BEWARE!!! Silverwater bridge boat ramp
First time on the Harbour in my boat so i needed a convinient ramp to launch. I got on this site to see where to launch and come across Motty mans review of the Silverwater bridge boat ramp.
I have to stress to anyone considering using this ramp- "DONT". It would have to be the worst ramp i have ever used anywhere.
We gets there early new years day. The tide was almost at full high and we launched the boat with ease both comenting to each other what a great ramp it was. We where the only one there (funny about that, LOL).
Upon our return, the tide was very low so, as you do, we just back off the throttle and just trimmed the motor and idled towards the ramp. As we were getting closer, say 15m out, is where we came to a grinding hault
We had a look over the front of the bow and could see that the water was only about 200mm deep. I jumped out and discovered that there was a sand/mud bar running parallel to the shore (quite firm based). I then walked towards the ramp where it went deep again, kind of like a gutter that had a base consisting of about 300mm of soft quicksand like mud (quite scarry treading around bare foot).
How were we going to get the heavy fibreglass boat over that bar??. Jason, as its his rig, decided to get the car and tralier and back it in as far as he could. Oh, he also lost a brand new pair of thongs that he got for Christmas while he was trying to walk through that thick boggy mud. The trailer was as far into the water as we could get it but the front of the boat was still 8-10M away. We ended up grabbing a rope and connectind the rear of the trailer to the bow of the boat and then, by using the car, skull dragging the boat over the sand bar. This was the only way we could do it!!. Either that or sitting around for hours waiting for the tide to come in.
If you were by yourself in this predicament, it would have been a major task. As i said earlier, this has to be the worst ramp i have ever used so be warned.
We decided to go out again yesterday, 2nd Jan with both our boats and families but this time using Wharf rd ramp with a much beter experience. The only negative point about this ramp that i noted was the distance the ramp is from the pontoon. When we launched in the morning the water was high so we didnt notice the problem. In the afternoon on our return, the water was low which uncovered sharp slimmy rocks tthat were between the ramp and the pontoon. To get the boat from the pontoon to the ramp whilst holding the rope connected to the bow of your boat can be difficult if you are by yourself.
All in all. The wharf rd ramp is double/triple and then some what the Salverwater ramp is.
I know which i will use in the future!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks, Shayne