Williamstown Boat Ramp

Williamstown Boat Ramp is one of the better boat ramps in Melbourne, being relatively new.

It can get pretty busy at times, so it pays to be early. In fact – you can expect a queue of cars and trailers on weekends and public holidays from late spring through to early autumn.

This is the “snapper season.” The ramp can become very slow – peak hour traffic jam kind of slow. Tempers do flare – “ramp rage” really is a thing. Sadly.

Don’t forget – you need to be aware of the shipping channel and watercraft – both boats and ships.  Taking appropriate precautions is a must. Big ships take a lot longer to turn around. So they have “right of way” by virtue of their sheer size.

One excellent aspect of this boat ramp as a launching place is its proximity into the Yarra and indeed Marrybinong estuaries. You can navigate smaller craft all the way up to Flemington Racecourse on the Marrybinong. While most recreational sized craft should manage to reach Princess Bridge or even Swan St Bridge via the Yarra River.

Of course, access to Hobson’s Bay (withing Port Phillip Bay) and the wider PPB area is the goal of most folks using Williamstown boat ramp.

This would not be my choice for launching craft like kayaks. There’s plenty of beaches towards Altona and at Williamstown itself that will be less stressful, accessible and work just as well for you.

Facilities such as toilets, cleaning etc are available. Though when I’ve been there their cleanliness has been less than stellar.