Fish-Hawk.Net

Some of you may have seen my thread about lowering my boat trailer. So I am HOPING to launch my boat (16' aluminum console boat) at Shirley's Bay tomorrow morning (Sunday).

My backup plan was to launch at the Nepean Sailing Club - BUT that ain't happening! Checkout the photo I took this afternoon - the docks and ramp are still iced in solid!!!!

Looking online, seems my only other option if I want to launch locally is Crystal Beach or Rowatt Street launchs (shown on http://www.boatlaunches.ca/ottawa-river-ramps). But I have zero experience on either of those launches.

Has anyone used those launches? Are they open, capable of launching a boat on a trailer and have a place to park?

Just trying to formulate a backup plan...

Those are both REALLY shallow, more for canoes/kayaks or maybe a car topper.

Unless you're looking for something 'free', check out Port of Call Marina at the
end of Vance's Side Road near Dunrobin. But the fact that it has a 'sheltered' area
like Dick Bell Park, it may still be frozen in as well.

If you're really that gung ho to get out you could always take a tour to Reeve Craig and launch on the Rideau. No ice there for sure.

Cheers

You might be able to get out from Shirley's Bay with 12-14' boat, if you had a roller trailer, don't mind some scratches on the boat, and put the truck right in over exhaust.

smitty55 wrote:If you're really that gung ho to get out you could always take a tour to Reeve Craig and launch on the Rideau. No ice there for sure.

Cheers

Be careful and know where you are going if you head to the river. It's verrrry low.

RJ

Boat launched no problem!!! Yay!

In fact, it launched so easily that when I first stopped the truck in the water to check, the boat started to float away (it was still tied to the trailer by a long rope, but a little scary to see it just start heading out into the bay without me).

Sadly the fishing didn't cooperate as much as the boat launching. Saw two other motor boats and a zillion canoes on the water today.

scarkner wrote:Boat launched no problem!!! Yay!

In fact, it launched so easily that when I first stopped the truck in the water to check, the boat started to float away (it was still tied to the trailer by a long rope, but a little scary to see it just start heading out into the bay without me).

Sadly the fishing didn't cooperate as much as the boat launching. Saw two other motor boats and a zillion canoes on the water today.

Glad you made it out! Where did you end up launching??

At Shirley's!