The automated, rotary retractable dock will have the elevated structural
skeleton of a regular or seasonal dock. This includes the pilings and
cross members. The pilings will support guide rails running (track-like)
between them. The pilings will also be fixed with cross bars, and rollers
which will partially support the material that will serve as the dock
surface as it is extended or retracted. This dock surface "material" can
be a wooden, metal, or plastic, interlocking grating which will be wound
up at the land-ward end of the dock/bulkhead, into a housing unit. Wheels
or rollers will be placed periodically along the side of the grated
decking material. On one or both ends of the structure, an electric winch
will pull the dock surface material out across the structure (water-ward)
and on the other end, retract it (land-ward). The system will have both
land-ward and water-ward "on/off" switches and a remote control.