Ventura launch ramp reopens to trailerable boats

Ventura launch ramp reopens to trailerable boats

VENTURA – After seven months of being closed for repairs, the public launch ramp at Ventura Harbor, reopened to the public on Saturday, June 7.

A special ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Friday, June 6 at the launch ramp where officials from the Ventura Port District, city of Ventura and the Ventura Chamber of Commerce were in attendance.

Opened just in time for the busy summer boating season, the new concrete ramp is now available to recreational boaters, kayakers and paddleboarders.

The old launch ramp needed replacing because the concrete was breaking down and the ramp was nearing the end of its life. The original ramp was built in 1963 as part of the initial Ventura Harbor construction. The port district was awarded a $2.55 million grant by the California Department of Boating and Waterways to cover the cost of the dock’s replacement. The new six-lane concrete launch ramp will be more user friendly than the former access ramp.

“It’s great that we have been able to greatly improve the usability of our launch ramp and bring it up to modern, 21st Century standards,” said Jim Friedman, vice chair of the Ventura Port District Board of Commissioners.

Highlights of the new launch ramp include: improved traction; additional usable docks; a sloping parking lot in the design; 4-feet of added length; convenient location adjacent to a fuel and bait dock and easy access to the open ocean.

Engineers and state officials concluded the old ramp was nearing the end of its life and need to be replaced. The old ramp was built before floods destroyed much of the harbor in 1969, according to the Ventura Port District.

During the ramp’s closure the Ventura Harbor Marina and Yacht Yard provided alternate launching services. The renovation work began in November 2013.

Visit venturaharbor.com for additional launch ramp information.

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