Hypothetical Dock Setup

[DCOutdoors 14]

Here's the scenerio: cross 300-feet of yard to get to a 500-foot dock with a 20x30 two level platform at the end in North Florida. Owner says, "don't drive across my grass!" What is the best setup to accomplish this. It is hypothetical because I am getting ready to agressively persue them... lots of them... no, really... lots and lots...

[Adrian 155]

Uhm...... lots of high pressure hose and a helper to pull it.

Or a portable unit with lots of supply hose.

[DCOutdoors 14]

I guess I walked into that one :)

[Adrian 155]

If you can't drive across the grass, then there is no other choice except to "hoof it".

That's what helpers are for. If you make the customer happy by your applied efforts towards his request.

That is sometimes worth more than the act itself.

After all.... you get to leave at the end of the day. He gets to look at your work from here on out.

Might as well give it your best effort and charge accordingly.

[bigchaz 157]

No way you could run 800 feet of hose with the machines most of us run. sounds like a ton of work I would pass on that any day

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[Adrian 155]

Maybe he is younger than us Charlie, and doesn't mind the walking.

Not to disagree too much with you though.

I have run 700 ft before and barely lost any noticable psi.

I run 500 on the trailer and 200 extra high pressure hose on standby.

It's doable if his body can handle all the footwork and carrying thats going to be involved.

I guess attitude might have a little to do with it as well.

With all the water work I have done this year I prefer to have my rig a little closer to the worksite.

But I'm old and lazy.

[Ace Painting 14]

Buy a boat

[Tonyg 14]

Does golf cart count as 'driving'? If you are going to do multiples you could set up a sweet rig with golf cart and trailer.

And, like Ace said, a good flat bottom work boat could be a money maker when working on the rails and perimeter.

Don't forget, you can charge an ungodly premium for doing what nobody else will/can do.

[DCOutdoors 14]

Chronological age - 56 Mental Ade - 21 Physical Age - Useless

Is there a way to filter salt water before it goes through the pump? In other words, draw from brakish water - filter - then into the pressure washer! I guess if there were, it would cost a fortune and we wouldn't have a water shortage.

I like the boat idea but it doesn't solve the water source issue. I could fish during the dwell time! Could rig a lawn tractor and charge for cutting the grass while I'm at it.

Well, shoot. I'm not so sure I want to go after those docks now... or I will hire some helpers and charge a fortune - one or the other.

[AAPaint 14]

I offer dock staining too, but I'm only willing to go so far to do it. If it's what you're talking about, I like TonyG's idea. Of course, I'd charge through the nose for the work, because that's some serious business to handle.

[DCOutdoors 14]

From Pensacola to Port St Joe there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands of gray, weathering docks sticking out into the gulf and the hundreds of miles of inlets shorelines, not to mention all of the inland lakes around here. It just seems like I should do something about them... preferably without killing myself. How big of a water tank would one of those flat bottom boats hold - safely?

If I did draw salt water through a pump (not the pressure washer pump) to wash with, the salt would tear up the wood - wouldn't it? Sorry, just throwing words out while trying to avoid pulling hoses. Of course, this is hypothetical, but still, if I could wash with salt or semi-salt water... And if I did, would the stain hold?

And if the stain did hold, could I package the whole deal and sell it retail, get rich, and not have to do that again... Disregaurd this part...

[bigchaz 157]

My guess is that most people are not interested in having the dock stained in the first place. I could be wrong but if they are all gray for the trouble and cost to clean and stain on a regular basis and the harsh environment of a saltwater dock, it may be accepted practice that they just rebuild them every 10 years. Very rarely do we stumble upon an untapped market, or at least one that someone else hasn't already tried.

[AAPaint 14]

There is indeed a market for dock staining. I've done a few myself over the years, but never anything really huge.

As far as spraying salt water, you will literally destroy any equipment you spray it through. I wouldn't worry about the dock itself, they get salt spray all year round, but high pressure salt will wreck anything you put it through. The filtration equipment to remove salt from water is expensive too. The cation filters needed for that would foul rather quickly, and need frequent changing, but this IS done on an industrial scale for certain applications. It's just not feasible for our work. You'll just be looking at getting long hoses and working your butt off!

Edited June 3, 2012 by AAPaint

[Ace Painting 14]

Can you do anything to keep chems. out of the water?

[dave mac 26]

Can you do anything to keep chems. out of the water?

yeap I would check the local epa laws you might have to have some sort of reclaim

[Adrian 155]

Boom Train of oil socks around the perimeter of the dock tied off and attached to an extension pole.

Helper to drag portable unit and hose on pack mule and cart.

Sodium Hypochrolite is salt based and will turn back into salt in the ocean or gulf or where ever.

Hydrant meter to keep your tank full.

Tarps to cover electrical gangboxes and bulkhead lifts and boats and people who wont move.

When staining do the same thing with the oil socks except soak them in dish soap first it will attract the oil in water as you sane through it with the boom train.

If you use a boat, tie off both ends, Your wand will become a propulsion system and you will end up in the drink.

Trust me.

You can also use a collection tarp under the dock depending on how shallow / access there is. But those almost al3ways fail and are cumbersome.

..... or if there are thousands of these projects........ pass on it and land one that is closer to your trailer rig.