Boarding Passengers without a dock & a rocky shoreline?

[YamaHog]

This may seem like a silly question, but since owning my boat I have not encountered this situation. Over Labor Day weekend I'm going to be staying at a cabin that was previously owned by my grandfather (now owned by another relative) on Greer's Ferry Lake here in Arkansas. In the past, we always ran the old boats up on a set of 3 tires tied together, but those were Tri-hull run-abouts, and the lake had MUCH less boat traffic back then. There's a Marina about 15 mins away that rents slips, but they are booked up for that weekend, so it looks like I'm going to be launching the boat daily and putting it back on the trailer in the evening. Not ideal, but not too difficult. However, my concern now is that even if most everybody is on the boat at launch, I'll still have to pick my dad up at shore since he'll be parking the truck & trailer after launch. At the launch ramp I'll be at, there is no dock and the shoreline is rocky. What is my safest/best bet for picking up passengers when there is no dock available? Even if I had already installed a Keelguard, I'm still not crazy about getting my hull near a rock shoreline. Tips appreciated! I did get on a waiting list for a slip at the marina in case somebody else cancels. I just need to have an alternate plan to ensure everybody has a fun weekend AND the boat comes out un-scathed.

 

[Sean R]

I would back up to the shore real slow and dad would be getting wet, at least up to his knees. Then he can spin around and sit on the swim deck. That how my wife and I have done it and yes she's in the boat.

 

[adrianp89]

Swim

 

[Quad]

• Use a canoe or rowboat and anchor it after you've picked up passengers
• Buy a cheapo inflatable PVC boat to ferry people between ship and shore
• Use a tube to ferry people (i've done this, it kinda sucks but it works)

 

[adrianp89]

• Use a canoe or rowboat and anchor it after you've picked up passengers
• Buy a cheapo inflatable PVC boat to ferry people between ship and shore
• Use a tube to ferry people (i've done this, it kinda sucks but it works)

What about a swing? Tarzan onto the boat.

 

[Julian]

If the boat ramp has no dock, then I'd be telling dad that he's wading in up to his waist to get on the back of the boat at, or near, the ramp. The other alternative above would be to use a tube to push to him and he gets on and you pull the tube to the boat.....but seems like overkill. If Dad is boating....he's gonna have to get wet.

I've never been to a ramp with ZERO docks. Our marina ramp has no docks, but we have a huge network of docks at the marina, which include open docks where the gas pumps are. So if I need to pick up the driver or anyone, I tell them to go to the gas dock and I'll grab them there (if they are occupied, there are always open slips I can point to and pull into just for pick up/drop off.

 

[Quad]

What about a swing? Tarzan onto the boat.

Good grief, how did i manage to forget that?!!

 

[2kwik4u]

I really feel like a fabricated drawbridge/gangplank and hoist system on shore is what needs to happen here. Just back in, have him lower the draw bridge pretty close to swim platform. Walk over, then drive off.

Maybe counterweighted so it goes back up on it's own to prevent trespassing

 

[VitaminSea]

Can you anchor/moor the boat off the shoreline behind the cabin? Would alleviate having to deal with the ramp daily. Can either “wade” out to the boat, or use Quads suggestion of using an inexpensive PVC inflatable to ferry your passengers from shore to the boat.

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[Ozark]

I ran into this same problem, on the same lake, at the beginning of this summer. The guy who parked the trailer wouldn’t get in above his waist and everyone was giving me grief for trying to make him swim out. Against my better judgement I backed up to him. We went to take off and the boat would barely move. Spent the rest of the day at the launch pulling the pump to get wood chunks out of the impeller.

 

[adrianp89]

I ran into this same problem, on the same lake, at the beginning of this summer. The guy who parked the trailer wouldn’t get in above his waist and everyone was giving me grief for trying to make him swim out. Against my better judgement I backed up to him. We went to take off and the boat would barely move. Spent the rest of the day at the launch pulling the pump to get wood chunks out of the impeller.

Rule #1 - Tell everyone else to f*** off.

 

[Dfred]

If possible, I would prefer leaving the boat out on anchor right there for easy access vs trailering and launching every time.

We have ferried folks rowing an inflatable dinghy out to the anchored or moored boat (the old Avon 8’ packs and transports easily). In a pinch? use a suitable tow tube and paddle that out. We also used an inflatable SUP when we didn’t have the dinghy… yup you’re gonna get a bit wet.

The drawbridge/floating dock idea @2kwik4u proposed may work if you can get it stabilized… think floating dock using some inner tubes and planks well anchored and fixed to the shore (though folks should probably crawl out on it so as to not fall and get hurt on the rocks). Or use any Reef-type inflatable popup floating dock - like this 8' x 7' x8

 

[YamaHog]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! The ramp is literally just up the road from the cabin and I will good parking available. We'll probably just end up loading everybody in the boat and launching, and then myself or my dad swimming to the boat just off-shore of the ramp. It's still going to be very hot out that weekend. The launch ramp is at the old South Fork Recreation area on this lake which used to be the last free Camping/Rec area. They closed it down quite a few years back as the Corp./State didn't want to keeping paying to the cost to maintain. So now it's just the launch ramp available for public access. However, there never was a dock at this ramp. Really the only docks are at the launches at the Marina's on this lake.