We are fortunate that our lakehouse in New Milford CT has direct access to the water, and a good size dock that I have been maintaining over the years. During the summer I noticed that the gangway which connects the dock to the land was falling apart, and some of the planks were breaking. More importantly, the twisting pressure put on the 40+ year old structure by those new wake-surf boats was creating a structural problem, and someone might get hurt.
In the fall, I decided to take it apart and rebuild it with some lateral bracing to assist with those heavy diagonal loads. First I sketched out what I wanted to build, then bought the lumber, the decking and the fasteners. Then the heavy work of dismantling the old gangway and bringing all the pieces all the way up the hill. Whew!
The materials of course needed to be brought down the hill as well and assembly could start. I selected a trex surface for the decking – hopefully it will last a long time.
I am very pleased that it is now 99% done. I have one small board to install and to fill in the screw holes. Enjoy the pictures!