Jump to content

Open Letter from Bellambi Boat Ramp.


recurve

Recommended Posts

I am local from Woonona. That’s near Bulli and very close to Bellambi Boat Ramp. I am writing this post in an effort to save some of you ‘Out of Towners’ a lot of stress and antics on the ramp. In return for these nuggets of wisdom I ask that you respect our ramp and the others that want to use it.

Those who have launched at Bellambi may have noticed a lot of locals standing around drinking beer and waiting for novices to come and go. This is great entertainment. Viewings start from 5am and go right through to dusk. Every nice weekend day at Bellambi offers multiple prize balls up by unlucky and un prepared sods. It is these balls up that the Ramp Rats live for. I will do my best to give you the information you need in order so you do not become a spectacle and the highlight of their day.

GOING OUT

PREVIEW THE SITUATION
Yes I know the ramp is filling up fast and it’s chaos. The parks are disappearing and you’re just keen as to get out. Please don’t rush this ramp if you’re not in tune with it. We locals know the deal and make it look easy.
Take some time and survey the ramp. Wait and see how far the surge is coming up and wait long enough to see if there is any cross swell. Bellambi gets a nasty cross surge that comes back from the beach and rips along the front of the ramp. This has claimed many many boaters at Bellambi. Make a plan for how you’re going to deal with it.

LOW-TIDE
Low tide is tricky at Bellambi. It gets shallow and much of the jetty is un-usable. When you’re doing your pre check. Notice how the Jetty side of the ramp is so much shallower than the far side. The sand builds up here. If you’re in a larger boat 5m + it is best to roll off your trailer on the far side when the tide is dead low. Plenty of boats let the boat roll off the trailer at low tide by the jetty and their transoms go straight into the sand…stuck! Add some cross swell to this and the spectators are reaching for another bevvy. You see the sand builds up and can often be higher than the edge of the ramp.

DON'T CATCH YOUR BOW
Another trap for new players is the Jetty is often at the perfect height for your bow to swing under and get caught under the jetty. Add some surge on the ramp (There’s generally always surge) and your poor wee boat gets thrown around like a rag doll while you have a total panic trying to get it out without smashing part of your body in the process. Ramp Rats are really enjoying themselves now. I have seen this a few times and trust me, you don’t want this to be your boat. Easy to happen at Low Tide while your struggling with your transom swinging around in surge and swell.

LOW TIDE BIG ROCK
There is a rock that comes up 1m or more from the edge of the sea wall just off the edge where the sea wall takes a left angle. At dead low this is at a pretty lethal depth. Make sure you don’t cruise past brushing the sea wall or you may get a brush underneath. In some lighter Quintrex boats this might not be so good.

THE BOMMIE
Stay on the Port side of the Red Marker Buoy. Don’t cut in on this if you don’t know the area and especially if it is dark.

NAV LIGHTS!!!
Unbelievable how many people leave in the dark in little boats with no lights and then decide to fish close to the ramp near the marker buoy. Right where everyone is coming out. If you don’t have the right lights then wait for the sun. One day someone at Bellambi is going to get run over I swear it. Almost every time we launch before dawn we come across some idiots who either don’t have them on or forget. We yelled out at some idiot a few weeks ago which we came way to close to and he said his lights did not work….like that’s ok then…not your fault?

DON’T LEAVE YOUR BOAT ON THE JETTY
Don’t be in-considerate and leave your boat tied to the Jetty and then stand around talking. Other people need to use the Jetty. We need to pick up crew or for guys launching on their own they need to tie off. We have asked some prize tossers why they are sitting on the jetty and we have had responses such as.

“Waiting for our mate” …… Don’t launch if your mate is not there or launch and wait for him in the boat in the harbour or, screw him he’s late. Go fishing.

“The battery is dead” ……Sorry no excuse to launch a boat with a dead battery. Get the boat of the water and deal with it

“What’s the hurry”…… It’s 6am in the morning you inconsiderate ******* We all wanna go fishing put out your ciggy and lets go.

