Waterfront Projects Done Right
Trent Hollis · July 3, 2026
Picture this: 2019, Perdido Bay, a new dock build where the property owner wanted to economize on fastener costs. I sourced 304 stainless hardware and laid out the technical distinction. His response was immediate—”stainless is stainless.” Eighteen months passed. Then came the phone call. Orange discoloration had claimed the decking screws. Bracket bolts wept rust … Read more
Trent Hollis · July 2, 2026
Every boater knows the feeling when it arrives. Your dock line has cinched itself into a stranglehold against the load, the cleat is buried under tension, and you face an impossible choice: release the load and watch something break, or cut through a perfectly serviceable rope. Working Gulf Coast moorings for two decades has put … Read more
Trent Hollis · July 2, 2026
Right now, I’m kneeling over a section of decking where the boards have cupped so badly they’re holding standing water — a telltale sign that the fastening pattern wasn’t tight enough when they went down, and UV exposure has warped what’s underneath. My neighbor’s dock had been like this for two seasons. He’d called three … Read more
Trent Hollis · July 1, 2026
A contractor I know charges $12,000 to replace fasteners on a neglected 40-foot dock. A Saturday afternoon with the right hardware costs maybe $300. The gap isn’t about labor — it’s about what happens when you buy the wrong fasteners and let them sit in saltwater for three years. I once dismantled a dock section … Read more
Trent Hollis · July 1, 2026
Plenty of waterfront owners assume that any knot you throw will work just fine — weight it, tie it, toss it, problem solved. That assumption costs them money and occasionally costs them boats. A poorly constructed heaving line doesn’t just miss its target; it can come apart mid-throw, leaving you with a useless pile of … Read more