Brisbane Ramps-First Launch

[brutul_noodle]

Hi guys, Im new to boating and new to brisbane. Im expecting my new boat in a few weeks and im on the hunt for a good ramp for my first launch. Since i have to run in the motor and being my first attempt at boating i was considering the brisbane river but im really looking for some help with locations as im sure with all the experience there is on these forums there may be some good advise to be had. I will have a mate with me to help but he is a newbie too. I really dont want to go get in any ones way and would hate to experience some ramp rage on my first launch. I have read lots of advise on what to do and not to do and also read some horror stories which i am hoping to avoid. Im sure im gonna cop lots of flack at the ramp as it is, having a new boat and no idea what im doing :-/ Im looking to start going around and watching a few people launch and checking out some ramps and any advise with locations to go to would be hugely appreciatied.

[25_ponies]

Which part of Brisbane are you in ?

Unfortunately "good ramps" and "Brisbane" don't go together that often. :(

Anyway, tell us where you are and we'll figure something out.

[brutul_noodle]

thanks ponies, although i dont think that is the news i wanted to hear :o
i live in the gap but am prepared to drive where ever is a good spot, i dont mind if i have to drive an hour or so north or south if it will give me an enjoyable day.

[25_ponies]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to scare you. ;D

First recommendation would be to try and have your first go mid-week rather than the weekend. Just about every ramp will be busy on the weekend, and (bad news for you), the good ones will be very busy.

Ideally you want a ramp that's got a beach beside so you can launch, pull up on the beach, get yourself settled, and then push off. You also want a sheltered ramp so that you won't be struggling too much against the wind/swell/current.

Most of the ramps on the Bris river don't have a beach or a pontoon. The ones that do (eg - Jindalee) usually have a ripping current, so if you find yourself with engine trouble you will be 1km up/downstream before you know it.

Forget the Pine River for the time being as well - both of the well known ramps their aren't the best for a learner.

Kedron Brook is probably one of the better local ramps - it has a small beach at mid-low tide and also a pontoon. There won't be much current, and you can drift out into the middle without fear of being hammered by a container ship. It's probably only 20 mins from your place as well.

The car park is quite good with heaps of rigging space, so nobody will be hassling you if you take 1/2 hour to get your boat ready (as long as you don't do it on the actual ramp !!)

To get there just go along Nudgee road and keep going past the airport etc turn offs and the wetlands. You'll go past the council recycling centre and the ramp is just on the right after that.

One other suggestion, and this might sound obvious, but I've seen heaps of people getting caught with this - if it's your first time on a new ramp, or a ramp you've been to before but only on high tide, walk down the ramp and make sure that the ramp is ok as far down as your trailer wheels will be going. Shiny new concrete ramps usually aren't too bad, but there's a couple I know of (eg - Boykambil Esplanade down the coast) where one side of the ramp has collapsed. You don't want your trailer disappearing into that..

Hope that helps.

Ponies.

[gropeher]

Hi,
I think it is a great idea that you put it in the river first to run her in.
I would recommend the Colmslie ramp which also has a floating pontoon.
This is on Lytton Rd about 2 kms after Qld Newspapers heading in bound.
Can be popular but at other times I have also found it to be very scarce.

Dont be afraid to turn up at ramps in the mean time and have a chin wag with guys launching and retrieving and ask for their views on a successful retrieval etc.
I am sure most guys will only be too happy to offer some advise as we all started somewhere.

Cheers and beers Ryan..

[ianspain]

May not be much help to you but i use the ramp into manly marina. Im new to this too and i find it quite sheltered, not too busy, at weekends and it has a pontoon next to it which i tie up to while parking the car. Ive only been boating a few months but am already getting fairly confident at single handedly launching and retrieving the boat. The ramp i use is in the far corner of the marine, turn left at the Lota sign as you drive from Manly to Lota. like i said, not sure its any good to you as its southside, but thought i would offer it up anyway...hope it all goes well
Spainy

[Cheech]

Is it glass or alloy? Can make a difference on recommendations. I use Whyte Island near the mouth of the Brisbane river, Clontarf, Shorncliffe, and Manley as my main ramps. I have a glass boat and have no problems at any of them.

First piece of advice is to never plan your return trip at full low tide. Every ramp is a shocker then. So when you plan your day, block out about 2 hours either side of low for your return. Better not to launch at full low, but you can get away with that if need be.

Whyte Island has a couple of rocks on the little beach so if you use that, have someone on the bow to spot for you and direct you around them. It also looses the beach entirely at high tide so do not return then. It also has a cross current and is effected my north and east winds,,, but apart from that,,, it is a good ramp ( sounds worse than it really is) I use it regularly, but I drive my boat on to the trailer so am not as effected as trying to manouver a boat by hand.

