Another weekend at the dock

Well I have my lumber ordered.  I pitted local lumber companies against Lowes and Home Depot.  Lowes tried, but Clatskanie Builders Supply came through with the best quote at little over $3200 to be delivered Tuesday. Keep in mind this is just lumber for the 80' dock.  Then this weekend I had an awful feeling, what could it be?  I had forgotten to order hardware.  I will need 130 5/8 x 16" lag bolts.  These will be used to secure the 6 x 6 x 10' to the existing 4 x 10 and then down 5" into the log.  Then 150 1/2 x 6" to secure the 4 x 4 frame to the 6 x 6s.  So Monday I have to order the lag bolts, so now it is just hurry up and wait.  So this weekend Kay worked on her steps and I built flower boxes out of the old lumber and nails.  I also got the big spot light working.  It came on at dusk and Kay says it was to bright and it did light up the entire dock. This morning we are woke up by " Remain in your car!"  What the heck.  Woke Kay and I out of a sound sleep.  The pop had a car full of kids pulled over.  They were headed down to the park.  No fish this weekend, but we did try and I broke out a down rigger.  Today it got hot today and we had to turn on the A/C on the boat.  88 when we left and 98 in town.  The house is hot with no A/C.

Kay's project to keep the gravel off the stairs.

Sunset and evening pics

Talking to Kody....

Light works, but very bright

The admiral at work

Looking east up Fisher slough toward Longview Yacht Club

Alaskan Sea-Duction

Building flower boxes

All done with barrels, waiting on lumber

Fishing mine is on a downrigger.

Dock progress 6-23-13

Well one thing we found out we have very poor cell signal at the dock, thus the reason there are two posts for today.  It is nice have our own dock as we are not bound by marina or yacht club rules and regulations.  We did have our good friends over last night for a BBQ, Jerry and LJ. Forgot to take pics..  Went to the house and got six barrels and my air compressor.  The idea is to sink the 55gal barrels, move them under the dock, the fill them with air and pushing the water out of the barrel.  The barrels were free, and if I used foam blocks, the State DNR say they have to be encased.  They are about $125 each, so I am saving a lot of money.  Buy putting the barrels under the logs, it helps lift them a bit out of the water and stabilizes it at the same time.  The barrel has two opening.  One is sealed and the cap is removed of the other hole.  I drilled a hole in the lip above the barrel opening that has the cap and attached a long wire.  This wire is used to make sure the orientation of the barrel is up with the closed end up and the open hole is on the bottom.  Once the barrel is filled with air, the wire is tied up to prevent the barrel from rolling. Ron and Jerry turned me on to this idea.  Ron made this special tool that you insert into the open end of the barrel to add air to the barrel.  Once the weather and river heats up, I will get into the water and put the caps on the bottom hole.  Today I just about got all six barrels done, but I got rained out.  Sorry for the above book.

 

 

I have the first 40 feet stripped.

Jerry came over and inspected my logs and said I was good to go.

Don't look like much yet, but once the new cross members are in and a 4X4 frame, then 2X8X10 pressure treated wood will lock very nice.

I will also be building piling boxes too.

 

Super moon

 

Saturday night

Filling barrels with water

Using the wire to guide the barrel

Barrel installed.  Once filled with air, you can stomp on it and it will not move.

Here you can see the wire and I tie it off the 2X2 I have nailed to the floating logs.

Ron's special tool

Filling barrel with air.

Starting of Rebuilding the dock 6-21 and 6-22-2013

Kay  and I got to the dock late afternoon and I started to rip up the deck. I have 5 logs for float, so I plan to put two plastic 55gal drums under the logs about 10 ft from each row, then fill them with air. I already have 4X6s that hold the logs together and I will be putting down 6X6X8, then on top of those 4x4 to build the frame.  Then the deck will be placed back down with 2x8x10.  As a bonus Kay caught a real nice steelhead this evening.

 

 

She thought she had the only fish for the day. A sculpin.  Little did she know that later that evening.  But this was the FIRST fish ever caught by us at our new dock.

Ripping up the old dock.

Pulling nails.  I will be using screws on the install.

 

This is hard work.  Yep that is a beer...Then we get to haul all those places up to the truck....

3 PM time to quit work, put the feet up with a little scotch, life is good.

 

Getting ready for a sun set.  This looking from our dock west.  Main channel of the Columbia River is just beyond the point.

 

First sunset at our dock

 

Looks like the forest is on fire.

 

Reflection in the water

While Kay is chasing Salmon, I am doing the Sturgeon dance.  This fishing pole was given to me by my grand dad and up until I moved to southwest Washington I never used it.  Best pole I have.

Kay does a great job of taking pics.  Summer solstice moon.

Look how smooth the water is.

 

Adjusting my solar light.  During low tide (or full flow) I can't reach this light.

Kay and her proud Steelhead.