Outdoors with Larry DiDonato - Catskill Boat Ramp Closed for Repairs

CATSKILL - At a meeting held by the Catskill Village Board on Monday, August 19th, a decision was made to close the boat launch ramp at Dutchman’s Landing. That decision went into effect immediately and all ramps are now blocked by road barriers. There is no estimate of when the ramp might re-open, and it is safe to say it will likely be closed for the remainder of the summer and fall boating seasons. 

 After repairs to address problems at the boat ramp back in July failed to fix all issues with the ramp, the majority of village officials felt it was necessary to close the ramp until further repairs can be completed. Reasons cited for the decision to close the ramp included concerns for the safety of the public and to prevent potential damage to vessels and trailers. The problems at the ramp could expose the village to liability, and while some officials expressed their wish to close the ramp immediately after Labor Day Weekend, the decision was unanimous to close the ramp facility immediately to protect taxpayers from unreasonable exposure to claims and potential lawsuits. 

 The village is currently in negotiations with the firm that designed and supervised construction of the ramp. Delaware Engineering of Albany, designed the ramp which was constructed by Flach Industries of Selkirk.  

 Frequent users of the ramp at Dutchman’s Landing expressed disappointment with the timing of the closure of the ramp as the busiest part of boating season is about to end. A sentiment likely shared by area businesses. Some ramp users indicated they understand the reasoning for the board’s actions.  However, they, and all boaters in the area must now use alternative locations to  launch and retrieve vessels. 

 Free, public boat ramps on the Hudson River in the area include state boat launch sites at Athens and Germantown, and municipal ramps in Coxsackie, Hudson, and Saugerties.

 The repair completed in July removed riprap below the concrete portion of the ramp, but users state the problem with the ramp at Dutchman’s Landing is the lack of a sufficient angle or grade of the concrete ramp as it continues down below the water line. If the slope of the ramp was increased sufficiently, they posit it would ease on and offloading vessels at the ramp facility. 

The problem that needs to worked out by Village Officials and Delaware Engineering is how to increase the slope of structures that have already been constructed and installed. The challenge it seems, is that may require demolition and complete reconstruction of the ramp. With that comes the question of who is going to pay for the repair or replacement of the ramp, considering the original design and construction failed to achieve the desired result. 

 Village of Catskill Officials are addressing those issues, currently negotiating the nature and extent of that repair or replacement, who’s going to pay for it, and when will a functional, satisfactory boat ramp be delivered to area boaters. More information on those important issues should be forthcoming as negotiations are completed and re-construction and repair plans are formulated.

Happy Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping Until Next Time

Remember to report poaching violations by calling 1-844-DEC-ECOS.