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Boat ramp


JimC

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I have a concrete ramp on which I use my trailer to get boat out of water. Because of medical problem winching onto a tilting trailer, then winching the trailer up the ramp is difficult as trailer tips high when boat coming on. I want to construct a low level retrieval system such as wooden slides and rollers mounted onto the concrete. What suitable product could I use for the slides. The concrete goes half under water at high tide. Suggestions please. Jim

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Lucky you, living on the waterfront! Years ago, as a young teenager, I used to fish with an old Scotsman who had a tinny in a boatshed at Connells Point. He had two wooden rails that ran the length of the concrete ramp. On those, ran a dolly that would fit under the boat. Back in the shed sat a winch. It was a great little system! 😎 I guess you would need to use good hardwood rails, maybe suitably treated with something to stave off rot.

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A mate left his plastic boat on the water for a bit longer than usual and it ended up being encrusted. I think the problem is that the surface of the plastic is porous to a degree which gives the barnacles or similar purchase. While it may not rot I'd suggest you design the system so the rails can be slipped and locked into place when required. Look for FRP (fibre reinforced plastic) rails. I used to deal with a company called Treadwell and I believe they do a number of profiles. Some of the anti-slip grating they make gets used for commercial wharves. Still needs water blasting but looks good.

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I’m sure timber is fine. Lots of wharf pylons are timber. Been there for years. Many boats are made of timber and sit in the water all the time, except when slipped for anti fouling etc. I’m sure you could antifoul the rails on a dead low tide. Just a thought.

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My boat is a 4.3m Quintrex aluminium. Too much marine growth to leave in water. I will probably try hardwood runners, maybe a small dolly under boat. I have the wheels so a bit of construction required.

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13 minutes ago, JimC said:

My boat is a 4.3m Quintrex aluminium. Too much marine growth to leave in water. I will probably try hardwood runners, maybe a small dolly under boat. I have the wheels so a bit of construction required.

You could possibly just use a dolly without running it on rails. Just a thought.

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On 2/6/2019 at 11:57 AM, Squid Inc said:

Hi JimC,

Could you go in a different direction and look at an electric winch?

It may be easier than constructing a ramp?

 

A mate of mine has a very steep driveway and couldn't get traction reversing his 14 foot Stacer up it. 

He bought an electric winch, mounted it on a wall and it does the job with ease.

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I've seen some pretty impressive set ups on the hacking because there are so many houses on the water with private ramps & boat sheds.

Its a hard thing to comment without looking at your ramp, so do you just want to leave it on the ramp or bring in into a shed?? 

Maybe an easy solution would to actually buy some trailer slides with the plastic/Teflon strips & make a bolting bracket to fasten to the concrete then with an electric winch bring you onto something that rolls??

There are lots of trailer spare places around.

Don't know, then you have to get it back into the water of course.

Maybe even modify a cheap boat trailer on modified wheels that's permanently attached to the winch?? 

 

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