Ramp Etiquette and Traffic Management Guidelines.

These guidelines are offered to assist us all in the safe and courteous enjoyment of our wonderful facilities.  Please take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with them

Use of the ramp and other facilities

The ramp and cleaning table is open for use 24 hours a day seven days a week.

We cannot use the clubhouse between 11pm and 7am.

We can’t sleep at the club overnight.

We have neighbours – so please be considerate with noise.

Use the toilets, not the ramp or the bushes.

The gate key

The gate key is for you to use, not to lend to anyone else to launch their boats here.

You can come and go, as you want at any time.

Always close and lock the gates as you go through them.

The key you get opens the boom gate, allowing you access to the ramp as well as the ladies and gents toilets, the hose boxes and also the first aid container which is located on the northern wall of the bunker.

The roadway

Take care when driving on the access road; there are elderly pedestrians and cyclists about.

Please drive at walking pace and look out for pedestrians and cyclists using the bike shared pathway.

The ramp.

We are a club and unlike a public boat ramp, it is nice to offer assistance to other members when they are launching or retrieving their boats.

Please adhere to the following launching procedures, especially when there are a few boats at the ramp at the same time.  If it is a busy comp day, there will be someone marshaling cars and trailers around, just follow their directions.

At other times, pull up next to the BBQ, with your car facing the club’s front door, out of the way of the roadway.  Get your boat ready there.  Don’t prepare your boat for launching whilst on the ramp.  If there are two cars waiting there already, wait in the car park – the fish will wait five minutes.  Better still why not ask the people before you if they’d like any help launching.

When it’s your turn, back down and launch your boat.  Tie it up to the pontoon and park your car.

Park your car and trailer so that your trailer backs on to the trees on the northern side of the car park. Park at a 45 degree angle to the tree line.  This can be achieved by driving in a counter clockwise circle into the park and reversing into your spot. 

Cars without trailers attached are asked to park along the southern side of the car park (near the white logs) starting from the eastern end (down by the container).

If there are other boats waiting to launch, move yours along the pontoon away from the ramp.  Set off from the ramp promptly. 

When returning to the boat ramp after a wonderful fishing trip; if there are more than two boats in the channel already, you might be better off waiting outside the channel to avoid congestion.

When retrieving your boat on to your trailer, wait your turn and again pull up next to the BBQ.  Retrieve your boat, flush out the engine and move off the ramp as quickly as you can. 

The manoeuvring at night on the ramp should be with headlights off but parkers left on.

Under the cleaning table is a rake, if you see the ramp covered with seaweed, rake it off to the top of the ramp.

We have two bins on site which the council empties, but if you can, please take your garbage home with you.

No jet skis or racing boats to be launched on the ramp.

If you are at the cleaning table at night, there is a light over the cleaning table.  The switch is located on the post on the northern end of the table.  Don’t forget to switch it off when you go.

To light up the boat ramp area at night, walk up to the front door of the club and push the button on the right hand side of the door.  The ramp floodlights should stay on for about ten minutes.  If that’s not long enough, push it again.  Please, please do not jam the button on.

If you are doing work on your trailer and need to leave your boat unattended for a short time – park your boat on the western side of the pontoon so that other members can launch and retrieve their boats without having to go around you.

Boat washing and Flushing

When washing your boat on the ramp, park your boat and trailer so as not to impede others retrieving their boats.

Alternate wash down area is on the grass beside the club and behind the bunker.

Hoses for you to use are kept in the two metal boxes hanging off the southern side of the bunker near the cleaning table. Your gate key will open those boxes. 

Use a trigger nozzle to wash down boats with the hose

When you have finished with the hose, roll it up neatly, replace it in the box on the side of the bunker and lock the box back up.

If the hose is damaged, please let a committee member know by email or a telephone call

The Channel.

When you motor out of the channel, the deepest part after the entrance is a veer to the right.  Generally, if the tide is below 30cm and you have a boat that is more than 12 ft / 4 metres long, be aware that you may have to push it out through the end of the channel.  

When you are coming in at night, line up the two leading lights at the ramp.  If you notice that the leading lights are not working please let a member of the committee know by email or a telephone call.

Like all things to do with safe navigation, it is your responsibility to ensure that your boat can make it through the channel.

Fish Cleaning tables.

Use the hose to hose off any fish matter on and under the cleaning table; this will help keep the birds off the cleaning table.

If you have caught fish and cleaned them, leave the cleaning table clean the way you found it.  You can throw your fish carcasses in the channel, but if you catch a marlin or big yellowfin, please take that carcass home.  Clean the table after you use it. 

The Committee