Waterfront Projects Done Right
Trent Hollis · June 30, 2026
Mixing metals underwater will corrode your fasteners in months, not years — and that’s just the beginning of what goes wrong when boat owners rush the lift selection. Over two decades pulling apart failed systems, I’ve seen owners choose based on what fits the slip or what their buddy owns, skip the weight calculations entirely, … Read more
Trent Hollis · June 30, 2026
Walk out to a dock that’s been neglected for a couple of seasons, and you’ll see the difference between a knot that was tied properly and one that wasn’t. The failed connections—the ones where fishing line parted under load, where people lost fish they should’ve landed—those stand out. They’re the reason I’m writing this. If … Read more
Trent Hollis · June 29, 2026
Out on a job near Gulf Shores, I got called back to a property where the homeowner had installed a kayak rack two seasons prior. The structure looked solid enough at first glance — pressure-treated lumber frame, galvanized bolts, foam cradles. But when I ran my hand across one of the posts, the wood was … Read more
Trent Hollis · June 29, 2026
Two decades of Gulf Coast dock work means I’ve watched countless beautiful installations go up—custom decking, built-in seating, underwater lighting—and I can count on one hand how many had safety equipment staged where it actually belonged. A near-tragedy on a Pensacola Bay renovation back in 2011 was the wake-up call that fundamentally shifted how I … Read more
Trent Hollis · June 28, 2026
The bilge hatch is the first thing I check when stepping aboard any vessel — before I look at the engine, before I inspect the rails, before anything else. What I find in those first five seconds tells me more about an owner’s maintenance habits than a full conversation ever could. Back in the summer … Read more
Trent Hollis · June 28, 2026
Most waterfront property owners don’t realize that adding a pergola over a dock triggers federal permitting before you ever touch a local building inspector. That’s the mistake that cost one Pensacola Bay homeowner everything. He’d already poured footings, ordered lumber, and framed out a beautiful overhead structure without filing a single piece of paperwork with … Read more
Trent Hollis · June 28, 2026
Two summers back, a shade sail tore loose from a dock a quarter mile up the canal. The homeowner had fastened standard eye bolts directly into pressure-treated 4×4 posts that were also supporting his dock canopy structure. One afternoon brought a squall, and suddenly two of those posts were bent nearly 15 degrees off vertical, … Read more
Trent Hollis · June 27, 2026
That moment when you spot a fresh gouge in your gel coat hits different when you know what it costs to ignore it. A neighbor of mine put off fixing a dime-sized chip for two seasons — moisture worked underneath, delamination spread, and when he finally called a shop, the quoted repair ran $1,200 and … Read more
Trent Hollis · June 27, 2026
Stand over the waterline of a neglected boat and you’ll see it immediately—rust-colored streaks bleeding down from every fastener, a chalky white bloom across the hull sides where salt crystals have etched themselves into the gelcoat grain. Run your fingernail across one of those streaks and you feel the texture, roughness where smooth gloss used … Read more
Trent Hollis · June 26, 2026
You’ll hear this one at the marina bar more often than you’d think: “Just drain the water and kill the breaker — that’s all winterizing amounts to.” It’s fast advice, it sounds reasonable, and it lands you with $4,000 in repairs come April. Salt water finds its way into every space you leave unprotected. Corrosion … Read more