A method for accessing the entranceway of a transportation device, having a body with outwardly extending flotation devices attached thereto, said entranceway being disposed above said flotation devices at a sufficient distance above the ground surface to hinder access thereto, comprising:
- using a transport apparatus including truck means rollably supported on the ground, inclined track means mounted on said truck means for defining a given path of travel from a ground level position slightly above the ground to a desired upper level position substantially above the ground, rollable carriage means mounted rollably on said track means for supporting from below a load to be transported between the ground level position and the desired upper level position, said rollable carriage means including base platform means for receiving said load and a pair of right side rollers and a pair of left side rollers mounted on an underside of said base platform means for rollably supporting said base platform means to permit it to be moved rollably along said inclined track means, said track means including a pair of spaced apart elongated right side tubular rail members for capturing said pair of right side rollers therebetween, said track means further including a pair of spaced apart elongated left side tubular rail members for capturing said pair of left side rollers therebetween, each one of said rail members extending upwardly at a desired angle of inclination from said ground level position for a predetermined given distance and terminating at said desired upper level position, extendable frame support means mounted between said truck means and a front portion of said track means for inclining said track means upwardly at said desired angle of inclination, said frame support means having an adjustable height for permitting a user to select different desired angles of inclination to permit said load to be transported to said upper level position, reciprocative means mounted to said track means for moving reciprocatively rectilinearly along a rectilinear path of travel, said rectilinear path of travel being substantially less than said given path of travel, pulley means for providing a mechanical advantage to help cause said carriage means to move along said given path of travel when said reciprocative means is moved along said rectilinear path of travel, said pulley means including fixed pulley means mounted to said track means, movable pulley means mounted to said reciprocative means and a line connected at one of its ends fixedly to an upper end of said track means, extending about said movable pulley means and about said fixed pulley means with its opposite end fixed to said carriage means for providing said mechanical advantage to help facilitate moving the load, and motive means coupled to said reciprocative means for causing it to be moved reciprocatively rectilinearly along said rectilinear path of travel to in turn cause said carriage means to be moved along said given path of travel;
- adjusting the angle of inclination of said track assembly to accommodate the destination load level of said transportation device;
- positioning the transport apparatus adjacent to the entranceway of the transportation device;
- connecting said motive means to a source of direct current power supplied by the transportation device;
- placing a load on said carriage means;
- actuating said motive means to cause said carriage means to travel along said predetermined path of travel to a load access position adjacent to the entranceway of the transportation device;
- and
- moving said load off of said carriage means onto the transportation device.