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Beware! Silverwater Bridge Boat Ramp


shayneh2006

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BEWARE!!! Silverwater bridge boat ramp :mad3:

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

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You missed the joy of a river cat going past while you were retrieving.

Yeh. We were lucky. I could only imagine what would have happened if it came on by. The problem we had was the boat was stuck on the bar away from the ramp. Had the cat come by, i think the bar problem would have been non existent with the next propblem even bigger, dragging it off the ramp or worst still, THE ROCKS!!!!!!!!!

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just looking at how low the low tides have been of late, alot of ramps would be in a similar situation. at 435pm today the low is 0.09m compared to the higher of lows at 0.32m. I know its only 230mm of water, but can make a huge difference at some ramps

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Here is a bit of low tide action from the boat ramp at Shoal Bay- Little Beach (on New Years Day I think).

The real low tides have caught a lot of people out - forcing this ramp from 4 lanes down to 1 lane and a massive build up of boats waiting to get back in.

post-99-1262495623_thumb.jpg

John

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At that time of year with the BIG Chrissy tides most of Sydney ramps suck big time with the ramps to short at low tide. Putney, other side of the river, your trailer will be off the end at low tide..... Then mix the slippery ramp and a river cat, makes some great sunday arvo entertainment!

The other day I went for a run in the boat, came back at dead low and the airdock was sitting on the bottom and I had to drive the boat onto it to get it out of the water.

Greg

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At Wisemans over the last week or so the big high tides and corresponding low lows made it hard launching and retrieving also. I decided to launch and retrieve only at half to full tide (or to half out). Fortunately I have the option of leaving the boat in the water until the tide came in, even if it means a swim and a wade in & out. :)

Baz

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  • 11 months later...

WARNING- Silverwater Boat ramp and the new whalf which I have used many times with care before the whalf was installed. I took my 17ft, 50 year old wooden boat out today. The new whalf is a shocker of a design as when the tide is coming in at low tide it allows the bow of the boat to go under the whalf as the bump rails, which dont have any rubber buffer D section on them, are in the wrong place and then 2 ferries came past and smashed the bow under the whalf doing considerable damage. It was so easy to see it coming but I couldnt do anything about it. If you use this ramp give the whalf a BIG miss. I have fowarded a complaint to the Olimpic Park people and detailed the design faults, what was a "just so" ramp has just been made worse!!! DONT USE IT.

Edited by Justme
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thats its guys keep bagging the ramp that way ill still just about have it to my self i luv it great ramp if u ask me but mind u my hornet will float in bugger all water and u just need to time the retrieval right so u miss the ferries no waiting straight in and out to easy

but you are right if u got a big glass boat i wouldnt be useing it either

mick

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  • 5 months later...

Same here. I find Silverwater good as its always quiet and the steep slope helps launch at low tide. Wharf Rd is good but its extra petrol for me and more parking hassles. Just have to time it right with those darn rivercats. Im keen to see how busy Silverwater will be on a public holiday.

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  • 9 years later...
On 1/5/2010 at 2:12 PM, GregL said:

At that time of year with the BIG Chrissy tides most of Sydney ramps suck big time with the ramps to short at low tide. Putney, other side of the river, your trailer will be off the end at low tide..... Then mix the slippery ramp and a river cat, makes some great sunday arvo entertainment!

The other day I went for a run in the boat, came back at dead low and the airdock was sitting on the bottom and I had to drive the boat onto it to get it out of the water.

Greg

yes I know this post is +10yrs old but damn i wish I had read this earlier... I was one of those noobs providing said sunday arvo entertainment... but on a Saturday....

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We all live & learn, well some do anyway!

 

I dont know why these people are all :bash: on the about ramps being crap at dead low tide when the answer is simple, work around the tides :1wallbash:

 

Thats why they put out tide charts/timetables!

 

And if your new to a ramp go & check it out 1st.

 

 

Edited by kingie chaser
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I don't like Silverwater for 3 reason

1. the wharf doesn't float and its as slippery as

2. the river cats

3. Mate parked his car and trailer overnight and came back and his trailer had been stolen and a old shit trailer put in its place, the thief had towed their boat down and did a trailer swap. Removed all ID. Upside my mate used that trailer to get home, so they were considerate I guess. but scary towing a 23ft boat on a rusted arse trailer.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 8/31/2020 at 9:24 AM, motiondave said:

by chance....were you trying to launch a bayliner bow rider?

probably wasnt me... my moment was a while back (last year)...

On 8/27/2020 at 12:33 PM, jeffb5.8 said:

I don't like Silverwater for 3 reason

1. the wharf doesn't float and its as slippery as

2. the river cats

3. Mate parked his car and trailer overnight and came back and his trailer had been stolen and a old shit trailer put in its place, the thief had towed their boat down and did a trailer swap. Removed all ID. Upside my mate used that trailer to get home, so they were considerate I guess. but scary towing a 23ft boat on a rusted arse trailer.

re #3 I'm always worried about theft like that... I always lock my towball receiver but there are plenty of things on a trailer that can be just simply unbolted.. like jockey wheels and winches, yes it's petty but all of those are worth money.. considering a winch with a good nylon webbing costs a few hundred bucks relative to say an old rusted winch on last strands of non-stainless steel cables.. and tbh even if I locked my towball receiver, it's pretty damn easy for someone doing a "trailer swap" to just unbolt the whole damn receiver from my trailer's drawbar and swap their own receiver onto it.. nothing is sacred anymore these days....how does anyone even secure against that? Only thing I can think of is like a permanent rear-facing dashcam but even then, they might just wear a mask and park their car sideways and you'll never catch a face of a plate... :(

 

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3 hours ago, lonertic said:

s....how does anyone even secure against that? Only thing I can think of is like a permanent rear-facing dashcam but even then, they might just wear a mask and park their car sideways and you'll never catch a face of a plate...

When leaving over night I Reverse park it and have the trailer hard up against a barrier or rock wall. I also have the tow hitch lock and padlock the chain to the tow bar.

if leaving for a few days I add the yellow  wheel lock.

  • Like 2
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14 hours ago, jeffb5.8 said:

When leaving over night I Reverse park it and have the trailer hard up against a barrier or rock wall. I also have the tow hitch lock and padlock the chain to the tow bar.

if leaving for a few days I add the yellow  wheel lock.

Have always reversed my trailer hard up against a barrier or the like in dodgy areas. Its as good a security system as you probably can have!

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  • 1 month later...

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