[Paul F]

Is there a chance of wave action by boats or wind?

[kriswd40]

Originally Posted by Paul F

Is there a chance of wave action by boats or wind?

This area is in a channel between two bigger lakes. Wave action should be pretty low.

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by Andy b

Ah you guys and your lakes, The luxury of fixed water depths at the boat ramps.
You should come over here and try doing it on a tidal slipway with a 4 meter range that dries out too nothing at low water

I guess timing is important for you then.

I launch at a well protected ramp in Wiarton, Ontario, Canada.
Two years ago it was iffy at 3 feet.
Last year the town "dredged" it with an excavator and kept the 3 feet despite lowering water levels in lake Huron.
Over the winter the water level dropped at least a foot and a half.
The docks are now resting on the shore and are unusable.
There is talk of dredging again, as a tinny with a 9.9 would be all you could launch right now.
Slips here are now going at a premium as the local marina at least has decent depth
The only good news is thanks to the zebra mussel infestation the water is crystal clear. Visability is incredible. You'll see what you are about to hit
I dove from my boat last year and you could see the ugly bottom paint from 200 feet away.

[Andy b]

Originally Posted by voodoo

I guess timing is important for you then.

here's what i have to deal with


http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/EASYTIDE...ictionLength=7

todays chart

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by Andy b

here's what i have to deal with


Show Prediction (free) - SOUTHAMPTON 24/04/2013 for 7 days - EasyTide

todays chart

If the lakes I run in dropped and raised by 4 meters, boats would be held up by dock cleats and floating over the dock all in the same day.

We have a whack of lakes that rise in the spring. Many now have flooded waterways taking docks and boat houses with them. That's maybe a meter or two and it's a state of emergency.

I guess we are just weak...or dumb.
People build boat houses, docks etc. based on "normal" water levels......normal doesn't always work out.
We raise dams, block water, let it flow. This year it's not worked. Lots of water, really fast. Man made control doesn't work when you have multiple dams and spillways.

Mother nature always wins.

[Andy b]

That'll be why our docks/pontoons float

[ShabahZ280]

Just spend the extra $$ and get a 4' minimum slip. It's worth it for not having to worry about it, especially if you have any water level fluctuation with winds, traffic, etc.

On my last trip in 2012, I docked my boat in a slip that was literally 6" deep under the tip of the bow, because it was one of the only slips left, and that's where the harbor master put me. I had to raise the drive completely to get it in. Granted it was a muddy bottom and towards the stern was probably around 3ft, but it definitely wasn't a comfortable feeling going in, or getting out.

[Motoxxx43]

Does the slip come with a complementary "no diving" sign!?

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[Andy b]

Not sure i'd want to dive into that!

[kriswd40]

My father taught me how to dive when I was a kid by diving into shallow water and seeing the chiropractor regularly for the next five years. So I don't need the sign

The price difference between a low level dock and a deeper one is upwards of $800, which is making me rethink the whole boat slips thing. Trailering is a PITA but another $2k in my pocket is not.