Does anyone here have any feedback on the launching ramp at Sumner in CHCH?

The Sumner ramp is in good shape. Two ramps with a concrete jetty between them. If it is the bottom hour or two of the tide it's very shallow and you'll have to back out over the sand to launch, getting your vehicle wet doing so. Above the lowest couple of hours it's fine. Good angle on the concrete ramp.

Tanners Point now really only usable at low (off the end) and high tide (in the corner) due to silting. Small boats only off the side at mid tide. Seriously overdue for a digger visit.

Its been 30 years since I've boated out wide from Mangawhai Harbour. I have a well set up f/G 6x metre 250hp outboard setup. 

Took them over 2 years to get the digger there. My post about this was 28 April 2018.

red_car wrote: Hi.[DIV] [DIV]I'm based in Wellington, and recently bought a small alloy boat (Surtees 4.7m).[/DIV][DIV] [/DIV][DIV]Keen to get out to Mana.  Just want to confirm the best place to launch... I'm assuming at Mana under the bridge.  I don't have a 4WD - is it ok to launch with a 2WD car (Holden Commodore).[/DIV][DIV] [/DIV][DIV]Thanks[/DIV][DIV] [DIV] [/DIV][/DIV][/DIV]

Yep, you'll be fine. The sand is really firm on that ramp. There are only two tides where you need to pay close attention... if it's really low, you have to be careful not to drop the trailer too far over the drop into the channel, or you can get the cross-beam of the trailer hung up on the edge. And if it's all the way in, the whole ramp gets covered in water right up to the two entrances. The problem is that it's like a big shelf; it's not deep enough to float your boat up, and instead you just get wet up to the door-sills of your car. Not so much a 4WD issue as a lower car issue. If you do get into that situation, there is often a little channel on the left hand side (looking from the water) where a stormwater pipe comes out, if you're lucky you can float the boat up there and retrieve it with the car still basically in the carpark. Only works with smaller boats though.

Just a warning if you are planning to use the Westhaven boat ramp at the moment.

About 80% of the car & trailer parking has been taken up with construction contractors stuff and yachts on semi-hard stand - well yes, they are on trailers.

Is Thames in level 2???

nice, that is true found out you just have to enter the ramp from the side, also found out im actually in level 3 so enjoy the fishing people from Morrisville abroad . I went out the Sunday before level 3 actioned and the fishing was awesome.