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Pier Stand (mini gangway) Report

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by Ormond Bert54, Aug 1, 2013.

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  1. Ormond Bert54, Aug 1, 2013
    #1
    Ormond Bert54

    Ormond Bert54 Senior Member

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    Just wanted to show off my new Pier Stand. Custom made by John Coker - Advanced Platforms - Stuart FL.

    I let John know what I was trying to accomplish - he had something close - made some modifications to his existing design, crated it and shipped it - $1360 complete. It's fantastic. It's installed on my floating dock in Maine and makes loading/unloading possible for everybody ... easily!

    John is a great guy to work with. He responded quickly with diagrams of what he had planned, crated it nicely and shipped it to my door.

    The 3 foot platform folds up as does the portion of the rail that extends towards the boat. The platform does not rest on the boat ... instead it comes to within 6" of the boat and has a nice rubber bumper on the end.

    It's very stable ... shot a few self tapping screws through the rear legs into the dock - removal would take 5 min with a cordless drill.

    Attached Files:

  2. K1W1, Aug 1, 2013
    #2
    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,
    All good till the day that those self tappers have reacted with the alu and salt air and the heads pull off as you step from your boat to the platform.

    If it's your berth and your there long term do the extra mile and through bolt it, or at least use something better ( safer) than self tappers which are not actually wood screws in the first place.
  3. Ormond Bert54, Aug 1, 2013
    #3
    Ormond Bert54

    Ormond Bert54 Senior Member

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    Yes ... once my landlord approves, I will use a more heavy duty screw for mounting ... but ... the pier stand will be removed at the end of each season and stored until the next.
  4. NYCAP123, Aug 1, 2013
    #4
    NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    :eek: You mught want to get a couple of planks so they'll age with the dock and you'll be prepared to drop them in if you move.
    I agree with K1W1. You need to through bolt. When you put a couple hundred pounds on that platform it's going to put a lot of pressue on those back screws as the unit wants to pivot. Also, I'm not sure about the screw holding properties of that artifical decking. Looks like a nicely done job though.
  5. Capt Ralph, Aug 1, 2013
    #5
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    I was thinking of bolts, thru the decking, in-between the planks, then thru again a backing board or two. Now you have a pulling load on a couple (or more) of the decking planks. For sure now, your pulling and trusting the original dock decking not to pull up off the frames and braces. Maybe the less damage to the dock this way.
    If you glue the backing plates in place, easy to set up again next time installed.
  6. lovinlifenc, Aug 1, 2013
    #6
    lovinlifenc

    lovinlifenc Member

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    You could securely attach the boarding ladder to a piece of plywood of the correct dimension to prevent it from tipping, and have that sit on the dock or attach it with weak screws
  7. Ormond Bert54, Aug 1, 2013
    #7
    Ormond Bert54

    Ormond Bert54 Senior Member

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    Yes ... this would decrease the tipping leverage and still not be thick enough to trip over when the platform is raised and walking in front of it.
  8. weto, Aug 2, 2013
    #8
    weto

    weto Senior Member

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    Or use a an L bolt that would slip through those slats and wing nut em on top, no holes, no damage and temporary. It would be a clamping type setup.
  9. NorCalBoater, Aug 5, 2013
    #9
    NorCalBoater

    NorCalBoater New Member

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    I'll take a different tack. Very nice piece of hardware. I'm sure you'll figure out the stability issues.
  10. Ormond Bert54, Aug 6, 2013
    #10
    Ormond Bert54

    Ormond Bert54 Senior Member

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    Thank you ... friends, family and dock neighbors love it. She is already very stable because the 3' platform only extends 2' beyond the feet. She is bolted to the dock and can likely handle a thousand pounds more weight than I will ever put on her.