Edward Childs – Private Mooring – Tortola, BVI (2022)

I wanted to express my gratitude to Aqua-Dock, and in particular Jamie Hooper, for all the assistance provided to me in the acquisition of an Aqua-Dock. Several years ago, I purchased a 7.8m RIB which was kept either on a trailer or in the water. This meant that using the boat either entailed lengthy launch and recovery or regular, in-water cleaning of the hull. This last summer, I bit the bullet and purchased an 8.2m RIB but decided to look into alternative ways of keeping the boat and started to research drive-on docks. I looked at a few makes but following the recommendation from the boat manufacturer, contacted Jamie at Aqua-Dock. Apart from the very competent and friendly service from Jaimie, what sold me on the dock was the rollers extending the length of the dock which was a system other docks I looked at did not have. Jamie helped design the dock, advising on the best dimensions which, once installed, has allowed me full access to the boat when out of the water.

Living overseas, I was concerned about assembling the dock, but with Jamie providing excellent written instructions with words, photos and diagrams, this proved not to be a concern. It took around a day to assemble the main part of the dock and another half day to install the various accessories which included a winch, fenders, cleats and dock lines. Jamie was always extremely quick on responding to emails and still continues with his after-sale service even to today (although that might be because I live in the British Virgin Islands and there might be the need for a service call-out at some stage😊)

Installing the Aqua-Dock has transformed the use of this Rib compared to my original one. Launching and recovery is extremely straight forward and when not in use, the Rib remains out of the water with a cover on it for protection. I cannot recommend purchasing an Aqua-Dock highly enough as it will certainly make a significant difference to your boating enjoyment.