Public boat launch on Veley Road

Tim Trickey | Jun 10, 2015

Like most people who like to fish Big Gull Lake, I couldn’t wait to launch my new fishing boat for the first time from the boat launch on Veley Road, the only public launch, township maintained.

I’m not sure if I’m getting older, or the challenge of turning a truck & trailer seemed a bit more challenging compared to last year. First of all, I tried to turn my truck and boat around in the parking lot, again township maintained. No dice. Now I have to back my truck back onto Veley Road, turn around, then try to align my truck and trailer back to the boat launch.

After getting my truck and trailer lined up for the down hill slide portion of the launch, I finally get a chance to look at what I was about to commit my boat and truck to. I could not believe what I was seeing! Not only does the ski/boat launch seem steeper, the paved portion has become narrower, and the launch portion of the boat launch has two large craters on either side that you could possibly lose your truck in. Thankfully I own a 4x4 truck!

After some time, I finally got the boat in the water, and now I have turned my attention to parking the truck and trailer. I have replaced my glasses this year, but I swear the parking area has shrunk as well. Thankfully summer is not here yet and there was still room to park, or I would have given up by this time and gone to Kennebec Lake instead.

Seriously, I feel that the township has either abandoned or forgot they own a boat launch that they are responsible for maintaining. I feel one of these days someone is going to be seriously hurt attempting to launch a boat from this public launch. (Central Frontenac Township maintained).

If anglers want to keep using this launch, it's time to get after our township representatives (again) to have a serious look at the launch before someone slides off the boat launch and either gets hurt, or they turn their launch vehicle into a personal submarine.

It's time to speak up, folks, before we lose another public location to fish and enjoy boating without having to pay to play! We pay enough taxes for services already.