How to Decorate My Deck to Look Look Like a Boat Dock
A deck already shares a similarity using a boat dock because they both use similar kinds of planks as construction materials. But if you would like to really trick out your deck, especially when you like all things nautical, begin using items common to all or any boat docks wherever you find them. A copy or salvaged wooden figurehead produces an interesting nautical addition to any deck.
Hemp Dock Lines
Thick dock lines from hemp rope protected boats to cleats on the flooring from the boat dock at its borders. To recreate the dock feel, incorporate a leading railing made of thick hemp rope to railing posts. Catch the banisters set up for safety, and only use the hemp as a decorative accent. You can also hang the line between posts on boat cleats throughout the face of the railing if you don’t want to reconfigure the top rail. Insert a vintage life preserver band or 2 plus a few well-placed boat fenders — a cylindrical foam-filled tube which cushions the boat between the pier — to finish the appearance.
Deck Ensigns
Most all docks and boats — particularly sailboats — fly ensign, insignia or sign flags on transoms or aft on the boat. Install a premade flagpole or make it yourself out of iron pipe along with pulleys and secure it to your deck. When it is cocktail time, then fly the ensign with a depiction of a martini or a beer mug overflowing with beer around the flagpole. Or if you are feeling more like being a pirate, fly your own pirate flag.
Dock Storage Boxes
Insert wooden boxes with lids and rope handles to store deck things such as gardening tools for your deck plants, cushions or seams. When the lid is closed, the box doubles as extra seating. Several boat marinas and docks offer extra storage for people who lease or own berths in the same manner. Insert a boat’s wheel at the end of the deck or on a pole for an extra touch.
Ramps, Not Stairs
Most boat docks and marinas don’t have stairs; rather they use ramps. This allows people to use the marina’s wheeled carts to move their possessions from their vehicles to the boat without a great deal of hassle. Take out the staircase on your deck and replace them with wooden ramps. This not only makes it easier to access your own deck, so it makes it even wheelchair-accessible when providing it a nautical feel.
Furniture and Sails
If it’s in your budget, add teak furniture for your deck. Most boats berthed at docks in marinas have teak installed as decking in places on the boat because teak requires a beating and weathers well. If teak furniture is beyond your budget, add wood furniture stained to match the shade of your deck. Director’s chairs made of wood and canvas are often used on boats because they store flat. A bright blue canvas strung overhead produces the feeling of a rebound as it provides shade.