Whether you’ve just built your new waterfront home, purchased a new waterfront home, or you’re looking to get the most from your waterfront home, a pontoon dock is essential.
You don’t need to own a boat, jet ski or PWC to reap the benefits of a pontoon dock. Think of them as an extension of possibilities – a way to maximise the beauty and enjoyment of living on a waterfront property – a platform to appreciate your positioning.
My point is, all waterfront properties can benefit from having a pontoon dock installed. Moreover, they can add significant financial value to your home and make it much more attractive to potential buyers. Some real estate agents suggest a pontoon can add as much as 10% value to a waterfront home, which can be very profitable indeed. Consider the cost of the average pontoon dock, $25,000. Consider the cost of the average waterfront home on the Gold Coast, $900,000. Ten per cent of nine hundred thousand is $90,000, giving you a $50,000 profit on the pontoon dock alone!
Of course, if you DO own a boat, jet ski or PWC, then the benefits are plentiful. It’s every boatie’s dream to own a house with a pontoon. Obviously, you can dock your boat, jet ski or PWC with ease on your property and access it whenever you like. You can also dry berth tinnies, jet skis, and PWC on the pontoon’s deck, making regular maintenance very convenient.
Whatever your reasoning for showing interest in buying a pontoon dock on the Gold Coast, know it will be a fantastic investment.
As one of the leading businesses specialising in pontoon docks on the Gold Coast, we here at Micks Marine Maintenance are pontoon dock experts. We not only maintain and repair pontoons, but we sell and install pontoons on the Gold Coast. As such, we know everything there is to know about pontoons, and we’re the perfect team to turn to for buying advice.
Continue reading to discover what you need to consider when buying a pontoon dock on the Gold Coast.
Water Frontage & Approval
The first thing to factor into buying a pontoon dock on the Gold Coast is whether your water frontage is suitable and, therefore, will be approved for a pontoon dock. On the Gold Coast, the Gold Coast Waterway Authority (GCWA) is responsible for managing our waterways and should be included in the planning process before submitting a Prescribed Tidal Work Application to the Gold Coast City Council(GCCC), which is the approval needed to build a pontoon.
The main factor in the approval process is the width of your water frontage and your quay line. Does your proposed floating dock fall within your quay line? The GCCC define a quay line as:
A quay line is a boundary that defines how far foreshore structures such as pontoons; jetties etc may extend out into a waterway. Quay lines are determined by Maritime Safety Queensland. Revetment regulation line (E) Revetment walls are permanent structures designed to protect the embankment adjacent to a waterway.[i]
Your property boundary (fence to fence) may be 10m wide, but your water allotment at the quay line may only be 8m wide. Hence, you cannot always measure off your boundary to determine the pontoon dock’s maximum width. Moreover, the GCWA requires a minimum of 1.5m clearance for a flat deck non-dryberthing pontoon between the pontoon and a property’s side boundaries. Extra distance off the boundary is required for dryberth pontoons.
The GCWA provide a great Tidal Works Factsheet to see whether your proposal covers and fulfils the appropriate points. The GCCC’s Introduction to the Waterfront Development Control (WDC) Program Factsheet is also helpful.
Understanding your water frontage and quay line and the considerations needed to receive a Prescribed Tidal Works Permit can be overwhelming. However, if you buy a pontoon dock on the Gold Coast from Micks Marine Maintenance, we take care of all the application and permit requirements for you. We can look at your quay line plans and contact the GCCC on your behalf.
Approval is usual obtained in 4-8 weeks; however, it may take longer in certain instances.
Location & Water Condition
Before you apply for a Prescribed Tidal Works Permit you must turn your attention to your location and water condition. Doing so will help to determine which type of pontoon dock is suitable or required for your property.
The two areas to explore here are the seabed terrain and the water conditions. Is the seabed rocky or sand, or a mixture of both? Are the water conditions typically calm, or are they rough? The answers to these questions will help determine which type of pontoon dock will be suited to your property.
