Looking for some tires to make a ramp for my kayaks at the beach. Our beach is all ankle breaker stones from 6-8" .Makes putting in a real task. make the ramp movable to push down into the water anchor . Thinking about Buying a used kids bike. take off the tired build a ramp out of plywood make foam fitting conformed to fit the boat in a cradle.Any one try this???
why not cart the boat into the water
remove the cart and put it out of the water? Some brands of carts must have good sealed bearings.
A rollable floating dock or ramp is not light… we just finished putting ours in. And if you have tidal variations or powerboat wakes expect it to get loose.
How wide
is the beach you must traverse?
you also say “our beach”,Would a load of sand help?
I got me an ideer
– Last Updated: May-12-15 5:57 PM EST –
How about using a Mobi-Mat?
A Mobi-Mat (mobility mat) is a heavy plastic grid meant to bridge sand so that disabled people can travel on it (wheelchairs and assisted and unassisted walkers). I bet it's stiff enough to take the unpredictability out of the cobbles. It was actually developed for heavier military applications but turned out to be a big benefit to the disabled.
It comes in 5' or 6' width and lengths from 16' to 33' to 50'. You can roll it up and stow it when you're not using it.
Now that I think of it, I'm not sure why this product isn't used more for launches that fit your description. Here's their product range:
http://mobi-mat-civil-access-deschamps.com/
Regulatory agencies generally don't like people adding sand or other fill to their beaches.
Had a similar idea earlier
– Last Updated: May-12-15 11:58 PM EST –
If there's a sand pit or rock quarry near you, you could inquire about getting a length of material from a worn-out conveyor belt. They probably have a processing plant that uses hundreds of feet of the stuff, and it wears out over time. You can sometimes get this stuff for free. It's rubber coated and very stiff. It's probably similar to Slush's Mobility Mat, but of course it may not cost anything.
Oh, the mobility mat is probably less likely to be slippery when wet, since considering what it was made for, chances are good that somebody has addressed that issue in the design.
Ramp
thanks for the input. My Beach Is On Lake Ontario which is very dramatic in change. So far the bike ramp is my # 1 idea so far .thanks Dan
yeah, you don’t want to add sand
It’ll be gone when the lake levels are done rising, or the next time you get a seiche.
Snowmobile tracks
I’ve seen used snowmobile tracks used on some crappy portage trails near some fishing camps. Might help.