Hi all,

 I currently park my boat in my driveway in front of my house. Due to the shape of my driveway I end up with a backing/forward/backing movement to kind of get the boat out of our way and parked on our front lawn. This is less than ideal as I had a delivery van " tick" the boat trailer once and my front lawn ends up with a bare spot under the boat.

 Last year or so I have been working on clearing out an area for a semi circular driveway on another part of our property to keep the boat on. It's currently fairly smooth dirt and I want to put a layer of something on it to firm it up. Pavement is way too much$$$$ so I'm thinking of a thin layer of 3/4 gravel or 3/4 crushed stone, or something else. I have a small bucket on my JD tractor so spreading something out is not a problem. So I guess my question is what would you use? Have anyone of you done something like this? I'm open to suggestions. I'm just trying to keep the area firm enough to keep it from being mud or causing ruts' in the wetter seasons.

                   Thanks,

                             Jim

You seem to be on the right track. I am not sure of your neighborhood, but rocks attract kids who like to throw them. Lawmowers may also throw rocks, if any end up in the yard. Maybe a coarse sand which would drain well and provide a packed surface. 

I’d go where you are. Crushed stone is good for parking. You have a bucket. It will settle over time and you’ll need more eventually but it’s also cheap. 

Top course 5/8" gravel for the construction of streets and roads containing crushed rock and about 50 - 60% fines (i.e. sandy binder), thus, it is suitable for roads, driveways, and packs quite well. For the homeowner, it’s a good driveway gravel where a firm base has already been established.  That's what I use for my driveway.

What I would use is what is used around here on gravel roads.  It is called dirty base.  You can also get clean base.  It packs well.

6 hours ago, Glenn said:

For the homeowner, it’s a good driveway gravel where a firm base has already been established.

Is just dirt ( like is found in the woods) considered a " firm base" or would gravel establish a " firm base?"  

Here we have a product called “Crush and Run” that compacts into a hard surface not prone to washouts or loose gravel.  I went with an asphalt extension to my driveway which has held up well but I don’t know how suitable it is for your area. 

4 hours ago, jbmaine said:

Is just dirt ( like is found in the woods) considered a " firm base" or would gravel establish a " firm base?"  

Well no, you'll need a larger-sized gravel to create the base, then layer the 5/8" on top of it. But you'll first need to remove the existing soil to a depth of at least 6-8 inches and then compact it using a plate compactor or roller (you can even drive over it repeatedly).

 

Then lay a geotextile fabric over the prepared subgrade to prevent soil from mixing with the gravel and to help with drainage. 

 

At that point, you can use a base layer of larger gravel, like #4 crushed limestone or MOT Type 1 and compact it thoroughly.  Now you have your "firm base"

 

NOW you can lay down the 5/8" gravel, and be sure to compact it again.

 

It's tedious works, but if you skip any of it, then you'll have problems like sinking, shifting, and water pooling.

I put down crushed asphalt where we park and the rest of my driveway is crushed limestone. Both pack really good. If I had to choose one I would go with the crushed limestone. Once compacted and a couple good rains and that stuff hardens like concrete.

Reclaim or black pack is what I've heard it called. Mix of crushed gravel and reclaimed asphalt. Like mentioned, have to get rid of the topsoil before laying it down. Can be rolled and packs well. 

If you’re doing it over bare dirt you’ll need to dig down and out the area about 4”. Put down land scape fabric, this helps avoid your stone from being absorbed and swallowed by the soil. Then if you want a solid base for a lot of traffic or parking vehicles you want 2” of 3/4 modified - that’s a mix of 3/4” stone with stone dust, much smaller stone particles, that binds and compacts really solid. Then 2” of regular 3/4” stone on top. 
 

Where I park my boat I don’t have to drive my truck over it, it’s just a parking pad. So I skipped the modified base and just did the 3/4”. Works just fine. I did a border of pressure treated 4x6s to contain the stone. You can use steel land scape edging if you’re working with a curve. 
 

Do pay attention to your natural grade and make sure water from rain has a path to run.