pbunn, it will be a while befoe I can get down again but when you say the right side are you saying from the hill or the water? I am guessing it will be better to stay on the side close to where the dock is or was.
23 Hydra sport 225 Yammy
The Margaret Jane II
CapnChief,
What the hell? I’m going to have to go see it for myself now.
That stinks…when I put in / pulled out last weekend, it was right at high tide both times. I thought it was all fixed…just didn’t know any better. I have a 27’ Keywest…do they have some type of speedbump or other way to let you know that you are getting close to the end of the concrete?
Maybe I am being too negative. My neighbor, Melvin Cook and I went down on Sunday at dead low to look at it and at first look, we both just couldn’t believe it. The new ramp is steeper and raised up higher. At the end it just drops off at a 45 degree angle. We both thought it was worse than before. On the right side - looking
toward the water - whe the ramp drops to the 45 degree angle, there is a hump of concrete right on the break from ramp to 45 degree angle. Just sloppy concrete work.
We went back at full tide and it looks great - if you haven’t seen it at dead low.
Someone needs to put a pipe marker near the pier at the 45 degree break to allow you to guage how far you can go in with a wheel. Maybe with the extra steepness it will work ok, but I’m not feeling good about it in my 23’ Cuddy. I 'll be down all next week and get to try it out. I just expected a big improvement.
It is just disappointing that they spent so much money and didn’t do a better job and add some seperators and widen the thing more - after all - it’s a pay dock and it isn’t cheap unless you get a seasons permit.
pbunn
I agree on the pay part. They should give me an extra month on my yearly pass because I wasn’t able to use it for a month. I only bought it for that ramp.
I put in Thursday morning at 4:00 am - tide was near high. Had no problem. Took out about 5:30 at full high. It is a better landing at higher tides. The steeper ramp make my boat easier to load.
Low tide may be a differnet story though.
pbunn
The ramp goes all the way to -12 msl. You would have to have a 30’ trailer from tongue to wheel to even come close to dropping off the end at an extreme low tide. Why the heck would you launch such a craft at extreme low tide any way is a mystery to me!
Looks like they fixed the crappy concrete at the grade break.
Beats launching from shore in the mud!
capn
I put in yesterday at 1 1/2 hours after low tide. Had no problem.
Based on what we saw at low tide last week, I would not try to put in at low tide.
pbunn
How much does it cost to use the ramp? They used to charge admission to the area on a per-person basis, which made using that ramp really expensive if you were taking the family out for a ride. I quit using it years ago for that reason.
Bob
“Remember boys, we are all members of that great fraternity, the Mystic Knights of the Sea”
quote:
Originally posted by Mystic KnightHow much does it cost to use the ramp? They used to charge admission to the area on a per-person basis, which made using that ramp really expensive if you were taking the family out for a ride. I quit using it years ago for that reason.
Bob
“Remember boys, we are all members of that great fraternity, the Mystic Knights of the Sea”
$ 4.00 per person to park. Senior citizens $ 2 something to park. Best deal is the yearly South Carolina State Park Pass for $ 50.00 or $ 25.00 senior citizens. You can park or use boat ramps in any South Carolina State Park. The yearly pass begins and ends on the month of purchase.
I do like the fact that the ramp is divided in two. Now one person cannot hog the ramp. I looked at it near low tide, did not use it. I agree with P Bunn, better safe than sorry and not use at low tide if you have a big heavy boat. I was hoping the new ramp would have a floating dock along side the ramp like Steamboat landing to help with the current. Well atleast it is open again.
“Good instincts usually tell you what to do long before your head has figured it out.”
There is definately a change in slope at low tide, but the concrete went out for about 35 feet after the slope break at low tide. The slope breaks near low tide. The concrete bump has been fixed. It isn’t pretty, but it is a boat ramp. Launching should be very easy at higher tides. At low tide, I wouldn’t have a problem launching as my boat is only 19 feet long. Having not owned a larger boat, I don’t quite understand why the steeper slope causes problems. As for the floating dock along the ramp, that would be great, but with the current as strong as it is in that part of the creek, they would have a hard time maintaining the floating dock. I saw a floating dock in Beaufort in a creek with less current that always seemed to have problems especially with the hinge. I too like the two lanes as it keeps people from hogging the ramp. All in all, I think it is improvment because it doesn’t have those pot holes in the concrete anymore. I also agree with the park passport being the best deal. You can go to any State Park.
At low tide, the second slope is only a few feet from the water line. It looks to be about a 45 degree angle. I don’t want my wheels going down that angle. At low tide Friday - I saw a lot of trailer scrape marks.
I almost always launch at 3:30 or 4:00 am. - it’s not a time I want to tear up a trailer.
All in all it is an improvement. I used to be able to unload at low tide and I don’t think I would try that now. I agree with Brad - I sure would liked to have seen a platform dock at the side.
I use a park pass. I sure would not pay 16 bucks to launch if I had 4 people on my boat.
The problem that I had this weekend was people fishing and crabbing on the dock. We came back in from offshore at about 5 pm. The pier was so crowded with people that we could not pull the boat to the dock to off load my son to get the trailer. One lady sat on the dock with her legs hanging in the water between where my boat was heading and the dock - she never moved - others refused to move their fishing rods.
It’s pretty hard to have a usable ramp without a dock for loading and off-loading.
pbunn
Are there any signs posted near the dock stating that the boaters have use of the dock over the crabbers and fishermen? There are signs at Steamboat Landing stating such.
“Good instincts usually tell you what to do long before your head has figured it out.”
On monday morning i backed TexUsc’s boat down live oak and we have done it here before…it was a neat idea to put a curb in between, but i was hoping they would widen it because it was very close to the rocks. It would also be cool if they fixed the big dropoff because it is tough to unload at low tide.
~Tman
Adventure, I agree. What size boat do you have?
capn
Used the ramp all last week. I see they posted a warning sign about the drop at low tide, a sign on the walkway to the dock showing “end of ramp”, and a no fishing sign. I put in and pulled out about 2 hrs on each side of the tide with no problem. I was in a truck with some lift so the tongue was off the gound pretty good, I think my wife’s Suburban would have caused me to drag my trailer. If only they included a “no crabbing sign” as there were a few in the way when I returned a couple of days…but they were nice enough to let me use the courtesy dock. 
KeyWest 268cc, Twin Yamaha 150 4strokes