addressing the age old problem of boat to dry land gap

How about some real outside the box thinking and new invention for the age old problem of that last 10ft, or often even 5ft, of distance between hopping off a small boat (anything where it doesn't have its own dingy, then issue transfers to dingy) and standing on dry land?

I'm less concerned with beaching on a beach of nice wave washed clean sand and clean water and more focused on muddy banks and boats under 20ft. I was impressed with folding aluminum wheelchair ramps for vans being so light weight and strong, but not sure how that would translate into a minimalist foot path.

I'm thinking maybe something like extendable Ultra Hand truss, or two. Or stick that would stick into the mud and have foot holds, and you also grasp the upper part of stick to aid balance and the sticks would be connected diagonally as you set them out for first time.

Or an inflatable ramp similar to airliner emergency slides. Or a tough semi-flexible waterproof rollout fabric that would hook to the gunnels and roll out to dry land and the sides would stay above the shallow water and thin mud as you walked pushing it down to bottom.

Whatever contraption, "managing" the mud it picks up and retrieving it back into the boat would also be an issue. If retrieved back into a boat that is going back into water that water could be used to clean off mud but what if heading to land and then your car?

 

how about a variance of 'boat wheels'.

 

I have jumped out of my boat and gone past the knees into the mud. Not nice!

What comes to mind is something like a pair of ski poles with wide disks maybe even with small side walls for some freeboard

Basically snowshoes with a spike and handle

 

https://www.mudderboots.com/

 

Skip to about 7.30 in.

 

'Splatchers' are an east coast uk traditional 'mud snowshoe' used in the creeks and feature in Arthur Ransome's "Secret Water'.

 

Have you considered stilts?

 

I wonder if there's a weight range or top weight limit with those Mudders? Wonder how they would work where there is 2 feet of water and 2 feet of gooey mud below, as we have in some places?

 

Is it not possible to install a fairly conventional type of lifting ramp on the boat?
Maybe something like this?
You could even make the ramp longer - perhaps with a grating in the ramp for the helmsman to look through if it obscures forward vision from the helm?
Munson 19' Series / Custom welded aluminum boats, landing craft, workboats, patrol boats, fire boats, passenger boats, dive boats, research boats, fishing boats, boom boats https://www.munsonboats.com/series19_2.php

 

A Tarzan rope from the mast.

 

In particular, the fellas 18 seconds in:

 

"Or stick that would stick into the mud and have foot holds, and you also grasp the upper part of stick to aid balance and the sticks would be connected diagonally as you set them out for first time."

Sort of but they are a bit athletic for most and will be even more so on unknown squishy banks.
I'm thinking maybe something like ski-pole tips and extendable trekking poles with fold out flat steps. where they have spikes but also a basket to limit the sinking in, and some cross braces if they are going to be used a few times by different people. Similar to picrel where X-brace is also sorta the handrail, but a lightweight system just for one person at a time not also sacks of bricks and cement bags.

IMO the other likely concept would be a semi-stiff, semi-flexible plastic "red carpet" of material similar to flexible cutting boards. The idea would be when you step in the middle of the pathway and your foot sinks into water or soft mud that will bend the sides up to keep the path dry. If the water is so deep it pushes the sides against your legs that would be OK.

I'm mostly thinking of very small boats that do most of the bank exploring, so being able to stow it and dual purpose are very important. Sticks could be tent frame and plastic pathway could be general ground cover/sleeping mat.

 

Why not spread a tarp onto the mud before walking ashore then when reboarding just drag the tarp away from the shore and thereby rinsing off the mud before reloading it back into the boat?

 

Promising idea, but how does someone spread out the tarp before walking ashore without themselves sinking into the water mud mixture?

Would a thin and small floating perimeter be needed, to keep the topwater gaps water from pouring in thru the indents, as someone walks on the tarp, causing below-surface depressions? But, Floating perimeter might make it more difficult to set up and take down?

Hope this helps.

 

Mast are for zip-lines to shore!