A couple years ago my friend and I returned from a early morning fishing expedition with the boat. We were on the Allegheny River. The fishermen were pulling out and the pleasure boaters were putting in. We pulled the boat up to the dock and waited to pull. The ramp had access for two boats. The river was extremely low that year and the big boats were having a terrible time launching. One dude pulled up in a mini van with a big twin screw day cruiser trailered. He puts the wife in the boat and proceeds to back the boat into the river. He is in up to the top of his back tires and can't go any further. He tells wify to start the boat, put in reverse and back the boat off the trailer. She faithfully reponds, putting the boat in reverse. It don't budge, she guns the engines hard. The bottom of the Allegheny is a million small rocks the size of golf balls. The props start picking up bottom and throwing the rocks at speeds one could only hope to reach in major leage baseball pitching. The dude is yelling to shut it down, wify thinks she is doing the job well and he is cheering. The cruiser finally comes off the trailer with a volley of rocks one would have to see to believe. The minni van takes a serious pounding. The rocks were flying about 30 yards and I could see two distinct mud trailers from the newly dredged ramp as the boat backed up. Everybody was running for cover. I laughed until my sides hurt. I wouldn't want to see those shiny new sst props after that adventure. The River eats props on a annual basis and requires feeding regular. Old river got its fill that day. The state should sell tickets and put bleachers up at the boat launch, they could make a killing.
