CHEAPEST WAY TO BUILD LOADING RAMPS

zing · Jul 31, 2017

Because of my confusing description, I decided to draw a crappy picture. If you try to drag the boat up greased planks it is going to slide off the sides, just use log rollers to defeat friction. You still need to float the stern and get as much water to drain out as possible so you don't damage the boat with all of that extra weight, but once you lighten it up it should roll quite nicely.

sandman2234 · Jul 31, 2017

Zing, picture isn't coming in for me, but I was wondering why log rollers would be any different that anything else as far as allowing the boat to slide off the ends. If the boat gets out of position, as it comes up out of the water, then the tractor pulling it isn't centered.
PVC would also work as a roller, not as cheap as Zing's suggestion, but they do offer more of a slick surface to pull across in the case of the logs getting stuck in the sand.
David from jax

zing · Aug 1, 2017

sandman2234 said:
Zing, picture isn't coming in for me, but I was wondering why log rollers would be any different that anything else as far as allowing the boat to slide off the ends. If the boat gets out of position, as it comes up out of the water, then the tractor pulling it isn't centered.
PVC would also work as a roller, not as cheap as Zing's suggestion, but they do offer more of a slick surface to pull across in the case of the logs getting stuck in the sand.
David from jax

Normally log rollers have several feet in every different direction from the keel on a center keel boat, so there is lots of room to move without sliding off. In his case since it is a dual hull pontoon style there is less room to move, you are right. I would have said to make the a lot longer than his boat is wide, but the boat ramp makes a little gulley so there isn't enough room to lay down a really long pole. The advantage of a log roller over a greased plank or one foot long rollers for each hull like he is describing is that as the boat moves closer to the edge it will not dig one edge into the ground and/or flip over. With a plank or skinny ramp you have to keep both planks totally straight with the keel of both hulls as the boat travels up the hill and even going a few inches to one side can cause them to flip over or twist sideways. Log rollers are much more stable and if one gets twisted sideways a bit it doesn't matter because the next one will be straight again as you pull the boat up onto that one. The other advantage of course is the cost and simplicity, you can make them for free from the materials on site. He could also make some longer ones for once he gets up a bit higher out of the gulley if the land flattens out a bit.

I'll fix the picture link in a couple of hours, when I get to work. ****EDIT*** Link to crappy image fixed above.

shadetree · Aug 1, 2017

Aussiebushman's last Activity was 07-30-2017 08:41 PM

Not like him to not even check to see what was said about him.

jaxs · Aug 3, 2017

shadetree said:
Aussiebushman's last Activity was 07-30-2017 08:41 PM

Not like him to not even check to see what was said about him.

I hope the reason he didn't check back wasn't because he run into more than he could handle. Didn't he say something about 75? At any rate,I wanted to post so that I would get emails when posts were made. To gearheads, this is better than dinner playhouse drama.

shadetree · Aug 3, 2017

Me too. Maybe his computer failed.

TomSeller · Aug 4, 2017

I hope Aussie pulled it off. Good luck to him, he seems like he would be a great TBN member from down under* and I hope he posts again.

*or up above, depends on how you view the rock we live on.

Wagtail · Aug 4, 2017

jaxs said:
Say wutt?

It's a 'stealth poster' and I've already reported it.

They've been happening over the last few months: usually a weird 'tractor' listed and a nonsensical posting. It will add some advertising links into its signature block after the third posting in order to defeat the "no posting of links for newbies until after a certain number (I guess 3) of postings".

Wagtail · Aug 4, 2017

shadetree said:
Aussiebushman's last Activity was 07-30-2017 08:41 PM

Not like him to not even check to see what was said about him.

shadetree & jaxs... I'll ring the NSW Police at Oberon and ask them to do a 'welfare check'.

Fortunately, Aussiebushman's actual name is in his profile, which will help a lot!