Don Armeni Boat Ramp

[Phil K]

As most know, the dock sections which were installed at Don Armeni last year started deteriorating rather quickly, and were pulled for repairs. I regularly bicycle past there, and not seeing any obvious work on the pontoons, have wondered when they’d ever be done. Today I was out again and there was a crew from BMI who did the original work and is now handling the repairs. I stopped and chatted with them and was told me that there’s been much of off site work to do which is now compete, and that crews will soon be working on the floats. They said that the repairs should be done and the docks back in the water by about mid April. Good news!

 

[Phil K]

Here is some more info that popped up today. Seattle Parks is proposing to limit hours for boat ramps including Don Armeni. Access would be closed between 10:30PM and 4:00AM. I'm not sure, but could possibly see that affecting people wanting to get the early bite or last light in midsummer. Upcoming public hearing on April 10th.

West Seattle Blog article

 

[Stonedfish]

Glad they are getting the docks repaired and in. It’s too bad they won’t be in before the 4/2 MA 10 blackmouth opener.
SF

 

[Chucker]

Here is some more info that popped up today. Seattle Parks is proposing to limit hours for boat ramps including Don Armeni. Access would be closed between 10:30PM and 4:00AM. I'm not sure, but could possibly see that affecting people wanting to get the early bite or last light in midsummer. Upcoming public hearing on April 10th.

West Seattle Blog article

That’s better than what I had originally heard, which was closed between 6am and 10pm. Would still definitely be a problem during those one day chinook openings.

 

[Phil K]

Speaking of... if anyone's got an open seat, I'm your huckleberry.

 

[VMP]

Here is some more info that popped up today. Seattle Parks is proposing to limit hours for boat ramps including Don Armeni. Access would be closed between 10:30PM and 4:00AM. I'm not sure, but could possibly see that affecting people wanting to get the early bite or last light in midsummer. Upcoming public hearing on April 10th.

West Seattle Blog article

That’s better than what I had originally heard, which was closed between 6am and 10pm. Would still definitely be a problem during those one day chinook openings.

Thanks for sharing that link about proposed changes to boat ramp access. It would really suck to lose access to those ramps, even with ramps opened 24hrs it can be a real sh1tsh0w at the peak of some of the salmon runs, given limited fishing openers we are left with. Lately, the multiple closures/limited openers we get often result in only one or a few marine areas open at a certain time of the year, some ramps get absolutely hammered with hundreds of boats launching on a limited window and people coming from other areas as their "home waters" are closed. Even as it is, this has lead to people unfamiliar with ramp rules, lining up on the wrong side of the street, cutting lines, arguments, fights, even slashed truck tires. In those situations it often pays off to just go "stupid early", avoid the crowds and related clusterfudge, even if you have to wait and tie up away from the ramp, bobbing around or slowly moving to your favorite spot. Opening ramps at 6am or even 4am will only exacerbate an already problematic situation and increase conflict. We have seen what happened in other places when they restricted car access (making it harder or impossible to carry kayaks for those of us who sometimes kayakfish) and even pedestrian access early in the morning or late in the afternoon, it leads to missed opportunities and safety issues. Invariably, whoever is supposed to open the gates early may oversleep (again messing up plans for ever decreasing fishing opportunities), or whoever closes gates early may leave people returning late for whatever reason stranded on the water.
I think it is a bad idea to limit the hours of ramp use, particularly for those ramps that have heavy use, hope they leave it as it is. We pay for their use, let us use them.