Upright posts docking question
 

I was just looking at a pic of when we went to Lake George, NY last Fall. I've just gotten back into boating after quite a while and the docking situation there is unfamiliar to me.

Every dock up there uses 4x4 upright posts rather than cleats to tie to. Looking at the accompanying pic, I'm concerned that with any wakes, waves, etc., that the hull will contact the posts when the boat rocks.
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...eGeorge006.jpg
I did check around in the area and there are many different ideas to protect the hull with varying degrees of success. Is anyone familiar with this type of docking and is there a good way to protect the Imron?

How far apart are they? Could you transom tie instead?

Looks like some cheap docks!

Some folks like to use the flat foam fenders specifically in these situations.
Personally, I hate the flat fenders. I usually tie a polyform fender horizontally suspended across the face of the post, a few inches below the rub rail on the boat. Unless you have scale and/or growth on the post, it's no likely to damage the boat unless you get a ferry wake or something.

This!

That's ridiculous.

Hmm, That would be a good idea except that this was at a restaurant, The Algonquin, and it would be difficult for any other boats to pass the bow to come in to dock. The Cobalt, across the way at the next dock, is too close to do that.

Not a bad idea for the day use islands, though. They all have the same dock setup. There are specialized fenders for the swim platform that I could use, in that case.

OMG, that's funny. That's exactly what I thought! They look pretty rinky dink to me but they are like that all over up there.

Actually, the ferry wake could be a reality. A small tour boat, the Ethan Allen was capsized and sunk with many casualties by a wake from a big tour boat? a couple of years ago on that Lake.

These might work, I wonder if anyone has experience with this setup. A bit of a PITA to set up as compared to fenders which are easier to deploy but they might work.
http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Product...ef=pd_sim_sg_1

If they saved the Imron they would be worth it.

I grew up in lake george and boated there my whole life. Worked at many of the local marina's. The reason the docks are built like that is becuase many of them are removed at the end of each year, and then re-installed at the beggining of the next year. They do this because the ice will typically take them out anyway.

Building the dock this way is the easiest, and im sure, cheapest way to do it. The 4x4 post are sunk into the ground by using long steel tube hooked up to a water hose. You position the end of the tube where the water comes out down on the lake floor right next to the 4x4. When you turn on the high pressure water, the water coming out of the tube displaces the ground on the lake floor, allowing the 4x4 to sink into the mud. As soon as you turn off the water the mud caves in all around the 4x4 post and you have a secure post.

In most cases, the places where you would dock like that, and tie up are in 5 mph zones, and little to no wake really affects them.. Ive since moved to Charlotte NC, and now Jax FL, each area does docking a little different, each with its own set of pro's and cons.

So to answer your question, the reason we always put docks in like that was ice and costs.

That looks like the best way, but hanging your fenders from your boat horizontally as Sydwayz suggested works just fine, too. We hange them horizontally for raftups as well.

Spring lines each way will help hold your position as well.