the tool 100 has a handle 104 with arms 105 extending outwardly and terminating in tines 106 which are sized to engage the channel indents 104 the tool is made of a spring metal such that the tool can be squeezed slightly to align the tool tines with the channel indents 104 and then released to engage the tines with the channel indents 104 with the tool tines 106 engaged with the channel indents 104 the connector 10 can be lifted and removed from the receiving sockets 22 although the tool is provided with tines which engage holes or indents in the cap channels 102 the tool could be coupled to the cap in other desired ways to facilitate removal of the connector from the dock members as can be appreciated the connector 10 can be inserted into the receptacles of the dock members from the top of the dock members there is no need to access the underside of the dock members thus use of the connectors 10 allow for a dock to be assembled completely from the upper surface of the dock further as noted above the connector body 38 is flexible the flexibility of the connector brace 42 allows for slight variance in the position of the receptacles of two adjacent dock members and facilitates insertion of the connector 10 into the receptacles of the adjacent dock members when the centers of the receptacles are slightly offset from each other further the flexibility.