Good boat dock advice

I’ve heard several people talking about building new boat docks during the drawdown on Lake D’Arbonne this winter, but after talking with Jared Cook of Flying Jack’s Marine Carpentry of Farmerville, he has a tip for you. Don’t wait.

“Don’t wait until the water is down if you are wanting to build a boat dock or large pier anytime in the near future,” Jared said. “To be able to build it right, we’ve got to drive poles down 6-8 feet deep into a secondary shell level. The same piling that we drive 6-8 feet into the lake bottom is the same pole that rises up to support the boat dock. We don’t splice poles at the deck level. That gives your dock the maximum amount of structural support. We need to do that with the barge in the water.”

Driving the poles deep instead of just using Sacrete to hold them keeps them stable in any condition, even in extremes like this spring’s severe flood.

“If you have any project that you need pilings driven and driven right, give me a call. I’ve got a computer program where we can design anything you want and build it the right way. Boat houses are big investments, so you want to do it right. We provide a premium service at a competitive price.”

Something else boat dock and deck owners should consider. After the recent flooding, most lake structures were under water for at least a few days. You need to inspect your wood and see if it is time to retreat it with some kind of sealer or stain. It could save you thousands on damage repairs later!

Jared is building Flying Jack’s into a successful venture here on the lake and he plans to make D’Arbonne his home lake, along with his partner and project manager, Mason, his dog who oversees every job, including jumping in the water on a regular basis to check out the view from the lake! Jared is from this area and spent six years in the Farmerville unit of the National Guard. He also has a college degree in construction.

“D’Arbonne’s home,” he says. And when you have a great boat house or deck, it makes it home sweet home.

Jared did say that this winter’s drawdown is a good time to do any type of repairs and also to build new seawalls or, if you get your pilings driven while the water is up, to finish out a boat house. If you’ve got any questions, Jared has a brochure at Read’s Lumber and several other businesses or you can call him at 318-496-0283 or email him at flyingjackscarpentry@yahoo.com . Tell him you saw his writeup on lakedarbonnlife.com!

You can also learn more about his work and see photos at  https://www.facebook.com/flyingjackscarpentry/

“At Flying Jack’s, we are committed to helping you Live the Dream. We will build you a beautiful boat dock, deck, pier or sea wall made of quality materials that will stand the test of time. We know the importance of quality work. We build every project as if it were our own. We have all new equipment including the largest pile driving barge on the lake. The strive to be the difference between good enough and good as it gets,” Jared says.