Friday, May 8, 2009
Children's Beach Boat Ramp Woes
While I was launching my boat at the Children's Beach Boat Ramp today, I noticed a serious problem there. The area between the finger pier and the ramp has washed out. Before, there was a bed of rocks and gravel. Now there is a one foot deep trench there. This is an accident waiting to happen. Someone is going to get stuck in the trench and break a trailer axel. Or worse, someone is going to break an ankle. Someone was nice enough to put safety cones in the trench warning everyone of the danger. Here are a couple of shots of the problem at the boat ramp. Be careful down there when you are launching a boat and walking around on the ramp.
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17 comments:
It would be great to get an answer for who is responsible for accepting that work.
Did an engineer (with a license) supervise or review any of the work?
Was the work staked out by a licensed land surveyor?
Was an as-built plan done before cutting the contractor a check?
Who authorized the payment?
Unfortunately, it's only one item in a list of botched town projects in the last few years. Taxpayers are getting the short-end on the accepted public work, done the "Nantucket Way".
I don't have any answers for your question, anonymous. I would love to know why there is the gap there between the concrete ramp slab and the finger piers. It doesn't make any sense to me to have it there and get your trailer stuck in it as you are backing down the ramp. I'm no engineer and I have never claimed to be one but it just doesn't seem right to have a gap there that the gravel and rocks that fill it get washed out. I guess we will have to live with this new ramp because nothing is being done to correct it.
What an unmitigated disaster. Not mention the pilings are on the inside of the dock. Every other dock I have ever seen has the pilings on the outside to act as bumpers. And we thought the angle of the ramp was going to be the biggest problem...
So many boaters were skeptical of the design,pitch,angle of that ramp during its construction.Every day flaws were being noticed and commented on but the complaints fell on deaf ears.In Hyannis today I looked at 2 boat ramps.Beautiful deep, steep ramps with the pilings on the outside of the piers and the concrete from bulkhead to bulkhead with no axle snapping gaps.Anonymous said it best-another botched town project.Now we have to live with it.
I attended a SHAB meeting last year. The subject of the Children's Beach Boat Ramp was brought up. I was told that the ramp was going to be torn up and rebuilt. I will ask the members of SHAB when the new ramp is planned on being constructed. I will let you know what I find out.
The ramp in Hyannis looks like it's going to be nice.
Our ramp is a GD joke. It's like the clown car of ramps. Who in their right mind would have approved the design and WHO would have paid for the job?
One morning last spring I attempted to launch in the dark to do some bass fishing.Not seeing the gap between the slab and the finger piers,I fell into it getting out of the truck,right down on my knees.Then I noticed to my horror that only 1/2 of my left trailer tire was on the ramp,the other half hanging out over the edge of the slab.Thank God I had'nt backed down all the way.To worsen the situation,I stepped in a huge crack that all the gravel had washed out of between two slabs wearing only flip flops.I practically left my right foot in the crack.The old ramp may have been narrow and decrepit but it was far better than the dangerous disaster we must accept now.Take my advice and launch in Madaket.
Will someone please tell me why the Town of Nantucket has not addressed the problem of the almost two foot deep now trench where the cones are? Why has it not been repaired? Is it going to take someone breaking an ankle in the trench for it to get repaired?
Gone are the days when decisions and projects were made by locals.A job like the old ramp was decided upon using common sense and not much money.Now its all money and no common sense.Look how long the old ramp lasted.I spoke with one old salt after the new ramp was done and his comment was "that gravel is going to wash out in the first easterly,and the angle isn't steep enough".The town really needs to get input from boaters and fishermen if a job like that is attempted again.Launch at Madaket.
As of this writing, the trench at the ramp has still not been filled. There was an article in one of the local papers describing the problem and how no Town officials knew about the trench. The paper came out Thursday. Today is Saturday.
Anyone want to place bets on the chances of the gravel fill getting screwed up to make matters even worse?
The ramp is a disgrace.
Weren't there photos on this blog of Muhammed and a couple other DPW guys with a level and a transit a couple years back? They were at the ramp after it was completed,I think they were trying to see where the engineer went wrong on the pitch.Kinda like shutting the barn door after the horse ran out.
Yes, there are pictures on the blog I took of the DPW at the ramp taking pitch measurements soon after the ramp was completed.
Any information about the situation from the HSAB meeting yesterday?
Will it be fixed?
Who will pay for it?
How did this happen?
Who is responsible?
I did not attend the SHAB meeting on Tuesday. I'll ask around to see if the failing boat ramp was on the agenda and get back to you. Stay tuned.
I hate to tell you this fellas but I think you are stuck with the ramp the way it is.Lets be honest-the gravel "repair" was only put there because of the upcoming big weekend and the use the ramp will see.The only way any improvements will be made is after one of the Shimmo millionaires hurts himself in it,then the town will be forced to fix the ramp after a lawsuit.Sorry boys,but thats how 'tis and we got to learn to live with it.
The Children's Beach Boat Ramp is getting much much much worse. I was down there last night and noticed an almost two foot deep trench between the ramp slabs and the pier. Be careful when you are launching or retrieving your boats. Be aware of the trench or you will get stuck. The ramp is a disgrace now.
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