How to Choose the Right Floating Dock Size for Your Boat
Getting the dock size wrong is one of the most avoidable mistakes a boat owner can make. Too small and the dock won’t support the vessel safely; too large and you’re paying for structure you don’t need. The right match depends on three things: your vessel’s weight, its hull shape, and how you want to get on and off it. Here’s how to work through each of them.
Start With Your Vessel’s Weight, Not Its Length
Boat length is a poor guide to dock sizing. Two boats of the same length can differ a great deal in weight depending on hull material and fit out, and weight is what decides which dock category your vessel falls into. WS Docks list their boat docks in three weight brackets: up to 1.5 tonne, 1.5 to 2.5 tonne, and 2.5 to 5 tonne. Your boat’s manufacturer specification or trailer paperwork may give you a weight figure, which is better than a guess.
Getting the figure right matters, because each bracket is a different product at a different price. On the WS Docks services page the small boat dock (up to 1.5 tonne) is listed at $5,000, the medium boat dock (1.5 to 2.5 tonne) at $11,000 and the large boat dock (2.5 to 5 tonne) at $16,000, and the medium and large docks use their sinking system.
What Does Your Hull Shape Require?
Hull shape matters as much as weight when it comes to dock design. A monohull sits differently on a dock than a pontoon boat or a catamaran, and a dock built for one may not serve the other well.
For pontoon boats, WS Docks use their premium rollers, built so a pontoon boat can stay in the water all year. The pontoon boat dock is listed at $13,000 on their services page.
Catamarans are more complex again. The twin hull means the dock needs to accommodate two separate contact points at whatever beam width your specific cat runs. WS Docks combines custom rollers and their sinking system for catamaran docks, handling twin hull boats of all sizes. If you own a cat, a standard monohull dock is unlikely to be a practical workaround.
For a jetski, the sizing question is simpler: the WS Docks jetski dock protects a jetski from the harsh salt water environment and keeps it in the water year round, and it is listed at $3,000.
Does the Sinking System Matter for Your Boat Size?
Yes. The WS Docks services page names a sinking system for the medium and large boat docks, and not for the small boat dock. Medium boats from 1.5 to 2.5 tonne use what they call their premium sinking system, and for large boats from 2.5 to 5 tonne they describe their sinking system as a first of its kind, which lets them custom make docks up to 5 tonne.
For small boats up to 1.5 tonne, the services page describes the dock as custom designed to the specific boat, cost effective and simple to use. Catamaran docks combine the sinking system with custom rollers.
Can One Dock Handle Multiple Vessels?
A common question is whether a single dock can accommodate a boat and a jetski, or a boat and some paddleboards, in the same footprint. The honest answer is: it depends on the total weight and the space available at your jetty or canal berth.
One customer review on the WS Docks homepage describes a dock that accommodates the boat, jetski and room for SUPs and canoes, noting that the inflation system makes it easy to get the boat on and off. If you’re planning for more than one vessel, mention all of them when you first get in touch, not just the primary boat.
Where space is the constraint rather than weight, WS Docks also build jetty and swim platforms, listed at $1,000 on the services page, for swimming, kayaking, diving and paddle boarding.
What About Jetties, Swim Platforms and Access Walkways?
Dock sizing isn’t only about the vessel. Once you know what the dock itself needs to support, the next practical question is how you access it safely, and whether you also need a platform for swimming, kayaking or diving.
Custom jetties and swim platforms can be built to suit whatever space is available and for whatever purpose you have in mind, whether that’s swimming, kayaking, diving or paddle boarding. Work platforms and walkways are also available for situations where reaching a hard to access section of water is the primary need, with applications in both commercial and private settings.
These are separate structures from the dock itself, and they’re priced separately. If your canal berth or waterfront property has an awkward approach, or if you want a dedicated area for swimming away from the dock, it’s worth raising that at the quoting stage rather than treating the dock in isolation.
How Do You Get an Accurate Quote for a Custom Floating Dock?
Start by knowing your vessel’s weight and hull type, because those decide which of the WS Docks categories fits: small, medium, large, pontoon or catamaran.
WS Docks describe their docks as custom built, so real details about your boat are more useful than rough estimates. One customer review mentions getting a quote the next day, and the business says it replies to emails within 24 hours. Contact is available Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, by phone on +61 431 149 231 or by email at wsdocks@outlook.com.
WS Docks build with HDPE blocks engineered to withstand Australia’s harsh elements, custom brackets designed to withstand the toughest conditions and bracing capable of supporting excess weight. Their home page carries a 2 year warranty guarantee and claims $1000s saved in antifoul per year, and they bring their docks to boat owners across Western Australia and Queensland, including the Gold Coast. For the full range of dock options and to start a quote, visit the WS Docks floating dock and docking systems services page.
Frequently asked questions
What weight is my boat for dock sizing purposes?
Use the weight from your manufacturer’s specification or trailer paperwork if you have it, rather than an estimate based on length. The WS Docks boat dock categories are up to 1.5 tonne, 1.5 to 2.5 tonne, and 2.5 to 5 tonne.
Can a floating dock support a pontoon boat or catamaran?
Yes. WS Docks build pontoon boat docks with their premium rollers, and catamaran docks that combine custom rollers with the sinking system for twin hull boats of all sizes. Both are their own products on the services page, listed at $13,000 and $18,000.
Can one dock handle a boat and a jetski together?
It can be done. A customer review on the WS Docks site describes exactly this, with a boat, jetski, SUPs and canoes all accommodated on one dock. If space or weight means a second structure makes more sense, a separate jetski dock (listed at $3,000) or a jetty and swim platform (listed at $1,000) can be added alongside the main dock.
Does a larger boat always need the sinking system?
The WS Docks services page names the sinking system for medium boats (1.5 to 2.5 tonne), large boats (2.5 to 5 tonne) and catamarans, and describes the small boat dock, up to 1.5 tonne, as cost effective and simple to use. If you’re unsure where your vessel sits, weight is the deciding factor, not length.
How do I know if my berth has enough space for a floating dock?
Ask WS Docks directly, and mention the size of your berth and any constraints at your jetty or canal when you first get in touch. If you also want a jetty or swim platform, those are custom built to suit the space available.
Sources
This article draws on the following pages.
