When it comes to a marina’s infrastructure, floating fuel docks are among the most complex elements with their rigorous focus on safety and resilience. The dock specified by MDL’s Queen Anne’s Battery marina in Plymouth presented additional challenges with the requirement for a 5,600 litre petrol fuel tank to be mounted on the pontoon, which in turn needed to have the necessary stability to support it when both empty and full. Additional specifications included mounting a kiosk on the pontoon for the fuel attendant and also ensuring that the dock had the strength and protection to handle not only recreational craft but also the working boats that operate from the harbour. An added factor affecting the design and construction of the fuel dock was that its situation is directly exposed to considerable wind and wave action coming from the south west across the English Channel.
The resulting solution was a 10 by 4-metre frame fixed to two of Walcon’s commercial-grade Docking Solutions tubular steel floats, each 1.5 metres in diameter and 9.5 metres in length. The petrol tank is mounted on the reinforced steel frame while the diesel is piped directly to the pump from the shore. The decking is GRP mesh and protection fitted around the pontoon to handle the rough and tumble of workboat berthing includes wooden skirting, large D-fenders and five tonne Walcon bollards.
An additional feature recommended by Walcon is the addition of stools welded to the bottom of the floats to allow the pontoon to sit above ground level when it is lifted out and placed on shore for maintenance.
The entire structure was built in two sections for ease of transport and then bolted together on site before being lowered into the water by the marina’s travel hoist. With a full petrol tank, the entire structure weighs in at 21.6 tonnes. With regular maintenance the fuel dock will have a lifespan of at least 20 to 25 years. In all a complex project but one completed to the satisfaction of all involved.