One morning we had three boats tied up to the Jetty and not moving and 5 boats circling trying to pick up crew with more boats trying to launch but could not as no space. All these boats tied off were from Sydney and none them cared the least about the drama they were causing. Anyway after waiting and waiting my mate jumps on one of the boats, I pulled up my nose to the boat and he jumps on. These turkeys are yelling at him and he yells back some well selected words. From now on this is what we will be doing and I encourage others to do the same. Just use their boats as an extension of the Jetty.

GETTING READY
Understood, you need to get your boat ready before you can launch. Don’t park at the top of the ramp blocking access to a lane while you fart around. Remember at Low Tide Bellambi turns into a single lane ramp. If people come who are ready and swing in to the ramp in line with where your parked then don’t get snotty. Understand this, we don’t get up super early to watch you muck around. If your in that position you need to be launching not almost there…” hold on” “wait a minute” “Where’s Kalib”? “He’s 10 min away”. Seriously, get out of the way!

COMING IN.
Come in slow please. The wee harbour is a pleasure to snorkel in and lots of people do. Many or most don’t run Dive Flags as they are kids, so please be careful.
Also people fish off the Jetty. Give them a chance to get their lines in. It’s not your private ramp mate!
Same rules apply to coming in as going out.
Don’t park your boat besides the cleaning tables. Get your esky off, no worries but don’t leave your boat there. Ok if the ramp is not busy but when it’s flat out your just being in-considerate
If Locals give you advice, listen.
Don’t leave whole fish carcasses to rot and stink. Feed them to the Rays or throw them over the sea wall.
Don’t tie off at the Jetty and fart around. Get the boat out asap. Other people want to use the Jetty and people probably want to fish from it as well.

JET SKIS
Well you lot are not really very welcome at the ramp at all, but you have as much right to it as the rest of us. But the harbour is not a Jet Ski rec area. Please, launch your Jet Ski and then go somewhere for your boring hobby. Don’t buzz around the small harbour ruining the area for everyone else.
Please know that you’re having a heap of fun but the people trying to fish, snorkel, fillet fish, having a looksy etc and retrieve their boats are becoming highly annoyed with you acting like a tosser. Also when you won’t leave the wee harbour it looks like you’re too scared to go out and about in the scary ocean. You look like a sissy. Perhaps the lake is better option for you?

So be safe at Bellambi Ramp. It is a tricky one when the weather is a wee bit off and it is a very busy ramp when the weather is perfect. But also above all remember that you need to be quick, in and out. Show respect and do your best to not come unstuck. Don’t rush into disaster.

Edited by recurve
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow...bet that felt good to get off the chest haha

Loved the detail. Sounds an interesting ramp and i can relate to all points.

Thinking i may bring an eski one day and enjoy the free entertainment.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey recurve. Thanks for the great write up about bellambi. As a local I've taken the boat down there and received great advice and offers of help to launch there but reconsidered that I would then have to retrieve solo. Best decision was to move on down to port Kembla as it is much more forgiving for solo launch and retrieve.

The last time I was there I watched as the ramp rats laughed at some very unprepared guys struggling to get their flat bed ute and trailer out of the water and yes the JetSki fools adding to the surge.

Local knowledge is key and I appreciate the info you've provided.

Ric.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Top write up recurve, planning to check out Bellambi myself this winter and sure this will be very helpful.

More than a few of those points apply to just about every ramp in Sydney. Amazing how foreign the idea of being considerate is to some people...

Rich

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like a raider social day at bellambi might be an idea.

Consider it a sharing of information and local knowledge.

[emoji848]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited by Ric001
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Recurve,

A lot of "not so common sense" points in that post we can all relate to and some very interesting local information and tips.

Sounds like a tricky ramp at times so it's good to have this on record..

What a great idea to have a local's report on as many ramps as possible.

Great Idea for Fishraider Forum Category!

