Dinah Beach Boat Ramp Etiquette

Dex38
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Post by Dex38 »

Looks like an interesting topic here.

Like most people who have kids and especially when they are in the boat with you, I show a lot more tolerance and understanding with them around. But when your 9 year old asks if the man with his motor running and about to drive up the ramp knows what he is doing, something is wrong.

When I bought my boat from G.S marine John took me out for a spin in it on the Elizabeth. He showed me how to launch, drive, trim, and recover the boat. How many dealers do that?

Coming from Qld I had to pass a boat handling test, which was a practical. I had this old fellow conducting the test, who watched me launch and handle the boat I had at the time. He stated to me Safe Boating is about common sense and understanding of the conditions around you. He couldn’t have been more correct.

For what it’s worth this is the second time Dinah has raised issues with me. The first one was earlier in the year when there was a line up of over a dozen boats; watching and waiting the rock show evolution. On that day it took over an good hour to get off the water.

The pontoon will hopefully solve some issues, but if it’s only going to permit 2 to 3 boats access then I see it as another area mayhem can occur.

Airlee Beach has a pontoon which permits drop off, pick up and short term access to support safe boating. The pontoon is away from the ramp a little, with a gang plank out to it.

The problem with this one is a lot of the sailing fraternity ties their tenders up to it thereby reducing access. What it needs is an area on the pontoon which provides protection to the safe temporary tethering of the boats up to it and another area which is exposed, thereby reducing anyone’s inkling to tether. That way the pontoon supports self retrieve via tethering against the protected area and a drop off/pick up solution for deckie which would be left clear because of the lack of boat protection.

Has anyone seen the design for the Dinah pontoon?

Naturally size and cost goes hand in hand, but if this is not thought out well we will be sitting here writing more negative thoughts in this forum instead of praising our infrastructure.

Dex


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2rods
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Post by 2rods »

From what the people in DPI have told AFANT it will be a very BASIC pontoon as they have SFA $$$ I think we will end up with one of Harry Rowe's tyre pontoons.. :???:
:cheers:

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Post by BarraMack »

I do most of my trips during the week, so there are rarely any more than 2 boats at the ramp when I lauch/retreive. That will change next year when I resume the day job.

There are always people who push in - you know the ones who arrive and immediately back their rig down the ramp despite the 3 returning boats waiting for their driver. It doesn't matter if you are patiently waiting 20 metres from the ramp on the water, or holding the boat on the ramp, they will still do it.

If a ramp has a capacity of say two boats, then it makes sense to drop off the drivers, pull the boats out of the way if people are launching, then be as quick and efficient as possible about the whole business. Most people I come across up here know what they are doing. But then I don't use the Dinah Beach ramp on weekends...
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Post by back-cast »

Ramp Etiquette

Text deleted by admin - looks like someone's copyrighted material, sorry BC


i'll have another go then


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Last edited by back-cast on Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by punter »

I would think that the ramp is the last place you would learn to back a trailer. What's wrong with an empty carpark and some traffic cones or boxes etc.? We all have to start somewhere and a less stressful environment would help build confidence. Ramps can be intimidating places at the best of times and everyone has their own agenda so try and play nice :wink: :mrgreen:
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Post by Blinky »

back-cast wrote:Ramp Etiquette

Text deleted by admin - looks like someone's copyrighted material, sorry BC
Pity.........that was a good read BC.
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Post by back-cast »

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Post by BarraMack »

Out of curiosity I went down to the Dinah Beach ramp at about 5:30pm on two separate Saturdays. After hearing numerous accounts of the entertainment value I was expecting much.

The majority of people knew what they were doing in regards to reversing. I was amazed how long some people were taking to get their boat on the trailer though. Dinah Beach is a pretty sheltered ramp - compared to say East Arm with a stiff SE or the TBC ramp with a strong seabreeze. Most of the small boat owners were trying to drive on, rather than winching. Many of the retrievals took up to ten minutes - from the time the boat was lined up to to getting in the vehicle and driving up the ramp. If its a weekday and you have the ramp to yourself, then why not take your time? But if you have 6 other boats waiting in the wings off the ramp, and 3 cars at the top waiting to launch, then you have to be out of there in under 5, otherwise the bottleneck will get out of hand.
Why people need to drive/float 12 foot tinnies onto the trailer is beyond me. It takes two seconds to hook up the winch and wind the boat onto the trailer.
Also I was amazed by the number of rigs that parked in the swingaround area at the top of the ramp after retrieving. Some rigs nearly jacknifed trying to turn in the remaining tight space.
I can see why Dinah Beach ramp gets so congested.
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Post by Chronic »

Yes i agree some people are taking way too long on the ramp and somehow they dont notice people waitng are getting p...ed off. 5 minutes on the ramp is ample. Also getting your boat ready in the carpark not a hard task...

