Build a Swim Raft   

By Wayne Lennox

I envy those folks who swim simply for the sheer pleasure of swimming. I must have a defective gene, one that compels me to engage in an activity only if I have a destination. Swimming out from the dock a couple of hundred meters and back seems pointless. Sure, there are places to swim to from our dock; my kids and their cousins have made the long-distance crawl to Miller’s Point a Lake Wahwashkesh right of passage, but I’d drown halfway there! Some destination a bit closer would be more realistic.

A swim raft is the perfect solution; it answers my need for somewhere relatively easy to get to; provides longer ultraviolet exposure for sun-worshipping cottagers whose shorelines lie in afternoon shade; is a refuge from the busy dock when the waterskiers take over; and the kids see it as yet another place to play.

Building a raft like the one we featured in the July/August 1995 issue of Cottage Life magazine is a reasonably straightforward project, but you will need to consider size, materials, permits, and finish. The one I built for Cottage Life measures 6' X 8', but if you want something a bit larger, it is easy to simply scale up.

Materials

Essentially, you have three options for the swim raft structure: pressure-treated lumber, cedar, and composite materials. Keep in mind, that while 2 X material is necessary for the frame, 5/4s is more than adequate for the deck.

There are a number of ways to provide flotation for the raft; here are the two most common.

  • Barrels – plastic or steel – are cheap and reasonably easy to find and install. However, they generally raise the profile of the floating structure and, if punctured, must be replaced.
  • We used foam flotation billets for the Cottage Life swim raft. At $70 apiece (and you'll need two), they're not cheap, but they are easy to work with and quite hardy (our dock stays in the water year round and the billets show only limited signs of wear after twelve seasons). Some advocate the use of black polyethylene and galvanized wraps to minimize ultraviolet and critter damage but even without protection, the foam billets will likely outlast the 10–15-year life span of the wooden structure.

To reduce rusting, use only galvanized hardware for the frame assembly. Deck screws for the deck boards will hold better than nails and, if you predrill, the boards won't split.

The only real accessory for the raft is a ladder. Sure, some lean and mean teenager might be able to climb nimbly up out of the water without any help, but a ladder is simply essential for less graceful older folks. For detailed plans on building a swim ladder, see the July/August 1998 issue of Cottage Life magazine, or click here to view the summary at cottagelife.com.

 

The Permit Process

Before you proceed, keep in mind that the Navigable Waters Protection Act regulates what goes where on most cottage waterways, and that Transport Canada therefore requires a permit for a swim raft. There is a website to help you through the process: http://www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/Ships-and-operations-standards/nwp/menu. This site provides specific information about submitting a permit application and a convenient list of Navigable Waters Protection Program offices, so you can call to discuss the construction of your swim raft in general terms before you submit any paperwork.

General Guidelines:

  • the raft must be located in front of your property, no more than 30.5 metres from shore and at a water depth of 1.8 metres or less (Transport Canada might allow you to locate a raft further than 30.5 metres from shore if a 1.8-metre depth cannot be obtained at that distance).
  • the raft has to be removed from the waterway at the end of the boating season.
  • the raft must have reflectors on all sides and the sides must be painted yellow or white.

In addition to Transport Canada, consult your provincial or territorial Ministry of Natural Resources and your local municipality to determine whether or not they have policies you must follow. Certain waterways, such as the Trent-Severn and the Rideau, also have specific restrictions. And as if that weren’t enough, there may also be restrictions mandated by a local conservation authority, a cottagers’ association or nearby park.

 

Forming an Attachment

Once you have obtained permission to build the raft, you can see detailed plans for construction in the July/August 1995 edition of Cottage Life magazine. Naturally, you won’t want your raft to float away. Information on how to pour a hefty concrete anchor can be found in the June 1995 issue of Cottage Life.

 

Now, hope for good weather!

 

Project Tool Box
  • tape measure
  • 3/8” drill
  • 3/8” and 1/2” auger or spade bits
  • extension for bits
  • #8 countersink bit
  • #2 Robertson bit
  • circular saw
  • framing square
  • bar clamps (optional)
  • handsaw
  • belt or orbital sander
  • wrenches and/or socket set

Complete plans and instructions for building our swim raft are available in the July/August 1995 issue of Cottage Life magazine.