Three Things To Consider Before Starting Your Marine Berthing Construction
Building along and on the waterfront is never an easy prospect. Water is unpredictable and carries a lot of inherent risks for active projects, which means you have to be very careful when considering what marine berthing construction you undertake. Some areas a particular type of marine berthing construction, like a fixed dock, just won't be feasible, and you have to accept and overcome that problem. There are three big factors you need to consider when deciding on what marine berthing construction you need and, you should analyse them before any work begins.
Changing Water Levels
The first consideration when choosing what marine berthing construction you need should always be the changing water levels in your chosen spot. It is important that the height of your berth matches closely with the height of any boats that want to moor there. If the water level changes drastically during the day, then a floating dock is probably your best bet. But on the other hand, if there is relatively little in the way of high and low tides, then a fixed dock should be fine. There are many different types of marine berthing constructions in these two categories, but you need to establish early on which route you are going to go in.
Environmental Weather
In some instances, the weather can make the boarding, loading and exiting of boats almost impossible, which is bad news for people still on the water when a heavy storm comes in. If you want to ensure that you can always safely get out of the water no matter how fierce the weather, then a closed in marine berthing construction is your best bet. This would mean your berth is surrounded by a building that shelters it from the rain and heavy winds, allowing you to enter or exit your boat unhindered. While it may not come in useful all the time when you need it most you might just wish you had chosen a sheltered berthing project.
Wave Height
Waves are a crucial factor when deciding what type of marine berthing construction you should choose because they can make certain designs unsafe and slippery for people boarding and disembarking vessels. Fixed marine berthing systems are better at dealing with waves because they can be built above the average wave height of your particular area, allowing them to stay mostly dry and safe to walk on. Floating docks are more prone to flooding because they are never more than a couple feet higher than the water's surface. If your area is known for high waves then a fixed construction is probably preferable.