Bellingham Marine said it replaced 28-year-old timber docks at Lake Sonoma Resort in Northern California with a state-of-the-art concrete floating dock system.
“The marina was in need of new docks,” Lake Sonoma Resort owner Rick Herbert said in a statement. “We wanted to make an investment in our facility that would add to the long-term value of the property and improve our customers’ experience. The marina’s docks were a wise choice.”
Bellingham rebuilt the marina at the resort with 361 slips for boats as large as 30 feet. A roof structure was installed on three of the docks.
“It gets hot in our area during the summer months. A covered dock is an amenity that is greatly appreciated, and to some extent expected,” Herbert said.
“No other dock system can handle a roof structure and related load requirements like a concrete dock can,” said Steve Canaday, Bellingham’s manager of project development. “Once long-term maintenance, performance, useful life and user experience are taken into account, the Unifloat concrete system offers the best value for an owner wanting a covered marina, whether it be a coastal or inland facility.”
Bellingham said one of the challenges of the Lake Sonoma site was the required anchoring system and fluctuation in water height.
“The marina needed the ability to be moved in and out with changing water levels, which can be up to 40 feet,” Herbert said. “We needed some flexibility in the system’s main connection points. When you move a 361-slip marina, it has to be done in sections.”
Bellingham designed a fifth-wheel connection that is used where each arm connects to the main walkway. The unique connection allows the docks to pivot slightly, which greatly reduces the loads and stresses placed on the connection point when the docks are being moved.
This post originally appeared in Trade Only Today and can be found here.
