BoardSafe's Launch-in-a-Box Makes Adaptive Kayak Launch Installation Easier
BoardSafe's custom-designed and installed adaptive kayak launches make it easier for the adaptive athlete to enter and exit a kayak and enjoy the freedom of this popular water sport.
Now, BoardSafe has pioneered a concept that makes the installation process easier for the user and the user's community: Launch-in-a-Box.
One of the essential elements of any installation is the concrete foundation that provides the anchoring for the gangway / floating dock system. In a typical foundation installation, the ground must be excavated, a concrete form installed, and then poured. A few days later, the forms are stripped and then backfilled. This process can take days to complete and cost between four and five thousand dollars.
With BoardSafe’s innovative Launch-in-a-Box, the foundation arrives at your job site along with the entire dock system. All you have to do is excavate, set the precast foundation, and backfill. This process can take less than an hour to complete. There is no need for the customer to install a conventional foundation, and in most applications, the bulkhead mounting angle comes attached to the precast foundation, another time-saving benefit. This foundation option can cost as little as $2,500, a savings of up to 50% over conventional construction methods.
The following video of an adaptive installation in Oneida, Wisconsin, displays the ADA features of the Launch-in-a-Box. You will see the bulkhead mounting kit attached to the concrete, the gangway with toe kick, the 8' x 16' floating dock with toe kick, kayak launch, boarding bench, pull-out seat, roll cage with overhead grab bar (unique to BoardSafe), hand straps, and instruction sign with QR code that accesses an instructional video.
A few questions to consider
What size precast foundation do I need? The size of your concrete foundation will be determined by a number of factors: the length of the gangway, the size of the floating dock, and the geographical area of the installation. These are the most important factors that need to be evaluated before a recommendation can be made. To ensure that you are supplied with the correct-size precast foundation, we recommend that you contact our sales engineers for a free evaluation of your site conditions, as well as the dock system. In some areas, the recommended size of the foundation may need to be verified by a structural engineer, as well as local permitting agencies.
What if the bulkhead mounting kit isn’t installed on the foundation before arriving at my job site? In some cases, the foundation system may arrive in multiple sections, meaning the bulkhead angle will have to be attached by you in the field after the foundation block(s) is set. To help you better understand the installation process of the angle kit, we’ve developed an installation video detailing the entire process. Please note: All of the hardware shown in the video is included as part of the kit. You will, however, have to provide all of the tools referenced.
BoardSafe’s Kayak Launch for Paddleboards Serves Idaho
Below are images of the installation of a BoardSafe aluminum kayak launch in Sandpoint, Idaho, followed by a brief video demonstration. This particular launch is used for single-fin stand-up paddleboards. Stand-up paddleboarding is a rapidly-growing sport around the country, and BoardSafe engineers, builds, and installs launches and storage racks for paddleboards and kayaks.
For more information about our accessible, adaptive products, click here.
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BoardSafe Adds Unique Adaptive Launch on Ohio River, Manchester
The Village of Manchester, Ohio, on the Ohio River, has an existing floating wood dock that rises and falls with the river level. A wooden piling inserted through the dock "guides" the wooden dock during fluctuations.
The wooden dock provides protection from the force of the current because the BoardSafe ADA launch is downriver, blocked from the river flow and floating debris.
The old dock has a 20" freeboard, whereas the adaptive launch has a 16" freeboard. A lower freeboard means easier entry into the boat or kayak BoardSafe designed and installed a transitional ramp to go from the floating wooden pier to the floating adaptive dock and launch.
The new dock also features a bench rail, toe kick, handrails, and hand straps, and is suitable for stand-up paddleboard use.
View some photos of the installation below:
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BoardSafe Spokesman and Accessible Sports Advocate Ken Ryno Keeps Chugging Along
At the age of 17, Ken Ryno had a motorcycle accident that changed his life. It did not ruin his life, but changed it for the benefit of others.
Ken was told he would never walk again. For 23 years, this was true, but it did not stop him from trying. Long story short, Ken is now a spokesman for BoardSafe Docks, touting the benefits of our ADA-accessible launches, docks, and piers.
Read Ken's remarkable story here: tnonline.com/20210612/warmest-regards-little-engine-that-could-still-chugging/.
