New Docks and Marina for Bridge Harbor Yacht Club in Freeport, Texas
The Bridge Harbor Yacht Club on the Gulf Coast of Texas has been receiving major renovations to their facilities. Recently, they completed 1100 feet of new bulkhead, along with a new 30-plus slip floating dock. The project replaced the old concrete "A" dock to create a much safer and more convenient environment for boat owners.
BoardSafe, a manufacturer of aluminum floating docks, gangways, piers, and rowing centers, supplied the project marina products (docks and gangway) for the Bridge Harbor Yacht Club in Freeport, Texas.Read more
Leaser Lake, PA, Bridge Completes Walking Path Around Lake
As parks, marinas, rowing centers, and other outdoor facilities, add greater accessibility, Leaser Lake, in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, stands out as one destination that can be enjoyed by all. The park has completed an area that features accessible trails and a floating fishing dock. The county also unveiled an accessible kayak launch that includes an aluminum gangway, floating dock, boat ramp, and kayak access with ADA features.
The accessible floating dock and kayak launch were designed and manufactured by BoardSafe, who took several existing accessible kayak launch designs and added innovations based on feedback from wheelchair focus groups. The outcome was a new design that offers a convenient and safe way to transition from a wheelchair into a kayak. As one kayaker said, "It was awesome to transition independently, get in the kayak, and be free on the water."
New! Watch this updated video about the installation's durability:
Watch this brief video highlighting how the custom prefab bridge is positioned:
https://youtu.be/QbW9_ogt2Cs
The project highlights include an ADA accessible park, paved nature trail, ADA / adaptive fishing pier, ADA adaptive kayak boat launch, and accessible picnic tables.
The completion of the footbridge comes just in time for Lehigh Valley residents to walk around the lake and enjoy the warm fall summer and vibrant foliage.
In September 2022, BoardSafe visited the site of several of its applications at Leaser Lake in PA. In 2015, an ADA fishing pier and adaptive kayak launch were installed. The following year an aluminum pedestrian bridge was installed. The ADA-accessible park also includes a paved nature trail and accessible picnic tables.
Upon site inspection by BoardSafe Docks, all of the applications appeared to be in excellent condition, structurally sound, and in proper function. BoardSafe Docks prides itself on manufacturing high-quality products and excellent craftsmanship. As this footage shows, the condition of the ADA fishing pier, adaptive kayak launch, and pedestrian bridge continue to perform to the high product standards desired by BoardSafe.
Since the construction of Leaser Lake in 1971, Pennsylvania residents have enjoyed activities at the lake: fishing, boating, and hiking. For the first time, visitors will be able to walk completely around the lake with the installation of a footbridge. The bridge, built of commercial grade aluminum and manufactured by BoardSafe, goes over the dam at the lake and connects the nature trail on both sides. Prior to the installation of the footbridge, there was no continuous walking trail around the 117-acre lake. The bridge is one of the last installations of a renovation project crafted by the Leaser Lake Heritage Foundation.
This 540-acre park is owned in part by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and in part by Lehigh County.
BoardSafe's First Adaptive Kayak Launch Is Dedicated 9-11-2015
On September 11, 2015, after installing the first BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch, at Leaser Lake, Dan Smalley and Jason Strozyk from BoardSafe Docks met with a number of Disabled Paddlers and representatives from the Leaser Lake Heritage Foundation to discuss what adaptive features needed to be added to the launch.
Located in the foreground are a cooler, two concrete blocks, and a cardboard box — This was the prototype for the first BoardSafe Boarding Bench with pullout seat. The bench was built and installed. The day before the dedication, the idea of installing the roll cage with straps and the overhead grab bar was proposed. Within 12 hours of the discussion, the items were manufactured and installed, literally a few hours before the ribbon cutting. This is a testament to the dedication and passion the BoardSafe Team has for the BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch.
Penn's Landing, Pennsylvania, Commercial Gangway
Penn's Landing, Philadelphia's premier waterfront destination located on the Delaware River, is the home port of the Freedom Elite, one of the area's newest private yachts. The new ship required dockage that included removing old mooring pilings, installing new mooring pilings, installing two 10-foot-by-40-foot barges, and installing a landing platform cantilevered off the existing bulkhead wall. When it was determined a gangway and stairs would need to be included for the project, BoardSafe was naturally asked to provide those items.
