are thinking about a bench to sit on at night watching the sunset, maybe having a cocktail or two. Lake Winnebago is a shallow lake which makes the waves on our side big enough for boogie boarding. We’ve seen 4-5 foot waves come roaring in so we needed something sturdy and durable. We need 40 feet of dock, because the bottom of the lake is sandy and shallow by us, our boat and PWC need the space to get off the lifts without hitting bottom.
We set out looking at different options and settled on an L Shape dock, non-slip surface with a bench (including cupholders) on the end. We’ve added to it over the years. Brackets to hold the sections in closer to shore and also a set of steps that go into the water for me to easily access my kayak. It is durable, non-slip and we can powerwash it in the spring to get off the lakefront grime.
Our neighbor, Jeremy, of EastSide Dock and Lift sells Bulmann Docks and Lifts and they are a great option. They are modular and can be customized to fit any configuration for your boats and PWCs. We are upgrading this year to a Bulmann hydraulic lift for our 24’ Harris Tritoon. Our old lift was 10 years old and needed replacing.