Boat dock: where to look for some building plans

Q. I would like a source of plans to build a boat dock for a lake property in Oregon in a mild climate. Any ideas? Mrs. Verona Brown Irvine, Calif.

A. Check with your local reference librarian for stock plans on private lake boat docks. Marine magazines, among others, contain such plans. The federal government also should have stock plans for docks of various sizes, locations, and styles, whether floating or fixed.

A friend living on a lake front in Michigan has an L-shaped dock floating on 55-gallon steel barrels. The dock is 30 feet long with a 15-foot return to land about 4 feet wide. Before winter ice, the dock is dismantled, stored, and reinstalled in late spring. The old dock contains a bench facing the lovely clear water and is just right for relaxing.

If the Oregon lake doesn't freeze over, a floating or fixed dock could remain the year round, although varying water levels are relevant.

If you have a question on designing, improving, or maintaining your home, send it to the real estate editor, The Christian Science Monitor, One Norway Street, Boston, Mass. 02115. Forrest M. Holly is a longtime West Coast builder now living in southern Arizona.