If you have a canal berth in Mandurah or anywhere around Perth, the first question is not which material or which brand. It is what you want the structure at the water's edge to do. Keeping a boat or a jetski protected at home is one job. Having somewhere to stand, swim or launch a kayak is another. This guide sets out what WS Docks builds for each job, what each costs, and the questions to ask before you pay for either.
Should a canal berth have a floating dock or a fixed jetty?
It depends on the job. If the aim is to keep a boat or jetski protected from salt water at home, that is what WS Docks' floating docks are built for, by boat weight and type. If the aim is a place to stand, swim or launch from, their jetty and swim platforms and walkways are listed separately.
Plenty of canal owners want both, and the two are separate WS Docks products, each with its own price. So the useful comparison is rarely floating against fixed in the abstract. It is this boat, this berth, and what you want to do there.
What is a WS Docks floating dock for?
Every WS Docks boat dock is described around protecting the vessel. The small boat dock, up to 1.5 tonne, gives "protection from the corrosive salt water" and is described as cost effective and simple to use. The jetski dock protects a jetski from the harsh salt water environment and keeps it in the water year round. The medium and large boat docks use their sinking system, which they describe as a first of its kind and say lets them custom make docks up to 5 tonne.
The listed prices are $3,000 for the jetski dock, $5,000 for the small boat dock, $11,000 for the medium boat dock (1.5 to 2.5 tonne) and $16,000 for the large boat dock (2.5 to 5 tonne). WS Docks also claims "$1000s saved in antifoul per year", which is their own figure rather than one worked out for your boat.
What are their jetty, swim platforms and walkways for?
WS Docks lists jetty and swim platforms as custom built to suit the space available, for swimming, kayaking, diving and paddle boarding. Their work platforms and walkways are for commercial or private use, as a stable way to reach hard to reach spaces on the water. Both are listed at $1,000.
One customer's Google review describes a single floating dock that "accommodates the boat, JetSki and plenty of room for the SUP's and canoes". If your household has paddle craft as well as a boat, say so at the start, because it changes what you are asking for.
Which boat are you docking?
Boat type decides which WS Docks product you are looking at. A pontoon boat has its own pontoon boat dock, listed at $13,000, which uses their premium rollers and is built so a pontoon boat can stay in the water all year. A catamaran has its own catamaran dock, listed at $18,000, combining the custom rollers and the sinking system for twin hull boats of all sizes.
For a single hull boat, weight decides the class: up to 1.5 tonne, 1.5 to 2.5 tonne, or 2.5 to 5 tonne. Find the weight on your boat's paperwork before you ask anyone for a price, so every quote is for the same boat.
What should you ask before you choose?
Whoever you get a quote from, for a floating dock or a fixed structure, these questions make the quotes comparable:
- What exactly is included in the price for my berth?
- Is the structure built for my boat's weight and hull type?
- What upkeep will it need, and what does that cost?
- What warranty comes with it, and what does the warranty cover?
- Who carries out repairs if something is damaged later?
For WS Docks, some of those answers are on record: WS Docks offers a "2 year warranty guarantee", and dock repairs are one of their listed services. Ask them what the warranty covers for the dock you are buying.
Prices in one place
These are the WS Docks listed prices, each given with no period beside it, so treat each as the listed price for that item and confirm what it includes for your site:
- Jetski dock: $3,000
- Small boat dock, up to 1.5 tonne: $5,000
- Medium boat dock, 1.5 to 2.5 tonne: $11,000
- Large boat dock, 2.5 to 5 tonne: $16,000
- Pontoon boat dock: $13,000
- Catamaran dock: $18,000
- Jetty and swim platforms: $1,000
- Work platforms and walkways: $1,000
Frequently asked questions
What does a floating dock in Perth or Mandurah cost from WS Docks?
WS Docks lists $3,000 for a jetski dock, $5,000 for a small boat up to 1.5 tonne, $11,000 for 1.5 to 2.5 tonne and $16,000 for 2.5 to 5 tonne, with pontoon boat and catamaran docks at $13,000 and $18,000.
Can I have a boat dock and a swim platform at the same berth?
WS Docks lists both, as separate items with separate prices. Mention everything you want at the water's edge when you first get in touch, so it can be priced together.
Where does WS Docks work?
They are based in Mandurah, with a workshop in Greenfields, and they bring the product to boat owners across Western Australia and Queensland, including the Gold Coast.
How do I get a quote?
Phone +61 431 149 231, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, or email wsdocks@outlook.com. They say "We reply within 24 hrs". Have your boat's weight and type ready.
Sources
This article draws on the following pages.