Totally agreed BarraMack

We need ramp cops.. :bonk:
Last edited by Chronic on Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Hey how good is this RAMP topic

Post by grumpy »

Well good to see a spirited issue being debated and I think that is what a forum is all about. Passing on the info both good and bad. :clap:

Now my comment is simple I agree with you all I've seen all sides of the argument and you all have your good points.

But have you been at the Adelaide River ramp when the fish are on :fishing: and you get there in the dark and there's 20 bl..dy boats lined up patiently waiting in line likes green ants heading for a piece of meat and yes you guessed it. Every 2nd boat gets to the ramp for their turn and at the top of the ramp they decide that they need to load the esky or the favorite fishing rod and wait, they then start pig rooting around taking the tye downs off. Sorry my patience :fubird: is nill for this caper but I must admit I don't mind lending a hand loading boats and getting people off the ramp, because I believe we have all had a drama or two at some stage regardless of rough seas or broken rollers.

Keep up the healthy debate "RAMP RAGE" lives on. (Won't mention the grey nomads again.) :fu:
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Post by ozdodge »

So the Government's announced it's calling tenders for the Dinah Beach boat ramp pontoon (again):

]"Delia Lawrie MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

04 March 2009 - New Pontoon For Dinah Beach

Fishing in Darwin harbour is set to get even better with the NT Government calling for tenders to construct a floating pontoon at Dinah Beach.

The pontoon will make launching a boat easier as anglers will be able to tie up their vessel to the pontoon while they park their vehicles and trailers - particularly at busier times.

It will also make it easier to board a boat directly from the pontoon.

Infrastructure Minister Delia Lawrie today said Territorians loved to fish, and the pontoon was set to make fishing even better in the Top End.

“In the Territory we love our fishing more than anywhere else in the country,” Ms Lawrie said.

“This floating pontoon at Dinah Beach will be 70.5 metres in length to enable use even at very low tides – this is a 9 metre increase to the original design.”

It is expected that the contract for the work will be awarded after the three week tender period, with completion expected mid 2009.

The NT Government spent $700,000 in 2004 on major upgrade of the Dinah Beach ramp, including widening to two lanes, extending its length, and a major upgrade to parking area."


It seems to me however that they've done this before? :

Tender for Dinah Beach pontoon closed - Posted Wed May 28, 2008 10:21am AEST

A pontoon to reduce congestion on the Dinah Beach boat ramp is one step closer to becoming a reality, with two construction firms lodging bids to build the floating jetty.

The pontoon was promised by the Territory Government during the 2005 election, but tenders to design and build the project only closed last week.

The cost was initially put at $150,000, but it is understood it will now cost closer to $400,000.

The Northern Territory Department of Planning and Infrastructure says it is hoping the pontoon will be finished by September (yep, that's Sep 2008!).

The department's Sam Hatzivalsamis says the pontoon will help reduce congestion on the boat ramp because fishermen will be able to tie their boats to it while they deal with their car and trailer.

"You'll have this involvement by the boating users, you'll probably have people fishing off it, so it'll be a facility for all sorts of marine-type activities.

"But primarily, the emphasis is to aid in the use of the current asset that we've got there."

The department says the construction of the pontoon should not disrupt use of the ramp. "


I personally expect the pontoon to slow things down and increase ramp rage. Correct me if I'm wrong, but won't I now have to wait for the local yocals to launch their boat, motor over to the pontoon, tie up, walk back to the ramp and retrieve their trailer. And visa versa?

Or am I missing something?
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Post by dodgyone »

Hopefully the pontoon will be long enough for boaties to tie off towards the end leaving plenty of room for others to keep launching behind them.
Will always be a few clowns that cant get this simple idea though.

How about they get the plans that are already drawn up for the East Point Ramp. (the guys should be nearly finished with the paperwork)
Just photocopy them and build 2 side by side. Should do the job just fine and prove they have been listening to anglers over the last few years after all.
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Post by Rug »

I hate to say it though I can see the pontoon being of no use to people launching and retrieving as it will most likely by filled up with bl..dy yacht tenders. What would be the difference in cost between the pontoon or putting another lane on it and partishioning each seperate lane to nullify wonky reversing.

The new east arm ramp should disperse the traffic hopefully.
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Post by 2rods »

A PONTOON AT LAST 8-) 8-)

it will make launching and retrieving the glass boat so much easier with the family :applause:

it is easy realy... launching boats on the inside of the pontoon and boats coming in go on the out side of the pontoon :mrgreen: not slower at all as the boats get of the ramp area quicker..
:cheers:

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Post by Mickfly »

Had no problem today launching at east arm, plenty of room, a bloke from Katherine even offered to hold for me while I parked the car. :mrgreen: Only thing though, nearly slipped launching, & comming back did slip into the drink :rofl:
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