Marina Dock Age

There was a time when foam dock floats broke apart in the water and threatened marine life that mistook the foam pieces as food. “People were sick of seeing foam beads floating in the water or washing up on the shoreline,” said Fred Hunt, an independent consultant specializing in dock floats.

Fortunately this problem has been solved with the development of encapsulated dock floats where foam is encased to keep it from escaping. This “green product” is now widely used by marinas while loose foam floating in the water is mostly a nuisance of the past.

The beginning

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, several companies began manufacturing and/or selling encapsulated floats to protect the environment and provide a better dock float. Those companies include United McGill, Atlantic-Meeco, ShoreMaster, Formex Manufacturing, and Galva-foam to name a few.

Then in the late 1990’s the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) enacted regulations on its waterways requiring marinas to replace unencapsulated floats with encapsulated floats. Under these regulations any new marina that was built or any marina that renovated it docks after Aug. 17, 1998, had to replace its unencapsulated floats with encapsulated floats.

Since that regulation was put into effect, more companies have gotten into the encapsulated dock float business, including Premier Materials and Ace Roto-Mold, which have worked together to create an encapsulated float that’s in use today.

With the rapid growth of the encapsulated dock float market, new industry-wide quality standards, like the Hunt Test, which was developed by Fred Hunt, have also taken hold.

Under this test, all foam dock floats must absorb three pounds per cubic foot of water or less. Foam that met this requirement wouldn’t break apart and would continue to float should the shell of an encapsulated float fail and the foam come in contact with water.

With all the encapsulated floats now available, most marinas have switched or are in the process of switching to these floats over the cheaper option of unencapsulated floats.

Jamestown Resort and Marina

One marina that is in the process of replacing its unencapulated dock floats is Jamestown Resort and Marina, an 800-slip facility in Jamestown, KY. The marina was built in 1989 with simple foam floats, which it still has today. “Over time these floats have gotten saturated with water and as a result the docks are sitting lower,” said Jamestown General Manager Bill Chamberlain.

Although Chamberlain has only been at Jamestown Resort and Marina since Jan. 1, 2010, he has already made the decision to replace his open foam floats with Premier Materials and Ace Roto-Mold’s encapsulated floats. “I used these encapsulated floats at previous marinas I was at and I never had any problems with them. These floats keep their buoyancy and keep foam out of the water,” said Chamberlain.

According to Premier Materials President Keith Boulais, these Premier and Ace Roto-Mold floats consist of foam that’s made from virgin expanded polystyrene and a shell that’s made from virgin linear low polyethylene.

Boulais said they use “virgin” or new materials when they make their floats so the floats will last about 40 years compared to floats made from recycled materials that don’t last as long. Premier and Ace Roto-Mold offer a 15-year warranty on their floats, which attach to the bottom of a dock with bolts.

One reason Jamestown Resort and Marina made the decision to use encapsulated floats is because it is on an ACE lake. Chamberlain said he supports the ACE regulation about encapsulated floats and is excited to install the first 150 floats this month.

Aqualand Marina

Like Jamestown Resort and Marina, Aqualand Marina, a 1,767-slip facility on Lake Lanier in Georgia is in the process of replacing its unencapsulated floats with encapsulated floats. So far hundreds of the marina’s floating slips are utilizing Formex Manufacturing’s encapsulated floats while other slips at the marina are still using open foam floats.

Len Jernigan, the marina GM has seen the negative aspects of using open foam and the benefits of encapsulated floats. “The open foam absorbs water, which compromises its ability to float. Sometimes wildlife will chip away at the foam thinking its food and if fuel gets in the water, the fuel will eat the exposed foam. I haven’t had any of these problems with my encapsulated floats,” said Jernigan.

According to Formex National Sales Manager Nick Grillo, the company uses solid block expanded polystyrene foam, which meets the Hunt test for absorption. Then to meet ACE regulations, Formex covers the foam with a shell of high molecular weight polyethylene, which is the material used in truck beds and is able to withstand large impacts.

Grillo said these dock floats attach to the bottom of the dock with bolts and should last for between 30 and 40 years.   

Jernigan plans on replacing his other open foam floats at Aqualand Marina when he replaces the rest of his docks because Lake Lanier is an ACE operated lake.  

Conclusion

While unencapsulated foam floats are still seen in some marinas, they are clearly being phased out. Most marinas that are replacing their dock floats are now using encapsulated dock floats because although they are more expensive, they perform better, last longer, and protect the environment.

Rob Preston is Managing Editor of Marina Dock Age. He can be reached by phone at 847/647-2900 Ext. 1311 or via e-mail at rpreston@prestonpub.com.