Concrete Boat Ramp | Boat Launch | Slipway | Boat Deployer

In the most basic sense, a slipway -- aka boat ramp, boat launch or boat deployer -- is a functional, sturdy and inclined structure made from construction materials like concrete. A water-faring vessel, such as a small boat or jet ski, is transported via a vehicle and carefully backed down a boat ramp; thus being lowered into a lake or other body of water to be unhatched and freed from a wheeled carriage as it can then float.

Slipways can also be utilized as vessels are repaired, along with putting newly-built vessels into the drink so that the maiden voyage can commence.

When used for launching and retrieving small boats or water scooters, for example, a transport trailer or carriage is backed up and placed into water. A vessel may then be either floated on and off a trailer or pulled off. When recovering a boat from the drink, it's winched back up the incline to be re-attached to a carrier.

Note that heighth and depth of the tide can limit usability of a boat slip. So, unless a boat ramp continues well beneath a low water level, a boat deployer may not be usable at such low tide. To help account for the ever-changing tides, a flat, level and paved area is typically constructed on the landward end.

 There are a few other factors to consider when designing a boat ramp, and these important considerations go beyond a slipway itself:

• Will it be for public or private use?
• How many launches are expected in peak season?
• How will the ebb and flow of the body of water interact with a boat ramp?

Accordingly, upon designing a boat ramp, extra information may be needed:

• Generally speaking, public boat ramps that encounter steady usage will need to be of a sufficient width, for example, 16 feet or wider.
• Is there sufficient room for a staging area and parking, so as not to create a backlog of frustrated an impatient boaters and other water enthusiasts?
• What range of launch angle is appropriate in order to mitigate difficult situations of pulling vessels from water?
• Grooves in the concrete are also recommended to prevent tires from spinning on a wet and slick boat ramp surface.
• How far into water should a boat ramp extend?
• What's the condition of a water bed?

Furthermore, there are environmental issues that must be factored into the construction equation:

• The flow of water, silt, and debris can be altered by a boat ramp, thus potentially affecting small fish migration.

Indeed, listed above are merely highlights of key issues that need to be addressed prior to installing a boat launch in our service area of Orlando and across sunny central Florida. When it comes to building a concrete slab foundation for a concrete boat ramp, Longwood-based concrete contractor ACCG, Inc. ensures that all state and local codes and regulations are followed. Send ACCG your specifications, schedule an on-site visit for a free estimate, learn about our Hero Discounts, and we’ll get things rolling!