Read through this thread to make up a shopping list before you head to the hardware store. Prior to doing this, though, you will want to have your dock auger in hand so you can get the proper hardware for it. I recommend the Torq-D dock auger, MAKE SURE it is the one sized for PVC. Other dock augers may or may not work, and may not be properly sized, resulting in a bit sloppier fit. YMMV, and if you find a better product, by all means, chime in. We're here to help each other DIY a better product.
I will be laying out the items needed for a quick and dirty 5' spike. For additional fancy/modular spikes, I will go into that in a future post. If you have primer/cement, and a way to cut your PVC, you can make two of these for $56.70, based on the parts/prices listed here. There's an even "dirtier" version that eliminates the T-fitting and uses a smaller pipe for the handle that would save you $5± if all you're looking for is the least expensive way to get results, but for now, I'll let you figure out how to accomplish that feat.
Head to the hardware store with your dock auger in hand, and for each spike you are making, you will want to get 1 stainless hex bolt, 2 stainless flat washers, and 1 nylock nut for the bolt you choose. You will also need to pick up a 5' section of inch and a half (1 1/2") PVC pipe. The cheapest and common length for PVC pipe is 10', which is why I simply made 2 spikes, for the front and back of the boat. The hardware store SHOULD cut the 10' piece in half for you, and some may sell 5' sections for a ridiculous markup. If you want to make a modular spike, or a "fancy" version, buy (or bring) a PVC cutter - that's the red thing in the pic above. A regular old saw WILL work, but you must make sure your cuts are square and clean them up prior to assembly. The cutter is an additional cost, but IMO, well worth the money.
Now that you have a 5' section of PVC and your hardware, you will also need a T-fitting for the 1 1/2" pipe. For the quick and dirty version, you will also want to purchase a 2' section of inch and a quarter (1 1/4") PVC pipe. This will be your "handle" for a quick and dirty version. DO NOT think you will be able to muscle this thing into the lake bed without some sort of handle, besides, it's like two bucks. Spend the cash - I'm helping you EASILY save $30-40!
Lastly, you will need PVC primer and cement. I will mention here that if you want a "fancy" version, they sell a clear primer and cement, but the cheap purple primer and cement is perfectly fine for this purpose. If you're careful, the purple stuff can save you a few cents. Look at my two assembled spikes above. The T-fitting and the cross fitting were assembled with purple primer. I happened to have clear primer in my plumbing box, but when I was assembling the originals, I had to borrow primer/cement from my neighbor, and all he had was the purple stuff. Careful application can get you great results.
Here's a price breakdown on the materials needed for a quick and dirty spike:
$4.80 - 10' PVC pipe (I made 2)
$18.19 - Torq-D dock auger
$2.40 - PVC T-fitting
$2.50 - stainless hex bolt (price may be different, I guesstimated the length of the bolt I needed)
$0.50 - 2 stainless flat washers
$1.00 - 1 stainless nylock nut
$2.72 - 1 1/4" (inch and a quarter) PVC pipe, 2 feet long
$6.84 - PVC primer/cement combo @ Home Depot
$unknown - PVC cutter. I have no idea how much mine cost, I purchased mine YEARS ago. There's several, make sure it cuts 1 1/2" pipe. A miter saw works too.
If you end up satisfied with the 1 1/4" "handle" used here, you only need to buy one. You simply slip it out and use it for each spike. If you wanna "fancy" it up, that'll cost you, but IMO, there's less chance of damaging your creation with the "fancy handles" I'll show you later. Really, for the price, you will be able to afford the couple of bucks to make a new one if something breaks, but I suspect most folks will want the gussied up version I'll show later.
Now that you have all your parts, take your 5' piece of PVC and drill holes in the proper place for your dock auger. The holes molded in the Torq-D dock auger are in between sizes, so you will have a little leeway in your hole placement because you will have to go up a size for the hole you drill in the PVC pipe. After you've drilled your holes, slide the dock auger into the PVC pipe. Put a washer on your hex bolt and slide it through the PVC pipe. Put the other washer on the hex bolt sticking out of the other side of the PVC pipe, and finish the attachment of the dock auger by tightening the stainless nylock nut onto the hex bolt.
The last thing you need to do is primer and cement the T-fitting to the other end of your PVC pipe. When that is dry/cured, you are done. You have created a quick and dirty spike, suitable for sandbar use. The method I used for these was as follows - run the 1 1/4" pipe through the T-fitting and use it as a handle to give you leverage to screw your spike into the lake bed.
I would recommend sinking the auger at least 2' deep, but if some other depth works for you, then go with that. Two feet was what turned out to be ideal for my purposes. I then ran a dock line through my bow eye, and used the rest of the rope to thread through the T-fitting, then up to one of my bow cleats, across the bow to the other cleat, and finally tied it off to the T-fitting. The front of your boat is the first thing I would tie off when using these. I bought a 10' piece of PVC and made a second spike, and I used that to tie off to the back cleat. If you have any current/wave action, plan accordingly, and when using two spikes, I had zero movement of my boat. If you wanted to pin your boat in place, a third spike off the other back cleat would effectively lock your boat in that spot with zero movement, regardless of current/wave action.
I don't have pics of me making this quick and dirty version, but look at the pic above. It's the assembled one with the T-fitting. It works perfectly fine. I decided to post this thread up after I realized last week that I needed something for 5' of water or less, and the feedback from my neighbor of how well Tennessee Yankee's breakdown/modular spike worked for his jet ski. If you can't figure out how to assemble one of these after this thread is done, I will make and ship you a five foot quick and dirty spike for $150. That's the penalty price for being unable or unwilling to piece this together. What will follow is the fancy/breakdown/modular version. I am also willing to make and ship you one of those, but my price (again, for being unable or unwilling) starts at $500 and goes up from there.
My neighbors have actually talked about "all of us" going into production on these and undercutting the tie-up "salesman", since we now know we have come up with at LEAST an equal, if not better, design than what he has.
My bright idea was to use spray foam in all of the PVC once I had everything all cut and ready for assembly. This, in itself, must have ended up being a hilarious event if you weren't myself or my wife. I used the Great Stuff foam for gaps/cracks up to 3", and started spraying it into all the pipes. I didn't think ahead, and I foamed the pipe that had the cross section on it, so it's currently full of cured/curing foam, and I have to clear the tube out. While all of this was being foamed, the funny part was when I was done talking to the neighbor, I turned around to see the foam starting to overflow EVERY PIPE I HAD PUT IT INTO! I started trying to deal with it, but I quickly figured out this was a losing battle and went in the house to tell the wife "GET THE HELL OUT HERE AND GIVE ME A HAND, AND I'M NOT MAD AT YOU, BUT I CAN'T STOP THIS STUFF FROM EXPANDING AND I DON'T HAVE TIME TO BE NICE ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO!"
