Boat Ramp Crookhaven Heads

[slothe]

Just wanting to know if anybody out there knows what the boat ramp at Crookhaven Heads is like, and does anybody have any photos of the place at all.

cheers the red herring

[Thunder]

The boat ramp is great and they have done lots of renovations there (sorry no pictures).

There is a large carpark, 2 wide ramps (from memory) with a jetty in between, fish cleaning facilities, and toilets. There is also a sandy section where you can beach your boat while you are waiting, or tie it to the jetty.

There is plenty of room to back your boat in and there is plenty of room to park the boat while you tie it down. It does get busy at Christmas though and they have provided extra parking areas for cars only.

There is also a small boat ramp at the back of Orient Point with no facilities (last time I was down there) that is not very busy as it isn't as well known. It is very sheltered as it is between the island and Orient Point and you come out in the Crookhaven River opposite Greenwell Point.

Cheers

Greg

[Thunder]

When you are heading out to sea, the sand bar is on the left hand side against the breakwall.

The channel is on the same side as the ramp on the headland/lighthouse side.

If you stay on this side it is a safe passage out to sea.

If it is low tide and there is a strong wind the bar can get rough, but you just have to pick a wave and ride it in.

We used to go out in our 4.3m tinny and we saw guys in 12 foot tinnies out there.

As with all boating, you just have to pick your days.

Cheers

Greg

[MrGenius]

Orient point ramp has a cleaning table, pontoon, toilets and a small sandy section. The tide rockets thru there so be sure that your engine is going to run before pushing out

[Thunder]

I'm not sure what sort of fishing you are going to do.

When you are facing the river at the ramp, if you look to your left there is a shallow bay at Orient Point. There are shallow flats there where you can pump nippers.

If you look at the houses above the sand flats, this is the Aboriginal settlement which looks out the mouth of the river, which may explain part of the previous post.

Cheers

Greg

[michaelrdoyle@gmail.com]

Both Orient Point and Crookhaven are great ramps, and have lights, fish cleaning table, toilets, wharves, washdown area, parking etc. Both will get busy in peak periods with good weather - so launch early, return late ;-)

Crookhaven has more parking, and more ramps (a double, and a single that is rarely used). Is closer to the entrance (if that is where you are heading). Has good light. oh - don't park under the really big light - or you'll come back to find your car covered in pelican poo. More difficult to launch by yourself.

Orient Point ramp is smaller and quieter, and easier to launch if you are by yourself. If traveling in the dark, many of the channel markers lights aren't working, which can make it a hair slow trip on a dark overcast night. OP is better for launching by yourself (small sand bit to pull boat up on whilst parking car).

The entrance to the ocean is generally really good (assuming you're not in a 12ft dinghy). As already mentioned - follow the blue lights/markers (Do *not* deviate). Wear a life jacket. In huge winds and waves it can get dangerous, and with the wrong wind and tide, it can get messy. Every few years some guys drown crossing it - generally they are in a small tinnie, have been drinking, and aren't wearing life jackets. Sign in to VMR shoalhaven - they are EXCELLENT (though they forgot to log me off last time i went out - which caused some stress - but first time in 10 years)!

Mike

[michaelrdoyle@gmail.com]

oh - and some photos of entrance after a storm:

(from http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelrdoyle...7602426847642/)

The swell was 4-5m (guess)

From the boat ramp looking out the entrance.

Looking across the entrance from the headland - notice the breakers!

Of interest - even after this storm, I reckon if you could keep the boat afloat in the ocean (which was pretty bad), you could have returned through the entrance. But that was just because of the way the swell was rolling....

Mike