Links to our ADA-accessible products:
Adaptive Products
Accessible Kayak Launch
Adaptive Fishing Piers
Clip-a-Launch
Instructions for Using the BoardSafe Kayak Launch
Minsi Lake Wilderness Area, PA, Proud of Their New ADA-Accessible Kayak Launch
Minsi Lake Wilderness Area is a 311-acre park, with hiking trails, picnic areas, woodlands, wetlands, and a 117-acre lake for public fishing and boating. Northampton County Parks & Recreation manages the parkland around the lake. Facilities include two paved boat launches, two parking lots, two picnic areas, and two trails. The park recently reopened after replacing, renovating, and rebuilding decades-old park amenities and infrastructure; building new recreation and park facilities; and making Minsi Lake an accessible recreation area for everyone throughout the region — opening up access to all of their community members, regardless of their physical abilities.
Of course, part of that renovation included three of BoardSafe’s innovative products. There is an ADA-accessible launch, as well as 2 ADA-accessible, 6' x 25' fishing piers. One pier is accessed by a 5' x 20' gangway, and the other by a 5' x 40' gangway.
This installation was featured on WFMZ, an Allentown, PA, news station, in this article and video.
Here are some pictures of the installation, followed by 2 recent videos:
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ADA-Accessible Kayak Launch for Shawnee, OK, Kayak Club
BoardSafe supplied the Pott County Kayak Club of Shawnee, Oklahoma, with an ADA-accessible kayak launch at Shawnee Twin Lakes. BoardSafe worked alongside the kayak club and a local contractor to have the kayak launch installed in late April, 2021. The 12ft x 20ft launch featured a 20ft-long access gangway direct-feed kayak chute to improve accessibility for adaptive paddlers. Our team at BoardSafe is thrilled to have assisted the Pott County Kayak Club and local community with supplying the adaptive kayak launch as one of their initial projects to build an ADA-compliant community park on the shores of Shawnee Twin Lakes.
Gulfport MS Blueway Gets 2 ADA-Compliant Launches
In partnership with Moran Hauling of Biloxi, MS, BoardSafe was selected by the City of Gulfport to provide two new ADA-compliant kayak launches for the Bernard Bayou Blueway.
The blueway is a meandering tidal waterway that offers a diversity of wildlife and a variety of dining and recreational opportunities. One of the launches was installed on the western side of the blueway near Gulfport Lake, while the second launch was installed on the eastern end near historic Handsboro. With the successful installation of these two new launches, paddlers can now navigate nearly the entire 10-mile length of the blueway and have ADA accessible entry and exit points at each end. Both launches used BoardSafe’s Clip-A-Launch, a bolt-on kayak chute that provides the customer with flexibility on positioning at a very competitive price.
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Why BoardSafe Floating Docks Are So Durable
Anyone who has spent time on the water—be it lake, river, bay, or ocean—knows that the water level is never really "smooth as glass." Of course, when unusual occurrences occur, such as storms and strong wakes from other boats, docks can be in danger of severe damage. It only makes sense that a floating dock that moves with the fluctuations is the safest solution.
BoardSafe floating docks and launches have proven themselves through downstream currents, as well as the rise and fall of rivers due to droughts, flooding, and other common fluctuations, and have even survived hurricane forces.
BoardSafe has engineered their floating docks in such a way that their basic design adapts to tidal basins, marshes, and harbors. The systems are built with multiple hinge points at the bulkhead and other stability mechanisms.
BoardSafe will evaluate the use of your docks, foot traffic, marina traffic, and the ability of the floating dock to meet your requirements. BoardSafe will run proprietary calculations based on dock size, usage, and water environment, to determine buoyancy requirements to maximize the stability of the dock, including the size, number, and placement of flotation components.