BoardSafe met with company officials and determined that, because of the elevation difference between the new landing platform and the barge surfaces at mean low tide, an 80-foot long gangway would need to be provided. BoardSafe suggested using dock products engineered, designed, and manufactured by BoardSafe. Design loads were determined, calculations completed, and a final design generated. The fabricators at BoardSafe then consulted the drawings and manufactured the gangway, landing platform, and stairs. The components were constructed using BoardSafe proprietary shapes and standard shapes. Decking was Ipe, supplied in panel form by TimberStrong.
"We have had a few events on the new yacht and we are getting many compliments on the ramp! It looks great." — Mary Rinaldo, General Manager
Jarrett Nature Center Pier Walkway
Originally a part of the Jarrett Family Farm, the Jarrett Nature Center is a portion of land owned by the Hatboro-Horsham School District in Pennsylvania. Located near Philadelphia, this parcel of land has four different ecosystems: a meadow, a pond, wetlands, and woodlands. The Jarrett Nature Center is used by the school system and is open to the community for education purposes as an outdoor classroom.
In order for students and teachers to access certain parts of the wetlands habitat, the school district decided that a walkway would ensure that students remained in designated areas. Student impact on the environment would be kept at a minimum while allowing students access to wetlands flora and fauna.
The landscape architectural firm Land Concepts designed the Jarrett Nature Center project, which included the manufacturing and installation of a 6-foot-by-50-foot walkway. Pearson Pilings composite pilings were driven as support for the walkway. A BoardSafe aluminum frame was installed and then finished with TimberStrong Deck Panels featuring GeoDeck composite decking. All materials selected for this installation are considered to be environmentally-friendly and have a low impact on wetlands environments.
Quaker Penn Park, PA, Floating Docks and Gangway
Falls Township's vision was to provide township residents and boating enthusiasts in general with a state-of-the-art boat launching facility. To put their plan into motion, they contracted with T&M Associates to prepare a master plan for the facility located on the Delaware River.
The plan was to include a parking lot, boat ramp (to launch 2 boats at the same time), and nearly 2,500 square feet of floating docks. Because of the unique configuration of the floating docks, T&M looked to BoardSafe for design consultation. Unlike most boat launching areas that incorporate floating docks with access provided by a movable gangway, the Quaker Penn Park boat ramp needed to be designed so all floating docks moved in and out with the fluctuation of the tide, which is nearly 8 feet. To allow for the movement, BoardSafe 
designed custom piling guides that not only provided room for movement, they also were configured to move in and out without binding and possibly tearing the docks apart.
Because of Falls Township's commitment to using sustainable materials for the project, they approved the use of TimberStrong Deck Panels featuring GeoDeck composite decking. In addition to the decking, fiberglass composite pilings from Pearson Pilings were used to secure the floating docks. All frames were aluminum, using BoardSafe aluminum decking on the angled sections of the floating docks.
Allen Pond Park, MD, Floating Docks and Gangways
Allen Pond Park is the premier park in Bowie, Maryland. The park offers an array of activities, including an amphitheatre, boat rentals, ball fields, basketball courts, playgrounds, picnic areas, pavilions, biking and walking trails, and more. Accommodations include rest rooms and drinking fountains. The park sees many visitors throughout the year and is a favorite spot for the local community.
The park totals 85 acres, including a 10-acre pond for fishing and boat rentals. The City of Bowie desired to make major improvements to the park and 
commissioned a master plan to make renovations to the park. The major goals were to enhance the park experience and improve programming efficiencies while encouraging use and protecting the natural beauty and habitat. A major facet of this renovation was to improve access to and use of the pond.
The city relied upon the experience of BoardSafe to provide ideas and create drawings for a dock layout and pond access around the boathouse. BoardSafe manufactured numerous alumimun floating docks and railings for water access as well as several aluminum gangways. Local fisherman and families renting paddle boats love the new docks. The City of Bowie is proud of their state-of-the-art floating docks at Allen Pond Park.
Flat Rock Park, PA, Floating Docks and Gangway
When Lower Merion Township, north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, commissioned an upgrade for their public boating facility, Flat Rock Park on the Schuylkill River, they contacted the Pennoni engiuneering firm to produce the drawings and specifications.
In turn, Pennoni contacted BoardSafe to consult on the design of the elevated walkway, gangway, and floating docks. During the design phase of the project, the designers at BoardSafe suggested that the original pier — specified to be constructed from pressure-treated lumber — be upgraded to a design consisting of all-aluminum construction. Township officials were consulted and agreed the all-aluminum upgrade would eliminate any maintenance issues as well as provide a pier that will have a much longer life cycle than the original design.
Construction drawings were prepared, reviewed by an independent professional engineer, then stamped by the PE. The drawings were then sent to the BoardSafe manufacturing facility where all of the components were manufactured. Once completed, the dock sections were delivered to the job site for installation by an independent contractor.
