Photos by LAURIE EDWARDS

Nancy VanDyke, along with her two children and about a dozen friends, built her dock in The Forty Acres in Moneta from 2007 to 2010.

The VanDykes' dock features brightly colored hammocks and hammock swings. Valerie (left) and Adam VanDyke lounge in the hammocks while Liberty, the family dog, rests on the dock.

Family and friends (from left) Linda Nardin; Valerie, Adam and Nancy VanDyke; and Tommy Mills spent an evening on Flip Flops, the VanDykes' dock.

Flip Flops is a labor of love. Nancy VanDyke and her children Valerie, 22, and Adam, 19, have spent three years building the dock at The Forty Acres in Moneta.

VanDyke said she decided to make it a family project after going through a divorce.

"I wanted the kids to have a vested interest in my dock," she said. "We hammered in nails for three years until we finally finished it."

The VanDykes could only work on weekends. VanDyke lives in Raleigh, N.C., where she works as a pension analyst for Fidelity Investments. Valerie graduated this year from Virginia Tech, where Adam is a sophomore.

A local builder drove the pilings and did the initial framework, said VanDyke. From there, the family and about a dozen friends took over, laying the decking, building the cabana and running electrical wires.

VanDyke said she went with all low-maintenance materials. The Millennium Decking, a composite made from recycled materials, sounded easier to install than it was, said VanDyke.

"It's interlocking, so there's no nails, no screws ... it's all tongue-and-groove," she said. "It was a little challenging putting it together because you have to have a really flat surface."

While the joint supports started out flat, exposure to heat and rain made them swell and warp. The wood had to be shaved to make it flat again. VanDyke said that in most cases, it wouldn't be an issue because docks are completed in weeks rather than years.

The cabana, which features HardiPlank siding, is set up like a bar or concession stand, albeit a fancy one, said VanDyke.

"I put in a granite countertop this year," she said. "I don't even have granite in the house."

It also features custom-built hickory cabinets, which VanDyke said gives the cabana a beautiful but outdoorsy look.

Straying from the norm, the cabana is in the middle of the dock, rather than in a corner. VanDyke said she chose that design to divide the floor space when she has large groups visiting.

"I have a section off to the right and a section off to the left," said VanDyke. "When you have a lot of people, it breaks up the space, which encourages small conversations with a small group of people."

The dock's decor is fairly sparse. Brightly colored hammock swings and traditional hammocks provide lounging space. A small metal sculpture and a sign show off the dock's name: Flip Flops.

"I was looking for something that would remind everybody of summertime," said VanDyke. "I figured we could flip into the water and flop around on the dock."

She's building a large, lighted flip-flop to perch atop the dock. On a clear night, VanDyke said it should be visible from the main channel.

When the VanDykes are visiting the lake, they spend about 90 percent of their waking hours on the dock. VanDyke said they eat most of their meals and sleep inside Hokie Hangout, her 35-foot-long houseboat, which is tied alongside the dock.

The houseboat, purchased from Parrot Cove's original fleet, is decorated in Virginia Tech's signature maroon and orange. VanDyke said it's an homage to her children's college.

She said the houseboat will be home on the lake until her Raleigh house sells. Then, she plans to build a house on her half-acre lot.

VanDyke said she's wanted a lake house since her first visit in 1986. VanDyke, a pilot, was flying from Florida home to New Jersey for a wedding when she stopped at Smith Mountain Lake Airport to refuel.

"When I landed at the airport at Smith Mountain Lake, I absolutely fell in love with it," she said. "I opened the cabin doors and the air had never smelled sweeter."

VanDyke bought her property at The Forty Acres that year. She said its proximity to the airport -- "literally within walking distance" -- was a big draw. Although VanDyke said she sold her plane because it got to be too expensive, she may purchase another in the future.

VanDyke's priority is to sell her Raleigh home so she can move to the lake full time and start spending more than just weekends on the dock.

"It won't be soon enough," said VanDyke. "I love the lake."