RE: [Cal_Boats] fixed pilings, short legs, and boarding boats

Hello Girlsaylor, I would suggest a boarding ramp made of aluminum with at least one railing. This would be hinged at the dock and set up to be stored vertically when you are out sailing. To reduce the slope the boat would have to be kept as far from the dock as possible. The boat end would have to suspended between two stanchions or crane or halyard to keep from banging up the boat. Where are you located? What is the range of the tide? I hope you are not in the Bay of Fundy. How far away from the dock can you keep the boat. Maybe contact some local dock builders and have them look at the situation. John C. Kwak PE From: jeribelle2000 To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: 4/16/2006 1:14:35 PM Subject: [Cal_Boats] fixed pilings, short legs, and boarding boats I hope someone has a simple solution to this one. It is causing problems for us. As the short partner, with a 6'4" tall other half, what he thinks is comfortable isn't for me, when it comes to boarding the boat. Problems: Besides my height, I've got one artificial hip, with the other one and both knees heading south at this time. Not good range of motion. Also, lack muscle strength in legs from many surgeries. Makes lifting difficult. Can't jump down either for the pain. We're living aboard, so I can't just wait out the tides for getting on and off the boat. The situation is complicated by several things. Docks are fixed rather than floating, so sometimes the boat is way above dock level and sometimes way below dock level. Then there's the very strong current on this river. Add to that the no-wake zone should be called the wake zone. Huge yachts, and small boats too, show no mercy here, throwing the boats in the marinas all over the place. Not to mention what they're doing to the shoreline. Now, to protect the boat from the current and the horrific bashing from boat wakes, DH likes to keep the boat tied centered between the pilings. That's fine with me and makes very good sense. But I cannot safely get on and off the boat at any time other than slack tide. I handle all grocery shopping, laundry, maintenance, cleaning, etc, other than mechanical and electrical stuff, so often have to transfer stuff on and off also. Does anybody have an idea for a way around this? DH is also not handy as far as making anything for this purpose. Help please! girlsaylor YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group "Cal_Boats" on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

Thanks for the input John. The boat can't be kept very far from the dock. We pretty much have to keep it centered between the docks and pilings, due to the amount of wake thrown by the constant boat traffic on the New River in Fort Lauderdale. Wish the local authorities would cite these guys instead of just hollering over to them to slow down, which is how they handle it here. It's a shame that the general public doesn't consider how they endanger persons who have limited mobility, just trying to exercise our rights, ya know. Now I'm off my bandstand, before it causes trouble. Not enough room for a ramp; would be too steep to work in the area we have. As it's a city-owned facility, I can't help wonder if they may have some input on the situation. But then, based on the local apathy I doubt it. Oh well, I'll see if I can find someone who can work with this situation here in town. Thanks again. girlsaylor --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "John Kwak" <jckwak@...> wrote: > > Hello Girlsaylor, > I would suggest a boarding ramp made of aluminum with at least one railing. > This would be hinged at the dock and set up to be stored vertically when you are out sailing. > To reduce the slope the boat would have to be kept as far from the dock as possible. > The boat end would have to suspended between two stanchions or crane or halyard to keep > from banging up the boat. > Where are you located? What is the range of the tide? I hope you are not in the Bay of Fundy. > How far away from the dock can you keep the boat. > Maybe contact some local dock builders and have them look at the situation. > John C. Kwak PE > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: jeribelle2000 > To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > Sent: 4/16/2006 1:14:35 PM > Subject: [Cal_Boats] fixed pilings, short legs, and boarding boats > > > I hope someone has a simple solution to this one. It is causing > problems for us. > > As the short partner, with a 6'4" tall other half, what he thinks is > comfortable isn't for me, when it comes to boarding the boat. > > Problems: > > Besides my height, I've got one artificial hip, with the other one > and both knees heading south at this time. Not good range of motion. > Also, lack muscle strength in legs from many surgeries. Makes lifting > difficult. Can't jump down either for the pain. > > We're living aboard, so I can't just wait out the tides for getting > on and off the boat. The situation is complicated by several things. > Docks are fixed rather than floating, so sometimes the boat is way > above dock level and sometimes way below dock level. > > Then there's the very strong current on this river. Add to that the > no-wake zone should be called the wake zone. Huge yachts, and small > boats too, show no mercy here, throwing the boats in the marinas all > over the place. Not to mention what they're doing to the shoreline. > > Now, to protect the boat from the current and the horrific bashing > from boat wakes, DH likes to keep the boat tied centered between the > pilings. That's fine with me and makes very good sense. But I cannot > safely get on and off the boat at any time other than slack tide. I > handle all grocery shopping, laundry, maintenance, cleaning, etc, > other than mechanical and electrical stuff, so often have to transfer > stuff on and off also. > > Does anybody have an idea for a way around this? DH is also not handy > as far as making anything for this purpose. Help please! > > girlsaylor > > > > > > > YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS > > Visit your group "Cal_Boats" on the web. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. >