Dock Height?

[Plederman]

I am building a permanent dock for a cedarstrip rowboat that has 17" of freeboard..wondering what would be a good height for the top of the decking off the water......thanks

[marshmat]

How much does the water level vary on your lake? Not sure about Catskills, but around here the water levels can vary greatly over the course of the year.... hence why floating docks are so popular.
Download Cottage Life Magazine's free Dock Primer, http://cottagelife.com/htm/mag/primer/primers.asp it is an excellent starting point for anyone thinking of building a private dock and after reading it you should have a better answer to your own question.

[Plederman]

thanks...
i have a one acre pond... with rather minimal variation in water level...and have already sunk 6 cribs with rocks etc and fantasizing a timber framed boathouse...so really just looking for an ergonomic sense of how much to step down to be comfortable...also my wife has had a mild stroke so i would want her to have as easy and in and out as possible...i have seen the dock primer and read max burns on docks...but somehow this question escapes me

[sal's Dad]

Mock up a dock in your yard, with the boat beside it, and have your wife try getting in and out. Nobody here will be able to provide better information than she.

My guess would be a very low dock, with a permanent "transfer seat", Perhaps a pivoting seat, with good handholds - so she can sit down, swing her legs in, and then slide her bottom across, with minimum change in height...

One dock detail I have become fond of is 3' tall posts spaced along the edge - as handholds, and "fenders". You can then leave short docklines permanently on your boat, with an eye that can be dropped over the post.

Sal's Dad