New Dock in Plymouth, Massachusetts

Plymouth, Massachusetts, recently installed a new permanent docking solution that can permit harbor access to local commercial fishermen during all the New England seasons. SF Marina Systems designed and manufactured the concrete floating dock solution that nearly doubles the footprint of the old timber docks. The new permanent installation, adjacent to the Plymouth Maritime Facility, eliminates the seasonal task of removing the old docks with a hired crane each year ahead of the winter months.

The $1.32 million project began in November 2023 and wrapped up this past spring. The bulk of the funding came through the Massachusetts Seaport Economic Council ($1 million award), with the remainder funded by the town. Rhode Island-based New England Building & Bridge Co. installed the three SF Marina type 1240 floating concrete pontoons. The 190- by 14-foot dock has a 12-degree bend to match the harbor shoreline. A unique connector with a 2 by 99 tons-per-joint breaking load was cast into the adjoining pontoons for a consistent transition and absolute rigidity. The system contains internalized ducts carrying power and water service through docks. New-Bedford-based AGM Marine Contractors drove the 24-inch piles that anchor the new system through internal and external pile guides. SF Marina describes the system as “engineered to cope with arctic conditions and virtually unsinkable.”

“We wanted a way to improve ship-to-shore access by making it as easy and safe as possible year-round,” said Chad Hunter, Plymouth harbormaster. “By expanding the dock and reconstructing the ramp, smaller operators can bring their harvest ashore much faster.”

Hunter had his sights on SF Marina years ahead of the project, having admired the company’s work at nearby Safe Harbor Plymouth. “I was impressed by what they had done there,” said Hunter, “and by the size and scale of the SF Marina solution. It’s built for longevity and to withstand New England’s harsh seasonal storms.”

The project is part of the Plymouth Harbor Management Plan (PHMP), a multi-year effort funded by the Plymouth Growth and Development Corporation and the Massachusetts Seaport Economic Council. The plan’s intent is to “provide the town and other stakeholders with information and resources needed to understand, protect and enhance the harbor’s economic, cultural and natural resources within the context of relevant laws, policies and regulations” (PHMP, July 2017).