The final design consists of an 8-foot-wide-by-80-foot-long stationary pier, 6-foot-by-12-foot gangway, and a two- section 6-foot-by-40-foot-long floating dock. The floating dock required four custom-made piling guides. The piling guides were made in two pieces so they could easily be removed from around the Pearson Fiberglass Pilings and allow the floating dock and gangway to be removed at the end of the boating season for winter storage, then easily be reinstalled in the beginning of the boating season.
The project has been well-received by the Township and acknowledged by the community as an enormous upgrade from the antiquated pressure-treated dock system that existed prior to the installation of the new aluminum floating boat dock, gangway, and stationary walkway.
Urban Outfitters Floating Garden
Urban Outfitters, Inc., is a large clothing and accessory retailer offering the brand names of Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Leifsdottir, and Terrain. Urban's corporate headquarters is located at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the Delaware River.
As part of the master plan for their facilities, they desired to construct floating hydroponic gardens in Dry Dock #1. The challenge was to create individual gardens in the shape of 4 distinct letters: URBN (this is Urban's designation on the Nasdaq).
The completed letter assembly would need to be nearly 30 feet high and 150 feet long. In addition to the gardens, a trash boom spanning nearly 100 feet long had to be installed at the mouth of the dry dock to prevent debris from entering the dry dock.
To accomplish their vision, Urban contracted with BoardSafe to make their plan a reality. The initial concept drawings were completed by the landscape architectural firm D.I.R.T. Studio of Charlottesville, Virginia. BoardSafe then took the concept drawings and designed a floating structure that not only included the floating letters, but also a massive underwater support structure connecting the letters together.
In addition to holding the letters together, the support structure allowed the entire assembly to move up and down with the fluctuation of the tide. The challenge was to make the entire structure "non-permanent" so the use of the dry dock could be changed at any time. The trash boom presented the same challenge. To facilitate the easy removal of the assemblies, powder-coated steel I-beams were attached vertically to the side of the dry dock in 6 locations, providing an attachment point for the underwater boom assemblies.
On the end of each boom, a roller assembly travels up and down the I-beams, following the tidal elevation. The letter frames, booms, underwater support structure, and trash boom, were fabricated from aluminum and then powder-coated black. Once each letter was assembled on land, a plastic Brillo©-like material was installed and the different species of vegetation were planted. A 2-foot high fence was then constructed to outline each letter. The fence serves two purposes: to keep wildlife from nesting in the gardens, and to delineate each letter once the plants began to grow.
All components were assembled on land, then installed using a crane, workers on the ground, and scuba divers.
St. Mary’s College Rowing Center Gangway and Floating Dock
As part of updating their waterfront activity center, the school contracted with Dissen & Juhn Corporation to install a new bulkhead, raised piers, boat ramp, aluminum gangway, and floating boat dock. Dissen & Juhn, in turn, contracted with BoardSafe to design, construct, and deliver the aluminum gangway and floating boat dock.
The main challenge in constructing the floating boat dock was the 8-inch free board (distance between the top of the dock and water) requirement. The 8-inch free board is necessary so that the top of the racing skull is at the same elevation as the top of the dock. This allows for easy boarding and exiting of the vessel by the college's sculling crew.
A related challenge focused on the floating dock frame. A normal floating boat dock consists of a frame that sits on top of flotation, but the St. Mary’s dock would have to be designed in such a way that the flotation was incorporated into the frame.
BoardSafe, as part of the design phase, calculated the weight of the completed frame (framing materials and decking) and determined the amount of flotation required to give the completed dock the required free board. The number of floats under the dock directly affects the free board; the greater the number of floats, the higher the free board, and the greater per square foot support. In turn, the fewer the number of floats under the dock, the lower the free board height and support per square foot. The calculations needed to substantiate the number of floats needed ultimately provided the desired free board.
The aluminum gangway was designed in accordance with current ADA specifications and measures 5-feet wide by 30-feet long. After the design was completed and approved, fabrication began at our manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania.
The custom floating boat dock frame was 10 feet by 50 feet and fabricated using our proprietary mainframe and aluminum tubing. Once the frame was completed, the specified floats were installed and the pressure-treated decking put in place as the design required.
Additional flotation was also added in the area where the gangway would rest on the floating boat dock to provide additional support for the point load created. Once completed the floating boat dock and aluminum gangway were delivered to the St. Mary’s campus and installed by Dissen & Juhn Corporation.
Both St. Mary’s and Dissen & Juhn were highly-satisfied with the custom floating dock and gangway solution BoardSafe designed and manufactured for this project.