NOT all dock builders are created equal!

Recently a new twin boat lift system is now under construction in the Egret Canal part of Treasure Beach. The dock builder is now facing headaches and the area neighbors appear to be encroached by the lifts openings using the property beside the home owners actual sea wall area to enter or leave the lift system with his boats. Some years ago I personally ran a large dock building company in Savannah, Georgia and learned a few things back then. After watching this job site unfold with its predictable out come, its obvious why we end up with rules and regulations governing our contractors and home properties. The out come on this one is so wrong that even the property owner is having one lift removed or changed, he's now frustrated with the job that is well under way. Without a drawing or any idea what he was getting into, the property owner placed his trust in the builders ability to construct the twin lift system for two twenty foot boats and a floating dock with no regard to the properties next to his. This was leading to disaster and cost investments that would run him into a nightmare that is still unfolding even as I write this. With the job site, still unfinished but still trying to move ahead it appears the builder has no clue or experience with Treasure Beach. First off, I'd like to point out that a twenty foot boat requires more than twenty feet inside the lift area, plus more than twenty feet to allow the boat an entrance. Simple math will tell anyone, you'll need more than the eighty feet for a twin system if your going to stay within your own property bounds in Treasure Beach canals for most of us. The average property is only some eighty feet wide at the sea wall alone for most of our canal owners. Now if we add a floating dock to this system the owner now requires over one hundred feet of property to contain this amount of construction, enough said about this math topic, but I just wish someone else had to deal with the next step. The job site appears to now be going out beyond the fifteen foot boundary set by the county, so perhaps we'll have to get into this next issue soon. The dock builder refused to dismantle the second lift until he could sell it to another job site. The site now under construction for about two months is another sad point. I've never seen a small job take so long and stop so many many times for days without anything further being done. Weather was never a factor, and yet we still see the dock builder show up for a few hours here and there. I pray we don't see this builder in our area again, but I'm sure he'll find work nearby sooner or later. To further add problems, this builder used only a water pump to install the pilings. This is generally ok for decks, but for a hoist system that will see loading and unloading, a good jet and hammering in is the best way to settle the piling. The builder purchased oversized piling and cut what he couldn't use off the top. What this means is the home owner paid for lumber that couldn't be used on the job site, but paid to have it installed. Most builders will charge per piling and per foot. Cutting the tops is normal, but not when you take about eight to ten feet off. The builder admitted he hit something in the mud and had to settle for seven foot depth to nine feet depending on each piling. From my property my first note was that the piling was NOT marked for depth, so its obvious the builder has no real idea how much piling is below the mud line, but also the old sea wall is heading for failure, which means this job should never have been started without replacing the sea wall first.

The home owner has discovered yet another problem that we all face. The lift can't be used unless we have high water levels to load or unload the boat, the lift when it hits bottom unloads the cables and that can be another mess on your hands, and yes, the home owner spent hours on his new lift trying to fix the cables back after the first try using the lift. To add more problems the home owner discovered his second lift would not fit his boat opening if he wished to use it.

I would suggest anyone thinking about getting dock work done to please consider having the dock builder do a drawing of the proposed construction site, and use a tape measure yourself to check for clearances before going ahead with the proposal. Finally, I would also recommend a quick check with our the TBPOA canal committee about your site work for ideas or even a savings in this case before going ahead with the work. The builder should be familar with Treasure Beach and should be able to show past work sites, this should be a must for anyone getting a new dock or deck contracted. On a last note, I would at least have someone monitor the construction from time to time, this can save a lot too before things get too far down the road. Afer a quick meeting with this home owner I discovered the builder was from Jacksonville and doesn't normally do any work in our area.

Report: L.A. Panchuk / Author: The Devil's Magnet / Reporter for X-zone radio

Treasure Beach resident