The Piano Hinge is our most common hinge used to connect a dock to a gangway. To achieve maximum strength, utility and aesthetics, Wahoo has developed a proprietary hinge arrangement that interlocks the components so that the stress is transferred across the entire length of the hinge and not on individual welds. Further, we co-extrude our stainless steel hinge pin with an HDPE sheath to insulate metal-to-metal contact and ensure a noiseless hinge for the life of your dock.

Dog Ears provide a very durable connection and are most commonly used when the gangway attaches to a dock that is anchored with Stiff Arms. Although it performs a similar function as our proprietary Piano Hinge, the notable differences are that there is more tolerance in the Dog Ear connection, allowing more horizontal rotation, and are not as quite as the Piano Hinge because there is no insulating bushing. However, the greater horizontal rotational freedom is ideal for Stiff Arm anchoring, where a small amount of movement is necessary for alignment. Our Dog Ears are made from 3/4” x 4” aluminum plate and connect with a 1” diameter stainless steel pin.

Rollers can be located on either the shoreside or the dockside of a gangway and are useful for numerous applications. Rollers are typically used in conjunction with a transition plate to ease ingress/egress. Our proprietary rollers are made with ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW) for maximum durability, noise reduction and are low profile compared to competitive options.

Our Bulkhead Hinge is designed to attach a gangway to a fixed object on shore, typically a seawall or pier. The Bulkhead Hinge allows the gangway to pivot up and down with one degree of freedom and incorporates Wahoo’s proprietary Piano Hinge (with HDPE bushing) to ensure a durable, noiseless connection. The Bulkhead Hinge - Corner Mount attaches to the top and face of an object to enable it to be secured on two faces. The mount overlaps the corner of the pier 4” on top, 4” down the face, and spans 6’ for a 4’ wide gangway.

Our Bulkhead Hinge is designed to attach a gangway to a fixed object on shore, typically a seawall or pier. The Bulkhead Hinge allows the gangway to pivot up and down with one degree of freedom and incorporates Wahoo’s proprietary Piano Hinge (with HDPE bushing) to ensure a durable, noiseless connection. The Bulkhead Hinge - Face Mount attaches to the face of an object. The mount covers 8” along the face of the bulkhead and covers 6’ for a 4’ wide gangway.

Our Fifth Wheel hinge is manufactured to offer 2 degrees of movement to the gangway: up/down rotation and left/right rotation. A Fifth Wheel hinge is commonly used when attaching a gangway to a bulkhead when cable-to-shore anchoring is used to secure a dock so that any tension disparities in the cables does not stress the gangway horizontally (the gangway is designed to provide maximum support for a vertical load). Our Fifth Wheel is designed to go along the top ridge of a bulkhead and spans 6’ wide, 4” along the face of the bulkhead, 10” along the top and stands 4 ½” high.

Adjustable Wheels are typically utilized on the shore side of a gangway when the gangway is incorporated into the anchoring of a dock AND the position of a dock needs to periodically change because of seasonal water level fluctuations. Specifically, the wheels can be extended (by turning a handle) so that the gangway is elevated and rests on two wheels when the dock is moved. When the dock location is set, the wheels can be retracted so that the end of the gangway rests on the ground. The wheel set is built on a 2” diameter stainless steel axle, a marine grade jack and either 10” wide x 17” diameter plastic wheels (creating a 6’ 6” wide wheel set – 5’ 10” center of wheel to center of wheel).

Fixed Axle Wheels are typically utilized on the shore side of a gangway when a dock and gangway need to move freely. If the gangway is a component of the anchoring for a dock, such as with cable-to-shore anchoring, Fixed Axle Wheels are not appropriate. The wheel set is built on a 2” diameter stainless steel axle and uses 10” wide x 17” diameter plastic wheels to create a 6’ 6” wide wheel set.

Spikes can be added to the bottom of a gangway end to provide extra resistance from movement when the gangway is used in conjunction with an anchoring system, typically, cable-to-shore anchoring. Spikes can be welded on at our factory or attached later with bolts. Further, Spikes can be used in conjunction with Adjustable Wheels. Spikes are 4” long.