Rough seabed terrain covered by rock is better suited to pontoons that don’t have piles. Piles are essentially rods drilled or hammered into the seabed to hold a pontoon dock in place. When rocks are present, some piles cannot penetrate through to the seabed and are therefore not always suitable. In such cases, alternative pontoon docks are recommended.
However, in very rough waters, such as areas around Sovereign Islands where canals meet the broadwater, the stability of piles is essential to withstand the high wash and keep the pontoon dock firmly in place.
If you are unsure of your property’s seabed terrain and water conditions, Micks Marine Maintenance can visit your home to review these factors and recommend which type of pontoon dock is best suited.
Types Of Pontoons
When buying a pontoon dock on the Gold Coast, you will be faced with various options. The main three being piled pontoons, cable pontoons, and strut pontoons.
Piled pontoons
Piled pontoons use piles to hold the pontoon dock in place. As mentioned, they are not always suitable for rocky seabed terrain but are great for properties that experience rough, windy water conditions. Piled pontoons are the most robust type of pontoon, making them very favourable on the Gold Coast.
Find out more about piled pontoons.
Cable pontoons
Cable pontoons use cables to hold the pontoon dock in place. There are no vertical fixing from the dock to the seabed (i.e. piles). Instead, cable pontoons utilise 4x horizontal wires. The cables are attached to two land-based mooring blocks, crossing over one another to connect to the pontoon dock’s opposite corner. Cable pontoons are a suitable option for rocky seabed terrain and calm waterways.
Find out more about cable pontoons.
Strut pontoons
Strut pontoons use one or two strut arms to hold the pontoon dock in place. There are no piles, only the strut arm that connects the pontoon dock to a land-based mooring block. Like cable pontoons, strut pontoons are a suitable option for rocky seabed terrain and calm waterways.
Find out more about strut pontoons.
Application
The intended use of your pontoon may also play a role in deciding which pontoon dock is best for your property. For example, if your primary purpose in buying a pontoon dock on the Gold Coast is to dock a boat, then the pontoon will need to be large enough to facilitate this. You may also want to include additional accessories, such as cleats and fenders.
On the other hand, if the purpose of buying a pontoon dock is to dock a jet ski or PWC, the pontoon dock may not need to be as large, and you may want to consider some of the available accessories for jet skis and PWCs, which we look at below.
Accessories
Having a pontoon dock on your Gold Coast property is great, but having a decked-out pontoon dock is even better. There are many accessories available to make pontoon docks even more functional and enjoyable.
For boat, jet ski, or PWC enthusiasts, consider the benefits of having a boat or jet ski roller system to easily and effortlessly remove your craft from the water. There are also jet ski docks to extend a pontoon dock and a range of functional accessories such as lockable storage solutions, hose reel stands, and winches.
Even if you don’t have a boat, jet ski, or PWC, there are plenty of accessories to maximise your pontoon dock enjoyment. Such accessories include kayak holders, fish cleaning stations, underwater lighting and light posts.
Conclusion
If you own a waterfront property on the Gold Coast, it only makes sense to get a pontoon dock. Pontoon docks offer numerous benefits, including the ease of accessing your boat, jet ski, or PWC, the ability to maximise your waterfront enjoyment, and the significant value and attraction it will add to your home.
When buying a pontoon dock on the Gold Coast, there are a few things to consider. First and foremost is your water frontage and whether the GCCC will approve your tidal work application. You also need to consider your location in terms of the seabed terrain and water conditions – this will help determine which type of pontoon is most suitable; a piled pontoon, cable pontoon, or strut pontoon.
This may seem like a daunting process, but it needn’t be. Not if you contact Micks Marine Maintenance. We take the hassle out of buying a pontoon dock on the Gold Coast and do everything for you. From the design, engineering, and tidal work approval, we do it all through to the construction of your new pontoon dock.
Contact us today to arrange a free quote for your Gold Coast waterfront property.
[i] https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/documents/bf/coastal_info_factsheet1.pdf