remove dock posts out of muck

any ideas how to remove/pull dock posts out of 2 or even 3 ft of muck? If everything comes down to brute force - what's the best way to get them out?

we've tried using a hand winch but that doesn't work very well - the post even resists to lean in - so when we tried to shorten the rope we basically had to give up most of the gain we just made ... we were thinking about attaching it to the trailer hitch but I heard not so good stories about that ... we can alos try to pull them out by attaching the rope to the tower but I have limited room to navigate as we're sitting in a cove and not on the main lake.

I would drill thru the post on run a grade 8 eye hook / bolt thru it. Next hook tow strap to the tow hooks on the truck or trailer hitch. Place a rubber mat midway on the strap. If the strap or eye hook fail this will cause it to fall and not snap back.

Fist off what kind of posts are we talking about? secondly have you tried rocking them back and forth?

metal galvanized - not old fashioned heavy steel ... yes we tried to rock it back and forth but that didn't change a bit. The rope was still tied to it and it didn't loosen up at all.

could you possibly post a pic? I think you need a way to lift them out, not pull them out.Try making an "A" frame, lean it against the post you want to pull, hook the chain to the pole at/above the top of the A frame, and pull it that way. It'll lift it some as it's pulling it out.

when we pull the posts for our dock we do it with the dock still attached. get a bunch of people to stand on the corner where the pipe is and sink it down. Then put a pipe wrench on the pipe with the handle out over the dock. Then have everyone move to the opposite corner from the pipe with the wrench, thus sinking that opposite corner and lifting the pipe out since it is wedged against the dock with the wrench. Do this a couple times and it comes right up.

Attach a piece of PVC pipe to a garden hose and flush the muck from around the posts. That should loosen them.

didn't think of the PVC extension - thought about going down there with the hose myself ... good call ... A-Frame would be a good concept too but forgot to mention earlier - none of this dock is going to remain/reused - I don't care how it comes out it just has to come out ;-) chances are that there are also pallets laying around down there which again I can't see but have to assume as there's a place I can stand and never sink in but I'm at least 2 ft higher than the muck around me.

Ok after reading David's post for about the 4th time I finally understand what you're telling me - I'm just plain scared to put too many people onto the dock as it is beyond wobbly - good idea too - will keep that in mind for future reference when I have actually a decent dock

I use to have an attachment for my old Berkeley jet drive for that very purpose. It fit a standard fire hose and was an excavating machine with old 460 behind it.