Advice for building a raft or dock

[jim lee]

Naw, I'm not worried about your design issues, I was just being old and worring about you getting blown away.

I grew up sailing the SF Bay. I'm not sure where your cove is. I looked at the pix and it looked like it might be the city front? I could picture the wind coming up in the afternoon, like it does, and blowing you into the main bay.

But then, even if you -did- get blown out to the main bay, its more n' likley -someone- would pick you up. You'd all survive a harrowing exacpe from death and have exiting stories to tell afterwards. (In the long run not a bad thing.)

Some years ago we were heading home from a race. It was evening, going on dark, broad reach, chute up. Nearing the Redwood city channel one of the crew calls out; "Hey look! There's people hanging on that bouy!"

Sure enough, there's these two guys, clinging to the shipping channel bouy. We douced the chute, headed over and picked them up. They'd been out there for hours. Seems that their Hobi Cat self destructed on them and they lost it.

I donno' what would have happend to those poor guys if we didn't just happen to see 'em.

Anyway Have fun!

-jim lee

[dazuck]

The name is McCovey Cove, but the word cove is generous. It's really a manmade, or at least man optimized, inlet of water famous for being part of the San Fran Giants stadium. Here's a link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...m=1&iwloc=addr

You can see that it is very protected. We would launch from farther up that canal (the canal actually dead ends about half a mile in, so no real current flowing through there), paddle down to beyond right field, then paddle back. That's the plan anyway.

[chummy]

dazuck,
I see what your getting at. I've been struggling with the same goal in mind for a while now. I'm not looking at a Bay but at the James River. The area is calm, has good current, and enough rocks to keep out boats with notable wake size. There are two boat landings far enough apart that each year we drift from one landing to the other in a canoe. It takes 2 cars but is alot of fun. Now that we know the water like the back of our hands, we want to bring 2ish people along on a homemade raft. Not a boat, but a raft...

Can you post whatever progress you make, failed ideas and successful ideas? I'm looking to drift about 10 miles in calm water with a fraction of the raft space. I dont need room for firewood, etc... Just a cooler for some food and enough steerage to navigate bends in the river and avoid bridge supports. Before I start putting stuff together I'd like to benefit from your trial and error experiences. If what you make works I'll probably scale it down and make it car-top-able.

Thanks

-chummy

ps please include whatever ideas you have for making this legal, even though virginia laws are probably a bit different than ca

[dazuck]

OK, I really appreciate everyone's help, and have (for now) one more question:

For our design, we've pretty much setteled on wanting 16' by 16'. Our plan is to build to 8' x16' pieces that link together with a huge hinge or eye-hooks and chain, with one piece folding onto the other for trasport.

Considering cost, difficulty to build, weight (we really want it as light as possible), stabililty/floatation/security/safety, and anything else you think I'm missing, which is the best way to build these pieces:
option1) A pontoon boat, with three pontoons. If you can picture it, it would be an 8'x16' pontoon boat, with the second pontoon sticking out. Then the second 8'x16' piece would have one pontoon at one end and would also rest on the middle pontoon. (Let me know if you don't understand this)
option2) http://www.canadianfishing.com/dock/ . Building two 8'x16' versions of this, and linking them as described above.

Also, please let me know why you suggest what you do. And if you think option1, can anyone point me towards help figuring out how to build a pontoon? Thanks a lot.

[Adam Gould]

I am working on the same project, and I have been asking myself many of the same questions. I will be building an 8x10 raft. I will use styrofoam billets for flotation (3) . Our decorative theme will be different. We hope to launch on Friday night June 8 vs OAK.

Are you still working on yours? How is progress? I would love to hear more.

Thanks
Adam

[dazuck]

Best of luck. We actually abandoned ours - sad, but we couldn't secure the necessary funding.

[jpm]

Hey there,
I sure hope you check this....I was onlin elooking up info on how to build a raft and I came across this thread...well I'm looking to build a raft too - did yours work?

I want to do a theatre piece - I make these weird performances - you can see some pics at www.scrapandsalvage.com

I'd love to talk to you about it - you can contact me through this website.

[jpm]

Hey Dazuck - do you ever check this still?

I'm dying to know if you built your raft? Did it work? I'd like to build a similar size raft and put a small audience on it and performa show under a pier in san francisco. Perhaps if you have this project started already or are looking to get rid og your raft I could take it off your hands....

you can email me directly at jampatmulligan at yahoo dot com

Any other raft builders here in san francisco?

[djwkd]

Hello,
Yes, i realise this thread is old and it is probably too late, but...
For theater rafts, check out the Miss Rockaway Armada. Go on News, too, and check out the photo's. Perhaps they will give you some inspiration!

Also, check out the Floating Neutrinos. Anyone that builds rafts out of scrap should know about them before starting. Loads of information and stuff. There's even a page about how they build their rafts.

Also, if i were to choose between building a pontoon raft and a dock, the pontoon would be my definite decision.
What you need to do is, basically just construct a box (you'll probably use plywood, but you can use any type of wood. And you can use several with several thickneses as it is a raft, and so watertight integrity does not matter) and fill it with your floatation - milk bottles, polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam (including the two-part stuff that you mix and then fill the raft with. Quite toxic, but great for structural integrity and floatation) and, basically, anything that floats. But preferably don't use cans, as you would have to epoxy the lids shut. They can be used, but overall, end up being more expensive.

Hope i helped,
Dom.