Big Dock Energy: Because Why Should Boats Have All the Fun?

One easy and inexpensive upgrade is adding hooks to keep your water hose and lines off the dock and out of the way.

That not only keeps your dock neater but extends the life of dock lines and hoses by keeping them cleaner and drier.

You can get cheap metal hooks from the hardware store, but they’ll quickly rust.

Instead, try King Starboard hooks, which look great and are impervious to moisture and UV.

For miscellaneous gear like fenders, extension cords, life jackets, cast nets, and so on, a dock box is a great idea.

In addition to keeping things neat, the ability to store these items at the dock instead of carrying them back and forth makes life easier.

Tough, fiberglass dock boxes are available in a wide variety of sizes and shaped to fit almost any dock.

For paddleboards, a simple storage rack provides a great way to stow them out of the way but still easily accessible for use.

Likewise, specialized mat storage racks are available for those bulky foam mats that nobody wants to carry back and forth.

For starters, a good place to rinse rods at the end of the day is game-changer. No more leaning them precariously against a railing or bench or, worse yet, laying them to down where they can stepped on. Our freestanding collapsible rack does the job admirably and then stores flat when not in use. 

For the more tackle-intensive, there’s a larger freestanding rack that holds 20 rods, including 6 bent butts. Alternatively, if you have a place for it, a wall-mount rod rack is another great option.

If you like to fish from your dock, and/or you want to keep your tackle on the dock instead of shuttling it back and forth, a freestanding dock tackle center is the ultimate solution.

Ours are available in two sizes: a 30” tall model with three locking drawers, slots for four Plano trays, a cutting surface, and four rod holders, and 40” tall model with four drawers and locking tackle tray storage.

Finally, a quality fillet table is a must on any angler’s dock. Available in a dizzying array of sizes, mounting styles, and feature sets, King Starboard fillet tables are impervious to weather, maintenance-free, and easy to keep clean. 

You can go basic or add on all kinds of upgrades — locking drawers for tools and supplies, upper and lower shelves, tackle tray slots, sinks, and so on. In hot climates, make sure to add a beach or patio umbrella in the integrated holder.

Seating options are key, and there are lots of routes to go, ranging from cheap plastic chairs, to folding camp-style chairs, to bean bags, to patio furniture.

We like products that can do double-duty and work on both the dock and the boat, and our folding stainless deck chair is a perfect example: equally at home on deck or dock and made from top quality stainless and marine fabrics to last for decades.

Of course, easy access to cold beverages and a convenient place to set them down are also paramount on the dock.

Unless you have a refrigerator on your dock — which won’t last long, at least in a saltwater environment — that means a cooler.

Fortunately, coolers can be upgraded too, notably with a side-mounting 3 cup drink caddy or a cooler-top serving tray.

Railings and pilings also offer good spots to mount one of many different kinds of drink holders.

You could go flush-mount in the top of a rail, top mount on a rail, or wall mount on any vertical surface.

And don’t forget a stainless steel wall-mount bottle opener with a heavy-duty trash can that won’t blow away to catch the caps.

Finally, consider a marine grill for cooking up lunch or dinner at the dock. “Normal” grills simply aren’t made to stand up to the marine environment and will quickly rust and deteriorate.

Instead, try a fully stainless steel grill meant for boat use like those made by Magma.

These grills can be used on tabletops, clamped to railings, mounted to vertical surfaces, or dropped into rod holders. They also have the added benefit that they can be used on your boat, too.