My DIY floating ramp for docks

[Mr Bojangles]

Ok, well I posted about this the other day, and I finaly made it. It was quick and easy and got the job done. All I have left to do is move the drum a bit forward and it will make it float better, and loading much easier.

 

[DAG]

wow only 1/4 of the barrel gets pushed under? how is the barrel mounted to the wood? looks good for what you had to work with and keeping the budget down.

 

[ncbrock]

looks like its attached by string of some sort

 

[Mr Bojangles]

Thanks, right now it's just rope holding it, but I read somewhew that the barrel can hold 700 pounds so it can hold it no problem

 

[yama-doo]

looks good , maybe a smaller 30 gallon barrel would lower the end a little making it easier to start the ski up the ramp

 

[Cannibal]

Looks good. I've been thinking of doing something similar using pier blocks on the shore. I can't leave it float, the X2 isn't exactly water tight.

 

[Peter123]

Ok, I'm building this. Now to find a plastic barrel for cheap or free.

 

[Mr Bojangles]

Well the 55g is right for the price and they are every where on craigslist. But I need to move the barrel back some toward the nose and it will still float as hight, but when the ski is off it will be lower in the water.

 

[Shifty]

I have always wanted to do this too. I tried to convince my dad to build our ski ramp this way years ago. I remember reading each drum can support 500-700 lbs before going under. How are you evacuating the water from the drum? Did you make up the blower box and valving yourself or is it a retail item? You could use a small shop-vac and PVC valving I would imagine. You may need to add some ballast to get your ramp underwater though.

Neat Project

 

[SKI TILL I DIE!]

i know someone with a setup like this but instead of using barrels it just touches the bottom...how deep is it there?

 

[Mr Bojangles]

The crapy thing is that the water is only 4 feet deep, but anything you put in it sinks another 4 feet into mud and silt. Pluss on the intercoastal whenwe get bad storms and hurricanes the water can rise 4 feet in a day.

As for a pump, I would love to try it, and it's easy to do since the tank has 2 threaded ports in it. But the water pump to get the water out would be the problem with the salt and silt in the water. When I was testing it out and the barrel was in a different location, I could put the nose of the ski on and it would sink a bit, then power on it a bit till the ski staied, the. Winch it the rest.

 

[Shifty]

Well, it would be impractical for a single standup. But the "Hydr-Hoist" system uses air to evacuate the water. You would mount the drum rigidly, drill 3 2" holes at their lowest piont. Only one line gets connected to the uppermost port on the drum, the other would get plugged. When you blow high volume, low pressure air into the drum it pushes the water out of the holes you drilled at the bottom, raising the drum/ramp. When you see the air overflowing (bubbling) from the holes at the bottom you close the line off via a valve.

When you want to use it you let the air out of the tank by opening the valve to the atmosphere, sinking the drum/ramp.

There is no water moving through the pump.

 

[Mr Bojangles]

Humm, well I've been thinking about it and I might have to try it. All I would need it a pipe with a air valve and a cheap air pump.

 

[Shifty]

Well an air pump, as in air compressor would take a while to fill and be more expensive. Something like this I would think.

 

[Peter123]

Well, it would be impractical for a single standup. But the "Hydr-Hoist" system uses air to evacuate the water. You would mount the drum rigidly, drill 3 2" holes at their lowest piont. Only one line gets connected to the uppermost port on the drum, the other would get plugged. When you blow high volume, low pressure air into the drum it pushes the water out of the holes you drilled at the bottom, raising the drum/ramp. When you see the air overflowing (bubbling) from the holes at the bottom you close the line off via a valve.

When you want to use it you let the air out of the tank by opening the valve to the atmosphere, sinking the drum/ramp.

There is no water moving through the pump.

Oh, HELL YEAH!!!

I'm going to bury a line from my garage (where I already have lines in place) down to my dock. I'll just have a valve there send air into the barrels and a valve to allow the are out. I'll build one for my SJ, my jet boat, and maybe even for the pontoon. If each can lift 500# or more: 1 for the ski, 2 for the jet boat (maybe 3), and I'm guessing 4 for the pontoon. I wonder how much weight an 8 x 8 pier can handle.

Where is the best place to get the galvanized 'shackles' for the front?

 

[Peter123]

Already found the barrels for $8 a pop (if they are the ones that seal with the two treaded caps):

http://houston.craigslist.org/grd/1838226178.html

Definitely going to do the ski and most likely the jet boat. I already have the old fashioned lifts for the couches.

Since the boat is around 1400 pounds, I'm thinking if I had 2 barrels near the stearn and one up toward the bow, it shouldn't put too much weight on the shackles bolted into the 8" vertical piers. I'd climb on at the nose of the boat and drive it down the bulkhead and tie up to load and unload people and equipment.

If I were to do the pontoon, I wouldn't connect it to the bulkhead at all, I'd just have it in a way "free floating" and have 2 barrels at the front, center and back and just. I'd drive a couple of poles down that the front to anchor it in place and have a couple of PVC pipes stick up from the lift structure to guide me on the bunks. I'd just do a little "bridge" from the bulkhead to the front of the pontoon.

Just free thinking here, but if anybody has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

 

[Mr Bojangles]

well I have a few of those pumps for blowing up tubes, and I have a Air Dock inflatable boat lift that has a large air pump on it already to use. but I dont know if it will have enough PSI to push the water out, the other pumps are normally not pressure ratter, rather than how much CFM's they can put out. I am thinking the cheap 150psi tire pumps you can get for your car. I have power out there and it would be easier than running 1000ft of air hose from the garage.

Peter, I think the shackles could probably be bought from a trailer supply store, I am using SS eye bolts as of now, and they hold quite well. But I think 4 would be good and make 2 pontoons out of them and then just make sure you have enough length on the bunks to not have a steep incline, but its looks like thats all the hydro hoist system is.

 

[#ZERO]

Nice work...... you just gave me an idea for mounting one to my dock.

I think I'm going to mount the hand crank on the bottom side and make the platform a bit taller with plastic rails, so the jet-ski will slide onto a beach cart.

 

[QuickMick]

would not work for me. I dont have a dock. I cant afford a dock, im not rich like you bstrds.

 

[Mr Bojangles]

would not work for me. I dont have a dock. I cant afford a dock, im not rich like you bstrds.

well do what I did, marry someone who has parents who live on the water and make sure they are cool with you taking up their water front with all of your toys and your set!