Here are some links that showcase the installation and use of BoardSafe floating docks and launches in bays, marshes, and harbors:
- Cooper River Park, NJ, Installs Gangway and Rowing Dock
- ADA Accessible Kayak Boat Launch Installed at 5 Rivers State Park in Alabama
- BoardSafe Docks Used in Residential Project on Texas Gulf Coast
- Lovejoy Wharf in Boston, MA, Enjoys Renaissance
- BoardSafe Kayak Launch Survives Hurricane Sally
BoardSafe Clip-A-Launch Quickly Adds Launch to Any Dock
After years of designing, manufacturing, and installing floating aluminum docks and other marina products, BoardSafe developed a unique product to meet the needs of unique clients: the add-on kayak launch we call Clip-A-Launch. “Many of our clients have tight spaces that they need to operate within or limitations with their dock sizes. Others have seen an increased use of kayakers whom they want to accommodate,” says Scott Tihansky, president of BoardSafe Docks. Regardless of the reason for the problem, BoardSafe has created a solution: a clip-on kayak launch.
The clip-on, or add-on, kayak launch can be added to any BoardSafe dock system. The kayak launch clip-on has a modified attachment system that allows it to be used on other dock systems, including wooden docks. Recently, the clip-on kayak launch was installed at REI Rowing Center in Chicago, Illinois.
To see the Clip-A-Launch in action, watch these brief videos:
Adaptive Features That Make a Kayak Launch ADA-Accessible
“Just because a product is marketed as ‘accessible’ doesn’t mean that we can actually use it" — Michael White, avid outdoorsman and paddler who lived with spina bifida.
BoardSafe’s uniquely-accessible kayak launches maximize the number of users in a community who can use the launch by making them truly inclusive for those with moderate to severe physical challenges.
Direct quotation made prior to becoming a BoardSafe client (See below for client testimonials.) "Not only are the transfers of some with mobility impairments questionably safe but also the moving of the kayaks in/out of the water. I was not comfortable with the consistent level of safety that we are able to provide for our volunteers, all staff and, of course, our participants.” — Alice Krauss, M.Ed., OTR/L, Manager, Adaptive Sports and Recreation, Brooks Rehabilitation
BoardSafe Docks understands the needs and concerns of adaptive athletes, so we have worked with them to engineer ADA-accessible kayak launches that incorporate our unique aluminum materials and floating mechanisms.
Here are some of the features that make BoardSafe docks the perfect choice for paddlers.
- ADA-compliant features include a uniform 1:12-slope aluminum gangway that is adjacent to the composite-decking boat slide. This design allows individuals to ease their kayak down the slide while they travel along the gangway.
- The floating dock and gangway have a 36″ continuous handrail along the perimeter, consistent with ADA requirements.
- Aluminum floating docks with boat access are engineered for maximum flotation stabilization considering the size, number, and placement of plastic-encapsulated floats. The marine conditions and water movement (tidal waters, rivers, lake ice, etc.) are also considered.
- On the floating dock, there is a loading bench that is 16″ high. Our group of adaptive kayakers determined this to be the ideal height to allow them to transfer over from a wheelchair. On the loading bench, there are four levels with 4" rises. The athlete can use the handrail that runs the length of the bench to guide himself or herself along the bench to the boat. On the last transition, there is a pullout seat that extends out and across the top of the boat. The users can simply slide across the pullout seat, locate themselves directly across the kayak seat, and guide themselves into the boat.
- Surrounding the kayak is the roll cage. It is a frame of handrails and hand straps offering the individual numerous gripping options for lowering into the boat.
- Supporting the boat in the water is a partially-submerged bracket system to stabilize the kayak.
- Our kayak launches are stand-up paddleboard (SUP) compatible, allowing the adaptive athlete to participate in the rapidly-growing SUP sport.
Client Testimonials
"We have been VERY impressed by BoardSafe, and they have developed a system which we feel is superior to the EZ Dock system." — Leon Mertz, Lake Loramie Improvement Association
"BoardSafe has all the features to provide the most access to the greatest number of users." — George White, Wetland Biologist, Team River Runner Chapter Coordinator
"After a Category 3 hurricane flooded our area we found that all the kayak launches were ripped away, except for the BoardSafe launch. It didn’t move an inch." — Chris Camp, Principal Engineer, City of Cape Coral, FL
"The construction and installation of our new ramp and dock were flawless … we are the envy of our neighbors on Boathouse Row in Philadelphia." — Michael Ragan, Pennsylvania Barge Club
This installation was highlighted on the following real estate presentation:
For more information about the BoardSafe Docks family of adaptive products, click here.