edmund
Chickee Ladders
The chickees have ladders and I have sen one that has a floating dock.
I use the ladder method farely often around Fort Lauderdale at patio bars, residential backyards and marinas, as well as Kingston Ckickee in EGNP. The ladders are normally made of aluminum or stainless steel and will often have slime, barnacles and oysters growing below the water line. Gettin gout of the yak really isn’t that difficult, pull up alongside the ladder, get a firm, no slip grip, stabilize yak, pull inside leg out of boat and place on a lower rung than the water line, this is for good lift, when you do this…again make sure you have a firm no-skid, no slip grip on both your foot and your hands. Its best to be wearing shoes but if not make sure the ladder rung is free of barbacles and oysters.
As far as getting your boat up on the chickee, use a bow line (previously tied off before climbing up) and lift the bow then grab your toggle and lift the rest of the way up.
I recommend removing your deck cargo or loose items in the cockpit in case the boat decides to flip over.
All in all, its quite simple.
or just go to the beach sites and deal with the mud flats at low tide.
Brian
Everglades chickees
do not ALL have ladders… twas quite a sight to climb the framework of Sunday Bay chickee… more entertaining was launch… you kind have to haul your stuff up and the lower it. As for you,well just aim in the general direction of the canoe and jump. Manageable in a canoe cant think of how to approach in a kayak. Yes the bowline is essential; as well as a stern line for a solo boat where you might want to exit near the seat. Must be some kind of biener system to think about to make the mooring snug for disembarkment and then to looosen it the boat to allow it to ride the tides, though you usually have to anchor the boat on the leeward side of the chickee to avoid boat banging all night. Golly we need spring lines on those thar chickees along with steps.