Building a boat ramp

[jercrane]

Anyone ever build a boat ramp for super light personal use?

 

I have some shoreline at the lake that is eroding and actually has shaped itself more or less into a boat ramp. Its actually totally usable right now for a small boat like our 13' whaler. Shoreline is too soft for the Nautique. I'm thinking of actually building it into something I could actually get the Nautique in and out of. Anyone done this before?

 

I think 10feet width is probably fine ... what do you think minimum length I could get away with?

 

I was thinking about using this stuff. https://www.flexamat.com/

 

Any other ideas?

 

Is this a pipe dream?

 

 

[Wish]

I've seen several in FL made of that stuff. Seems to work well and easy to instal.

[Orlando76]

.

[dave2ball]

I have flex mat on my ramp. It works great.

[BobF]

On our lake, we laid two rows of grass block pavers (you know, the kind that let grass grow up through it) where our trailer wheels go. It works fine, since the two boat trailers that use it have a similar wheelbase.

[Orlando76]

Sorry, somehow while I was reading your post I also responded to my wife’s text but it ended up on your thread... and then I couldn’t delete my post. What a doofus.

[jjackkrash]

If you don't want to or can't use concrete, you could look into a gravel-stabilizing grid and fill the grid with 3/4 clean (crushed rock) or some sort of pea gravel.

 

https://www.landscapediscount.com/Gravel-Stabilizer-s/1973.htm

[jjackkrash]

This one specifically referenced making a boat-launch ramp:

 

https://invisiblestructures.com/gravelpave2/

[jercrane]

this stuff might be easier to work with if I can find it locally

https://soilretention.com/drivable-grass/do-it-yourself/product-info/

[jercrane]

Looks like that invisible structures grid stuff can't be submerged so you basically use that for the run in and then need something more substantial for actual submerged ramp portion.

 

I can't do concrete. Need to keep this under the radar and thus building out the dams and forms to pour the concrete would be tough. I like the idea of something a little more "natural" looking too.

[Deanoski]

Our rampis all gravel cheap and easy to repair

[skier2788]

We used to have a boat ramp that was concrete but our water level fluctuated so much half the summer you were backing all the way off the concrete. We put expanded metal like 6x6 squares. Worked great might try just laying it down and trying it.

[jercrane]

Expanded metal mesh. Interesting. I think the ice would probably wreck it but maybe I just pull it out of the lake after I pull the boat for the season