Dock design

Post a plan or diagram.

if you plan on tying a 40-60 footer along side a 20’ long pier, you will need additional pilings. Where to place the pilings depends on which way you will dock the boat which should be bow facing the prevailing stronger winds or waves. If the chop comes from an open body of water, you want to be bow into the chop towards the opening of the bay. This reduces strain on the lines and prevents potential issues with water being forced up the exhausts

it’s also much easier to dock into the wind.

keep in mind that most boats are easier to board from close to the stern instead of amidship so putting the small dock in the middle isn’t going to work well

as to offside pilings, 3 should be fine, bow, midship and and stern. Make sure they try far enough so they keep the boat off the dock. Typical beam of a 60 footer is about 18/19’ so you want the pilings to be at least 25’ from the dock.

impossible to really answer your question without a diagram and chart of your area.

It’s always a little harder the first time you set up the lines so yes you have to get the boat close to the pilings to set them up. Pilings have wooden hooks to hang your lines on when you leave. When you come back they re ready.

in a storm you set the lines so the boat is kept off the dock, in the middle of possible. In normal conditions you have the line set so it’s a foot from the dock.

I do recommend a full length plus deck along side your boat. It makes so much so much easier.
I would offer a picture but I'm currently anchored in the Ortega river.

Our L (T over lap) shape wood dock was over $100K for two lil boats.
We submitted wind resistance of our boats and the dock was engineered for our 60 and 75 foot boats.
Then built our engineered wood dock.
Thru bolts and cross bracing.
The outside dock runs 90 feet parallel to the shore.
The 70 on the inside for our Bert.
The whole 90 for the 75 Hatt on the outside.
I learned on my previous docks not to land & tie cross current.
Then the height of our dock was leveled for mean gunnel height to just step on the boat.
Then,, the height of the piles extend past the dock another ten feet up in case the 100 year flood level is exceeded.
Most piles are 50 plus feet long by 12-13-14 plus inches wide.
2 x 5 pile dolphins on the out side of the dock for the 75.
2 x single dolphins to guide us in on the inside.
Mobile home anchors scattered on shore.
We have the scope, angle and plenty to tie to when the wind and tide (flood) picks up.

2 x 100 Amp power pedestals were raised ten more inches over the dock " just in case".
Thank you Edison Electric Supply.
Oh, the local power company had to install a special transformer to service the house and dock, To the lot, we have 500 amp, single phase transformer service.
200 for the house, 100 for each power pole and the last 100 just to make sure.
Thank you Clay Power.
Funny,,, Clay Power (another department) came back 6 months later investigating high power consumption, Suspecting an inside plant farm, Josie walked the inspector to the back yard. Pointed out up to 16 different ACs running on the two boats. Plus water heaters and galleys.
Dugh-ah

No direct storm hits but a few crossing the state and skippers on the east coast storms, have caused us flooding and high winds.
No worries.
Oh, when the power goes out, both boats have 2 gen-sets each and our Bert has an 230/50 outlet to feed the house.

Life in the swamp is unique, not a problem if your prepared.
We may never bug-out for any storm.

Our boats insurance companies luv us.

Here we go. Found some pictures here on the boat computer.

Yep, built April 2019

Scary to think of it this way; The dock has already paid for itself within 40 months.
Oh, one of my specs was not correct, its 80 feet long.

These dolphins are not going anywhere.

Savings in paying dock rent at the Jax marinas.
For the two boats, slip was $2500 a month. Way more now.
Then commercial rate electricity.

Free standing. Offers some strain in keeping the boat off of the dock during ugly weather.
Those are 5 pole dolphins. One surrounded by 4. On the outside of the dock ends.
The inside slip has two single pole dolphins and a few mobile home anchors set well in the yard, another 20 feet away.

I've done a long dock at a previous house. The marinas in Jax luv long docks also.
I'm getting to old for long hikes.

This picture shows it is not a long walk on the dock and,,
When I took this picture, I was standing on our house's back steps.

The above pic also shows a good point of laying on the inside of the L (or T).
Passing wakes push you aweigh from the dock vs on it.

The local bass & pontoon boats don't offer the bad wake as in Jax,
but every now & then, some swamp head does come by with the mother-in-law planted in the stern and bow pointing to Mars,,
Still as other places,, with out a clue what he is doing (other than dating the mother-in-law while wife is working).
Yes, even in the swamp we have real soap operas..

There is nothing stronger than a couple of wraps around the pile. We don't have any cleats on our dock.

Currently I'm using the 3 1/2" Dock Guard strips from WestMarine.
My buddy is floating big asp fenders between the piles and his hull.
On my previous dock I used 4" PVC pipe. Later used 4" green pipe (I found somewhere).

What walkway?
What platform?
Can you send a picture or explain differently?