Free Boat Docking Assistant plans - As a frequent solo boater, Stony Lake cottager Doug Maclaren does not usually have someone on hand to help him dock his pontoon boat. Instead, the 81-year-old maintained his independence by designing his own docking assistant. An angled arm, made from aluminum channel by Maclarens neighbour, Bill Doef, catches the boats starboard pontoon as it edges into port, while a rubber bumper cushions the impact. With the pontoon held steady, Maclaren uses the outboard engine to push his craft against the dock, and secures the boat by tossing a line over another of his inventions, a 60-cm-high steel rod cleat on the dock.
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