Boat Ramp Fails - How?!

[Bassn7]

As I see all the YouTube fails with the vehicles in the water...HOW does that happen? Do people jump out while still in reverse??!! I'm just trying to understand what these people do so I don't ever have that problem. Thanks for any info.

 

[jimmbo]

Sometimes it driver Error, other times the transmission parking sprag breaks, other times the ramp is slippery. A smart launcher would place chocks behind the wheels, ensure the parking brake is applied, make sure all kids are out of the vehicle, actually no one else should be in the tow vehicle on the ramp.

 

[tpenfield]

It has a lot to do with the ingenuity of idiots.

 

[gm280]

Some times it is because the emergency brake does hold. That is especially true with stick transmissions. And emergency brakes are no where near as effective in reserve as forward movement.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Sometimes its failure of equipment....most of the time its the loose nut behind the controls

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Sometimes it driver Error, other times the transmission parking sprag breaks, other times the ramp is slippery. A smart launcher would place chocks behind the wheels, ensure the parking brake is applied, make sure all kids are out of the vehicle, actually no one else should be in the tow vehicle on the ramp.

Tell you what you come to minnesota on a busy summer weekend and get out of your vehicle and put chocks in place you are going to be rebuffed and mocked.

 

[ahicks]

One scenario I've seen with people that usually know what they are doing. With the trailer set in too shallow water, there is a point during retrieval when the trailer is trying to lift the rear of the tow vehicle. With everything just right, the tow vehicle can loose traction and slide backwards.

I don't trust emergency brakes either. Not at all.....

IMHO, unless you really know your boat, and the ramp your using at the moment, boat retrieval is a 2 person process. The driver should not leave the tow vehicle.

 

[kaulbr]

Ha! I asked the exact same thing a while back. See link below. They "why" never seems to be answered in those videos and the unknown terrifies me!
https://forums.iboats.com/forum/gen...ers-and-towing/10639178-boat-launch-disasters

 

[JASinIL2006]

Tell you what you come to minnesota on a busy summer weekend and get out of your vehicle and put chocks in place you are going to be rebuffed and mocked.

No kidding. Anyone chocking their wheels on a busy ramp is going to be the subject of some verbal abuse.

 

[harringtondav]

I'm thinking SD's theory is the major cause: In a hurry, not thinking ahead. I work to keep the time I plug a ramp slot to a minimum, especially on a busy day, with off ramp, pre-launch prep, and the same when landing.

Best is with two drivers, one to clear the boat off the trailer on kick off, and to drive on and hold on the trailer on retrieval. Wife's OK with the kick off, but won't back the trailer or drive on. So when I do the retrieval solo, wife holds the boat on the dock, I put the trailer under the boat and vehicle in FWD, park brake in fwd drive and winch on the boat. Mental check list is critical: park brake, trans in drive engine running, outdrive up in trailer. Then clear into the parking lot for final wrap up.

 

[H20Rat]

Sometimes it driver Error, other times the transmission parking sprag breaks

That is actually one of my biggest fears. I unload at a steep ramp (at least 30+ degrees, probably closer to 45), and there is a ton of load on it, even with the parking brake. I always run in 4x4 low range for loading/unloading, just because it reduces the load on the park sprag.

 

[dingbat]

Taking into account the number of launches and the number of Videos, one has the ask the probability of it happening.

I suspect it’s on par with get hit with lightening sitting in your kitchen. Of those, I’m will to beat human error is accountable for 99% of them

Has anyone actually seen a vehicle go in the drink?

 

[roffey]

I did, but not at the boat ramp. Years ago my buddy and I were camping on May long weekend. There was a causeway this brand new jeep was driving back and forth on. Our girlfriends, wearing skimpy bathing suits waved at the boys in the jeep and as he turned to look back he turned the wheel and off he went. It was like slow motion watching the jeep sore into the air and into the water. he had to swim to shore and ask us to drive him to town and get a tow truck to pull him out (time before cell phones).

Miss those days,,, and that girlfriend, lol..

 

[Starcraft5834]

any boat ramp that's not concrete all the way into the body of water for a good distance.. I wont use... launching out of anything less, in the muck and mud... launcher beware.........

 

[JimS123]

Tell you what you come to minnesota on a busy summer weekend and get out of your vehicle and put chocks in place you are going to be rebuffed and mocked.

tell you what if you come to NY on a busy summer day you'll see pure morons having problems on every launch ramp the guy that mocks me for using chocks will give me the last laugh because I'll be out of the water before he even figures out how to get the boat on straight.

 

[ahicks]

Living just a couple hundred yards from a busy state park boat landing the last 40 years or so, I've seen several "dunkings". We used to go over there and watch people loading just prior to a big thunderstorm and late on the last day of a long holiday weekend to watch the drunks. Hilarious. Very easy to spot people that did/did not know what they were doing.

3 most memorable occasions were the guy that launched a jet ski from the back of his jacked up big wheel 4x4 pick up. He didn't count on backing in to the lake so far back that he dropped the back wheels off the concrete pad - causing a total loss of traction as the truck started floating - until it sunk in water that just covered his hood. Then the jet ski wouldn't start....

2nd was a couple of elderly Sheriff deputies that should have known better. They'd been called about some kind of stupid disturbance on the lake. I don't think either was regular marine patrol (possible volunteers?), as both were clearly clueless when retrieving their Whaler. They were both wearing full dress road patrol uniforms with leather shoes. They didn't have a chance, and were tying up one of the very busy ramps with their uncertainty. I felt bad for them (and the people waiting to use that ramp) and ended up loading the boat for them.

Last (best), on a chilly late fall day a Piper Cub on floats decided he was going to land in the short channel leading from the lake to the boat ramp potentially shortening his taxi to the ramp. Not too unusual to see float planes here as it's an easy ride to the nearby airport after being loaded on a trailer. This guy takes off from a nearby lake for the short flight to our lake with the boat landing. What he didn't realize was that the channel had frozen the night before - and being crystal clear ice, he didn't realize it was ice until he landed on it. I heard a terrible racket and rushed over to see if I could lend a hand (I'm a pilot too). He had landed on the ice and skidded at least a hundred yards on that ice prior to getting to the boat ramp. The plane was still going at pretty good clip when it got to the concrete ramp and scooted right up the ramp every bit of a hundred feet - like he planned it! That was the noise I heard! Thankfully the park was deserted. The pilot said that it felt like the plane accelerated when it landed on the ice, vs. the planned on normal quick deceleration when the plane touches down on water. Safe bet he's not going to forget about that experience any time soon! -Al

 

[dwco5051]

Has anyone actually seen a vehicle go in the drink?

I can't remember exactly how many but at least a dozen over the years at our local lake. Only three I think that I actually witnessed the whole thing and one of those was a car that the husband shouted up to his wife that he left the keys in the pickup and she reached through the window to get them and knocked it out of gear. You have to remember since 1968 I was either working or fishing there and summers I would be on the lake as much as 60 days in a row.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Taking into account the number of launches and the number of Videos, one has the ask the probability of it happening.

I suspect it’s on par with get hit with lightening sitting in your kitchen. Of those, I’m will to beat human error is accountable for 99% of them

Has anyone actually seen a vehicle go in the drink?

Atlantic Highlands, NJ A Chevy PU will float for about 8 minutes with doors shut and motor lasting about a minute
before it turned into a submersible