Many aluminum framed dock sections in northern Michigan and many other areas utilize a 4” aluminum frame. This allows the use of many accessories regardless of the name brand of the dock sections that you may have. One accessory that is very useful and can be used on any of these sections is the end cap and side stringer bumpers from Alumi-Span.
These bumpers are composed of an aluminum extrusion with colored non fading vinyl bumper material embedded in that extrusion. They not only protect your boat from bumping up against the dock, they also protrude down enough to protect jet ski hoods, sailboats, and even kayaks from getting caught under the edge of the dock section and becoming scratched.
These boat bumpers are one of a kind and can pay for themselves easily with just one wrong crosswind while docking your boat. Traditional boat fenders work, but tend to be bulky and unsightly after a couple years. Installing side stringer bumpers on your own dock can make hanging fenders a thing of the past. These units secure around the whole edge of any 4” dock frame so they will not come off no matter the conditions. When used in conjunction with torpedo post bumpers they look great and can make docking a not so daunting task for even a novice boat captain.
These dock bumpers can also be used to cap the ends of a 4” aluminum dock frame. All aluminum docks with an “F” style aluminum stringer create sharp edges at the end. End cap bumpers can eliminate the edges and create a very solid buffer for the end of the dock. They are also very strong and make a great product to put on a dock end that supports a ladder or staircase.
Make sure you measure your stringers before ordering dock end or side stringer bumpers. Although these will fit any 4” channel, some manufacturers make decking that is not standard length. Alumi-Span can custom cut these to any length you may need.
