Running a business as a uni student

If you have a holiday home or a permanent residence on the water, your dock doesn't just have to be a place to moor your boat. Rather, it can act as a comfortable outdoor living area. To make that possible, you may want to extend the dock so that it includes extra decking.

For instance, you may want to tie up your boat on one side of the dock and expand the other side with a pontoon for lounging. To make this area extra inviting, you may want to add the following elements.

1. Built-in Seating

You don't necessarily want to drag chairs from inside your home to the pontoon every day. On the other hand, you don't want chairs to blow away into the water. As a compromise, consider built-in seating. Wooden benches lining the sides of the dock can be comfortable and attractive.

2. Shade

Of course, with the hot Australian sun beating down on your pontoon, shade can be essential. You can talk to the installer of your pontoon or dock to see if they can fit the area with permanent shade. Alternatively, you can add shade by building a pergola on the dock or adding a gazebo to one part of the pontoon, or you can put up temporary shade with an awning.

3. Lights

Lights are also essential. Depending on your budget, you may want to wind twinkly lights around your dock, or you could use lit torches. In some cases, it is possible to wire the pontoon so you can choose from a range of electrical lights.

If possible, you may also want to add a fire pit for campfires. A fire pit needs to be lined with a sheet of concrete or fire-resistant metal to protect the dock.

4. Storage

The pontoon can be the jumping-off point (literally) for swimming, fishing and other activities. As a result, you may want to add storage to your dock. This could be plastic bins or a built-in cabinet. Remember, you don't want to store everything on the boat. If it's not docked, you won't be able to access your stuff.

5. Amenities on the Boat

If you spend a lot of time on your dock, you may also want to add amenities to your boat. This could be a fridge to hold drinks, a stereo system or whatever will most enhance your time on the boat or on the dock.