Clontarf is a great ramp from 1/4 tide up. Never low tide as the silt is really bad. Use the beach on the seaward side but do not hog the beach. In and out is the go there as it is a busy ramp.

Shorncliffe (up the river where the big carpark is) is another good ramp and very protected from all the elements. The beach is pebbles rather than sand, but just approach it slowly and you will not scuff your boat. This is probably the ramp I would recommend most apart from Manley. It is also never busy. Remember the 6knot speed limit getting out of the river.

Manley is the pick of the ramps for newbies and experienced alike. It has a good beach and is good even towards low tide. Is very protected from the elements. Looses the beach at high tide, but does have steps that you can pull up to. Just take it slow.

When retrieving, Clip on your winch cable before you move the bow to the back of the trailer. Have the winch locked off as well. This then gives you something to leaver against ( the cable) when moving the boat to the back of the trailer. When it is in line, just slide the boat in and it should rest on the first set of rollers. Whilst holding it in place, have your deckie do the winching and once teh slack is taken up, the boat is going nowhere. Poeple come unstuck by hot having tensionto hold the boat in place, so as soon as the tide/current/wind gets a chance, it will move the boat out of position. Hold it against teh first set of rollers and this will not happen.

The last thing I would recommend is to always have the bow to the shore when you start it and leave the beach. Just use reverse. I sometimes see people struggle and point the bow out and have the engine to the beach. This is rediculous and just adds stress and problems. Keep it with the engine in the deep water and have your deckie hold off at the bow and jump on to the bow when ready to go. If the bow is just sitting lightly on the beach, your deckie can get aboard before you leave, and when you are ready to kick it into reverse, just move to the stern a bit and the weight change will lift the bow off. Nice and easy. Works for me and without stress or angst.

Happy boating.

Cheech

[AnthonyL]

I dont know about the north side as I am at Carindale but my first few trips out were from the Comslie ramp and then down the river.

Also if you could go midweek when its quieter.

What type of boat did you get?

[brutul_noodle]

Excellent help guys, im glad i found these forums. I went for a drive around today looking at some ramps up towrds the sunshine coast and had a look at scarborough marina and bribie island. The guys i saw made it look easy i just hope it works out smoothly for me. I wil definately be going to check out the ramps you guys have told me about to. The boat i bought is a 6.4m freedom seapsport and they are glass, i know im a crazy bugger buying one of these for my first boat but hey you only live once and its exactly what i have always wanted and i wanted the peice of mind of buying new. Im sure im gonna get a hard time at the ramp though if i look like i dont know what im doing with a big new boat hence all the research ;) I have had a couple of people tell me not to go the river to start with and that bribie etc would be better ? Any thoughts on that, i thought the river may have been easier for beggining.

[Cheech]

Brand new 6.4m glass boat :o Lucky guy..

Colmslie would be good as you can just float it off and straight to the floating jetty. But not on a weekend as it is full of jetskiers. That way you can make the first trip more about getting use to the boat rather than worrying about the rest of it. Nothing wrong with the river for a first familiarity trip.

Can I assume the trailer is set up for driving it on? It should be, but just check anyway.

If it was me, and I was just launching it as per usual rather than driving off, and retrieving by winching on, I would definately use Shorncliffe or Manley. Quiet and not in the elements = less stress and nobody to worry about if you get it wrong.

At least Manley is quiet when I use it,,,, though I do tend to fish at non standard hours.

Another couple of tips, when retrieving, do not use the lane closest to the beach. Unless you are straight in and straight out, you will hold up everyone else as they will not be able to get around you. use the furtherest lane and that way if you take a while to get it on, it will not interfere with others coming and going as they will have clear access to and from the beach via the closer lanes.

Also, make sure the engine is tilted up before you drive off the ramp out of the water.

[2iar]

Hey mate.

I live in the Gap too and only have a years experience too, so I remember the nervousness well. I use the ramp at Nudgee. It's got all the features previously listed, but it's also worth noting that it's a 3 lane ramp, so if your heading out midweek when the ramp's quiet it'll be quite forgiving if your reversing's not so good.

It's a bit shallow at low tide, but I'm susprised that it' never as busy as I expect it to be. This is probably because it's a longer run to most fishing spots than most of the other ramps.

Good luck,
Mike

[Fishin_Dan]

It may help to practive reversing with a trailer in an empty carpark (box trailer would suit) before you go launching for the first time if your not good with the trailer...

I've been launching my own boat for about 2 years (Not as much recently ::) ), and helping others for about 15, and I'm still not the best at reversing the things...

If you can get a little bit of practice first it will speed up your launch/retrieve rates drastically, and will serve you very well if there are a few people at the ramp.

You can't go wrong with Cheech's advice either... I've been that winch guy for him a few times... He certainly has everything down pat, and almost to an art form! ;D

Cheers,
Dan