Versadock

Nauti Buoy · 04 May 2007, 18:10

Well today I took delivery of my Versadock. 5 pallet loads were delivered to the slipway at Port Solent. At first I was a tad concerned there was too much, but the installation guys assured me all was ok.

Anyway we started building the system at the slipway at Port Solent, when we were suddenly aware of 4 Gobby 8-10 year old kids climbing all over the floats, then they thought it funny to start walking over the line of floats that were assembled and just touching the water. We politely asked them to leave the stuff alone and get off the dock, to be told by one of the little girls to F*ck off you can't make us, which then followed loads of verbal abuse from them. Next thing they decided to push the floats into the water, and as quick as we could get them out the little F*ckers thru them in and with an off shore wind blowing they quickly floated away from the shore, which meant we got quite wet retrieving them.

SO, seeing as we could not control them and did not dare touch the little sods, had no choice other than to call the Police, who eventually turned up, took down the names and told them to go away. The Police Lady came down to us and advised us to get as much floating as possible as it was very lightly they would turn up again and there would be a lot more of them. So what started off as a 3 hour assembly ended up being an all day affair, we piled as many as we could onto what we had built, towed it over to Port Solent Marina and assembled it on the water, which increased the install time by 5-6 hrs as the whole idea was to build it on the slipway and float it off and straight onto my mooring.

I have to say it is brilliant system, boat goes up and onto it easily, my concerns were that the nose would rise really high then drop forward, but that is not the case, simply nudge the nose into place, apply a little throttle which pushes water up onto the dock, then a quick blast and up and out she pops, getting the rib off is easier, just a sharp blast backwards, then you end up engaging forward drive to brake the speed in which the rib glides off, as engaging reverse sends a load of water under the rib freeing the rib from the dock. Genius.

Hightower · 04 May 2007, 18:30

I'm glad my kids and their mates were of assistance Richard

I did tell them to help, perhaps I should have told them to cause havoc and swear a lot

If you hear reports of a whale in Port Solent, it'll be me catching up on my suntan

Pete7 · 04 May 2007, 19:18

What a brilliant bit of kit, bring it across to Priory Bay and we can all sit on it and be towed about, much better than an ringo

We could even have a BBQ on board mid solent

Nauti Buoy · 04 May 2007, 19:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete7

What a brilliant bit of kit, bring it across to Priory Bay and we can all sit on it and be towed about, much better than an ringo

We could even have a BBQ on board mid solent

Ha, it is really great, and very very stable, no flexing, you can walk all over it. Sarah has already earmarked it for when I am out on the rib and using it as a Sun Bathing platform.

just hope she is a quick mover when 3.5 tonne of rib is about to dock onto it.

codprawn · 04 May 2007, 19:51

Wonder how well it would cope in the swell our harbour gets - I suspect my boat would end up on the pontoon which it almost did once!!!

Nauti Buoy · 04 May 2007, 19:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Wonder how well it would cope in the swell our harbour gets - I suspect my boat would end up on the pontoon which it almost did once!!!

Can't see any reason it won't be fine, there is another set of buoyancy floats running down the centre of the dock, they're used in the states in open marinas all the time and not had any issues. As long as the rib is tied down to it then all should be fine.

Bigmuz7 · 04 May 2007, 20:32

Any issues regards scratching the gel coat on the RIB Richard?

Nauti Buoy · 04 May 2007, 20:39

Not so far, think mainly cost there is such little friction between the dock and they rib as the water lubricats the dock so the rib just slides up. I think all should be fine as long as when the rib is driven up you don't hit it at ramming speed, just nudge the dock and push up. There is sort of a ramp up. I am going to try and do a small movie showing it coming onto the dock, to demonstrate it.

Hightower · 04 May 2007, 21:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nauti Buoy

Not so far, think mainly cost there is such little friction between the dock and they rib as the water lubricats the dock so the rib just slides up. I think all should be fine as long as when the rib is driven up you don't hit it at ramming speed, just nudge the dock and push up. There is sort of a ramp up. I am going to try and do a small movie showing it coming onto the dock, to demonstrate it.

If you'd like some help with the Movie Richard, I've a steady hand

Nauti Buoy · 04 May 2007, 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

If you'd like some help with the Movie Richard, I've a steady hand

Yes please if you don't mind that would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Hightower · 04 May 2007, 23:05

I'm pretty much available all weekend Richard. I'm down at Winsor marine tomorrow morning, so will be in the area. Not available in afternoon (RIB show) and Sunday and Monday

nick wood · 05 May 2007, 21:52

Hi all,

Just built our first versadock over here, just recived the ali bars that keep it from folding up yesterday, so will fit and have a go with the 8.5 meter scorp that it was built for. We also built it on a slip way but our passes by stoped and helped

, Richard that dock layout is the same as the one we have just built, I know what you mean about there looking like there are to many floats, when ours arrived I thought we would have enough for 2 docks. But no it was just the right amount, a very clever design that has created a stir over here!

here is a vid from our web site of these docks in action, can't wait to have a go with it!

http://www.versadockuk.com/movies/Dr...s/8M%20RIB.wmv

Nick

Pete7 · 09 May 2007, 17:10

So do you have to spend each Easter antifouling these floating dock thingies

Pete

Nauti Buoy · 09 May 2007, 19:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete7

So do you have to spend each Easter antifouling these floating dock thingies

Pete

Nope just leave them, they also come with a 25 year no quibble guarantee. The customer service has been superb, had a couple of teathing problems, they came round the next day, rectiifed the problem, with a follow up call to check everything was still fine.

FreeTrader · 09 May 2007, 19:18

Nick & Bob Wood, and our mutual friend Liam Hennelly, have spent all day (today's a bank holiday in Jersey!), finishing the dock off and we did the first trials today. I'd just like to thank Nick here - he runs a great business.

The versadock is a phenomenal piece of kit, but we've still got a bit of tweaking to do, to make sure there's enough prop in the water for the reverse off. Quite relieved to say good bye to the trailer, trailing a 30' rig in Jersey hasn't been fun.

Nick Wood has been fantastic, and if anyone would like to get one of these in the Channel Islands they should get in touch with Nick - they get my 100% recommendation.

Tim M · 09 May 2007, 19:25

Are the marina charging you anything extra to keep that in there? I really like the versadock system an am considering one at the moment.....

Bigmuz7 · 09 May 2007, 19:36

Me too .. so how much did the dock cost ?

floater · 09 May 2007, 21:23

pity they dont do it in "nauti boy" yellow

your Parker still looks good ever time i look at it

Andy

Ezgoing · 09 May 2007, 21:37

Richard

What weight is your rib?

what depth floats did you get?

Thks

Nauti Buoy · 09 May 2007, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ezgoing

Richard

What weight is your rib?

what depth floats did you get?

Thks

The weight of my rib is 3900kg full of fuel (450 litres) the floats are all standard except down the keel of the rib they are double stacked. I am planning on trying to sort out a vid shortly of driving on and off just to show how easy it really is. My initial concerns was that my rib bow would pitch right up then fall forwards, but it doesn't it just slides up the whole dock then just sits there a float above the water. Very simple, but very clever.