ramps

LAUNCHING RAMPS AROUND WABAMUN LAKE (Updated 2011) - There are several deep water launching ramps around Wabamun Lake suitable for a pocket cruiser sailboat or larger power boat weighing over 2000 lbs. Each ramp has its own 'endearing qualities' and a sailor will favour one over the other for a myriad of reasons; surface, slope, weather protection, distance to mooring, etc. It takes a lot of coffee to weigh the intricate details of each! Since Wabamun Lake is at an all time low level (2002) I've provided the following summaries of each ramp to assist the trailer sailors.

Wabamun Town Dock - A very good triple lane (used as 2 lanes) sectional concrete ramp with constant slope. The ramp has a large paved parking lot for pull through tow vehicle/trailer parking, an overflow gravel parking lot, no overhead power lines, is well protected from a westerly wind by the long dock, and is illuminated at night. I have not used the ramp at night to determine if the light is bright enough for launching. I doubt it. There are washrooms and a grassy picnic area to the side. In 2007 a floating section of vinyl dock was added adjacent to the ramp. You can walk on it from shore, making it very quick and convenient to handle your boat for launching. This is so nice to use and comes with built in fenders saving you from having to hang your own. This helps to speed up launch by eliminating a task. In 2008 three more floating sections were added to the East side of the pier creating much needed boat accessible dock space. The two original wood floating sections were moved to the West side of the pier. Each floating section has its own ladder up to the dock.

The best time to launch a large sail boat here is during a light West wind. Use two 30' lines, one tied to the bow and the other to the stern, to hold the boat against the wind. Two people can accomplish this; one standing on the floating dock holding the control lines and the other standing on the trailer giving directions to align the boat to the trailer. Having guide posts on the trailer guarantees accuracy and speed. If the wind comes from the East use a long pole to push the boat over the center of the trailer. Oppose the push with a line to pull the boat back so you have total control.

HAZARD 1 - The current pier replaced an earlier pier located just West of it. The old piles were sheared off just above the bottom. When the water is clear you can see them. However, some piles stick up high enough to create a hazard for a keel. I have seen a Catalina 22 sink after hitting one, so slide in slowly.

HAZARD 2 - There is a sharp underwater drop off at the bottom of the ramp just beyond the last concrete section. Unfortunately it is caused by power boaters who are reluctant to get their tootsies wet to winch their boat up on the trailer. They indiscriminately use their outboard engine to "drive" their boat up on the trailer rollers. The propeller swirl "washes a hole" just below the last concrete slab and the suspended aggregate settles behind the hole creating a mound. This makes it very difficult for anybody who has to float a keel boat on/off the trailer in deeper water. If you hook your trailer wheels over the last concrete section, you will likely never pull it over that section with the additional weight of a boat. Therefore, load your boat with the tires on the concrete sections.

HAZARD 3 - After you launch it is natural to whip around the end of the long pier into the marina to fuel up. DON'T CUT ACROSS THE END OF THE PIER as there are large concrete blocks on the bottom that have trapped lots of bottom goop that holds your keel. The safe path is to go straight out for 200' then make your starboard turn around the last set of marina channel buoys. Stay to the center right of the channel, using the channel buoys as a guide, to enter the marina. Good luck.

Wabum Marina - An excellent single lane sectional concrete ramp with continuous slope and a walkway on either side to handle the boat. Full protection from wind and waves as the marina creates sheltered water. Pay for use. Washrooms. Large parking lot. No overhead power lines. Contact the operator in advance at 780-892-3008 for access through the locked gate.

Sundance Channel (likely closed till 2012) - A good single lane sectional concrete ramp but with a discontinuous slope. This ramp is steeper than the other deep water ramps on Wabamun Lake requiring more horse power or low range to pull a loaded trailer up. The drop off at the bottom has been partially filled with gravel to prevent the trailer from dropping off the last section of cement. However, care should be taken to verify that the gravel is still there considering the current that could wash it away. If this is the case then you should keep your trailer wheels on the concrete sections as most two wheel drive vehicles will have difficulty pulling a loaded trailer up over the drop off. I have no personal experience with this ramp but I have witnessed a burned clutch, blown tires and heard many "recognizable" words on this ramp. I have also heard of many successful launches there.
Having said this, I received the following report in 2003: "I backed my single axle trailer wheels down the ramp past the drop off and onto the lake bottom. I had no trouble pulling the loaded trailer up the ramp with my Jeep Cherokee four wheel drive in low range. In fact, I dipped my trailer back in to straighten the boat (SJ23) a little on the trailer. The water is deep enough that I was able to pull the bow over my new front roller on the trailer and right up to the winch. The key thing is to keep the boat aligned to the trailer while you pull forward, thus allowing it to settle straight. There is a concern about the current at the bottom of the ramp when Trans-Alta pumps water into the lake at full tilt. The problem can be overcome with a long line run to the south shore and someone pulling the hull against the current till it's aligned to the trailer. Not difficult actually" .
The channel is well protected from waves but marginally protected from wind. Light to medium strength winds don't seem to affect a launch much. A fixed dock is adjacent to the ramp for temporarily securing the boat. There is adequate parking, chemical outhouses and no overhead power lines.

Wabamun Provincial Park - An excellent dual lane sectional concrete ramp with continuous slope and no charges. Unfortunately it's in Moonlight Bay, separated from the main body of the lake by the CN railroad trestle. The technique for this ramp is to power the boat through one of the trestle passages to the Wabamun Town dock to step the mast. There is no protection from the wind but the bay is small so the waves should be as well. The trick to aligning your boat to the trailer is to use a long line to shore on the windward side of the hull to pull the stern.
There are no overhead power lines. There is a large gravel parking lot with lots of pull through spots dedicated for vehicles with trailer attached. If you are competing with the weekend camping crowd at the Provincial park they may force you to go faster than you want. The trick is to be organized so bring extra help. If this ramp were located on the main body of the lake it would be my choice, the slope is that good.

Other Ramps - There are other ramps around the lake that can be found at most public accesses, one per mile along the beach. All these ramps are constructed of packed gravel or sand and are not deep enough to launch a cruiser sailboat towed by a vehicle. They are suitable to launch a light dinghy or car topper boat.
NOTE - In years gone by, a couple of clever guys at EYC built a trailer dolly from two automotive wheels joined by a 3' long axle e/w a trailer ball bolted to the middle. A 4' long a-framed handle was welded to the axle and a 200' line was attached to the end of the handle. The trailer was hitched to the dolly and backed into the water till the boat floated off the trailer. Very gentle operation. To retrieve the boat it was floated over the trailer and hauled to the beach by a tow vehicle on shore. I have used this technique several times at Gull Lake on a sandy bottom. The trick there was to pull the boat out at walking speed (not faster) and keep it moving. If you pull too fast things are apt to go wrong. If you stop the wheels will sink in the soft bottom and you will have a devil of a time to move it afterwards. We always launched in calm water.