Seaco Marine at St. Vital Boat Launch, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada

St. Vital Park Boat Launch, on the Red River, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Boater access to Winnipeg’s meandering rivers has not always been easy or even safe with spring always an uncertain time because of flooding. Water levels can rise ten to twelve feet in a matter of days. Fishers, boaters, kayak and canoe enthusiasts can thank the City of Winnipeg all-inclusive river access program for giving Seaco Marine’s floating dock technology a chance to shine at Winnipeg’s St. Vital Park boat launch.

Seaco Marine’s robust L6.0 commercial aluminum floating docking system was a natural choice for the boat launch at St. Vital Park. The L6.0’s tough modular design and solid pin hinge system allows for greater user safety and is easy to service by city employees. The dock’s design and lightweight, modular construction allows for the addition of more docking, easier seasonal removal and scheduled maintenance.

The floating dock consists of six, eight by twenty foot sections, with eight commercial grade dock floats per section, anchored in the river’s current by two massive steel poles embedded in the river bottom that hold the dock against the current. As the water rises or lowers the entire dock just floats up and down these two poles. Wood skids were installed under the floats to keep the floats from wearing against the concrete of the boat launch when the water is low. A special concrete abutment holds the dock in place when the water is high. Composite decking, dock cleats and non-marring boat bumpers add to the appeal and functionality of this river access installation.

St. Vital Park’s boat launch has enjoyed a resurgence of use from improving the docking area and has become an important green, marine space for the citizens of Winnipeg.