Cheers

Jim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a fantastic report. I was planning on heading to bellambi on Sunday but I might reconsider. It's probably worth going and sussing it out first rather than just turning up. Locals, is there another ramp which is still relatively close to the fishing off bellambi?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great read. This sounds just at Murrays ramp at Jbay. It amazes me how many ppl tie there boats up to the very small usable portion of the jetty to wait around, grown men holding their boats. Go float around until your mate comes or have the trailer in the water ready.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This could also relate to Berowra Ramp when the locals coming and leave their boat at the ramp and talk to their neighbors Just returned yesterday late afternoon around school time when parents picking up and bad luck boats everywhere, however get the boat out and then the school bus decides to come around and missed my boat by 6"as we unloaded.

So I have invested in 20 chairs at 10 Bellambi and 10 Berowra FishRaider members half price and public full price don't know what to charge.

Recurve you have made my day a great write up

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great write up recurve!

It is a general consensus that this information pertains to many, if not every boat ramp.

In a nutshell, common courtesy, common sense and common decency!

Thanks for taking the time to point out the etiquette that SHOULD happen at every ramp!

Regards scratchie!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks all for the feed back. Glad you guys enjoyed the letter, I hope it makes a difference and helps people to launch trouble free.

Don't mean to make Bellambi sound like a scary ramp. Certainly today and tomorrow you could be launching in Sydney harbour. Very very tame today.

Not many Reds came in today. However we're going out tomorrow and I have good reason to believe that Reds will be in my Esky with a nice Salt Water Slurry.

Recurve,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been using that ramp for thirty five plus years. In my opinion its a shit ramp to much surge and cross wash. Port is the go if you have a big boat. Mates with most of the jetty rats probably one myself. Half the people struggling would appreciate a hand. Unfortunately after being told your a smartarse by the don't tell me about boats dickheads you tend to sit back and laugh. Just after a big southerly hits mid morning is good value. The dickheads always wait to long to head in (if you should have been there in the first place with a big blow coming) You might be surprized if your struggling just ask somebody. Everybody has to learn but the most experienced skipper will struggle at Bellambi on a crappy day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a fantastic report. I was planning on heading to bellambi on Sunday but I might reconsider. It's probably worth going and sussing it out first rather than just turning up. Locals, is there another ramp which is still relatively close to the fishing off bellambi?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Dan, you can launch at Port Kembla Boat Ramp. On Google find the harbour and find the East Sea Wall. At the base of this is the boat ramp. Very easy. You need to be early as it fills up pretty quick. Or wait for the early birds to come back between 9am and 10am. Lot of people go out very early here and come back early. If your scratching to catch something then flicking Squid Lures off the wash points around the islands generally always garantees some squid action.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Recurve,

A lot of "not so common sense" points in that post we can all relate to and some very interesting local information and tips.

Sounds like a tricky ramp at times so it's good to have this on record..

What a great idea to have a local's report on as many ramps as possible.

Great Idea for Fishraider Forum Category!

Cheers

Jim

Good idea Jim - I have moved this to our Boat Ramps subforum :)

It will go well with the other ramp reports

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been using that ramp for thirty five plus years. In my opinion its a shit ramp to much surge and cross wash. Port is the go if you have a big boat. Mates with most of the jetty rats probably one myself. Half the people struggling would appreciate a hand. Unfortunately after being told your a smartarse by the don't tell me about boats dickheads you tend to sit back and laugh. Just after a big southerly hits mid morning is good value. The dickheads always wait to long to head in (if you should have been there in the first place with a big blow coming) You might be surprized if your struggling just ask somebody. Everybody has to learn but the most experienced skipper will struggle at Bellambi on a crappy day.

Agree, totally in regards to the issue with trying to help people. You do often get told in different ways to stay out of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

recurve that's a belter of a report mate!!! Beautifully written and thanks for sharing.

Just a thought...maybe if the ramp rats put down their bevvys and lent a hand to people in need, they could quite possibly make a contribution to society.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...