North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Hi,

Was wondering how the temporary ramp was going down at Dundee? What winds are suitable for launching and retrieving there? I'm guessing anything over a 12knot westerly would put a fair bit of waves onto the temporary ramp making it difficult to retrieve?

Anybody known when the new ramp and rock wall will be completed?

Cheers.

Rock wall is done, ramp is 80% completed. Wont be open till atleast end of November.
Dundee winds have been variable lately and have been swinging through the forecast more than usual. But yeah as a general rule anything from the west, particularly on springs has been causing issues. The temp ramp has lots of exposed bed rock so it isn't a great option at any stage. We've been experiencing tyre damage to go with chewed up props.
Really depends on who is on the tractor to how easy it is. If you have Jethro or Rusty on board, its easy. The others well good luck!
There was a couple of guys that tried to retrieve on the weekend using their own cars. Each to their own I guess but personally I don't have the money to be trashing my car for the sake of $30

Was a nightmare last weekend, lots of boats were getting swamped with waves, few boats ending up bashing sideways on there trailers.
If you are not confident driving your boat onto your trailer in good conditions I would not recommended it at all.
There were some good lads out there helping with retrieving, winching boats on and tying them off, would like to thank them if any are on here!
Saved a lot of people any injuries trying to jump out and tie off in those waves.

Had a look at the how the new ramp was coming along today. Thought I'd share a photo for those that are interested Sign says construction due to be completed Feb 2017


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Should have known it would be delayed...

Thanks for the update.

Looks the same as when I was there in September

Looking good. There have been a lot of barra caught off the breakwall already too

Can't tell from the picture is it a two lane ramp.

Mother Nature has yet to build her extension on the front of it. It's hard to tell from the image but my suggestion is that unless that wall curled around along way towards the ramp it will be smashed hard by wind swell when there is any.

Just a question. Do people generally expect that once the majority of small medium boats start to launch themselves at Dundee that the tractor people wil hang around picking up the few others that don't want the trouble or bigger boats. I can't see them maintains rusting machinery and being there to pick up the pieces when the wind gets up by mid arvo and the swells start slurping up the ramp cracking onto the back of 4x4s without any extension draw bars or similar. Just wondering about what others think will happen is all as the track or business was never a good business model even with an almost monopoly.

Here’s my prediction
Everyone will self-launch until it silts up after the first storm or just natural movement. People will wonder why they get bogged to the arse in the soft sand after the fantastic new ramp promised the world. Sand moves into the vast majority of groynes – its just basic hydraulics

The tractor use will drop off for a while and then when things turn to poop, they return with a vengeance - and their costs will go thru the roof.

the ramp was only 1/2 engineered to shut us up for a while. the groyne is way too short and its the wrong shape.

I hope I'm wrong but experience at other locations in Oz and through the world (that have much less tide movement than we do) shows its a half arsed design

They should of just left the tractors do their thing, i have had my trouble with the back packer drivers over the years but at least it kept the morons away and your car out of the salt. Now it will just be chaos down there with there half arsed design. Can the government get anything right, they stuffed the parking a buff creek, now dundee is write off!

I didn't mind the tractors, the bit that annoyed me was no launching/retrieving between 6pm and 6am. I'd rather the money went to subsidising an all-hours service.

Same Jabsy

I can't understand why the plan I saw early was to have the wall running out & then run parallel to the shoreline. Looks like this isn't happening.