First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

[RotaryRacer]

Well, it was a nice evening last night and I had a friend in town that I hadn't seen in a long time so we decided to launch the boat and take a little spin.

I decided to go to a ramp I had never been to before just to check it out. The ramp and dock looked ok. Nothing great, but good enough.

I got the boat ready and checked and rechecke my normal items. I backed the boat into the water and realized that to float the boat at this ramp I would have to back in a bit more than normal, such that the boat would be a ways out past the end of the dock. No big deal. Once I backed in I brought my dock lines over to the dock and made one turn around a post at the bow and stern and handed the loose ends to my friend who was standing on the dock. I hopped in the boat and started it then went to the bow and realeased the boat from the trailer. All of this is normal procedure so far.

Now with the boat floating I had to push it back a ways so that the trailer wouldn't catch the bow of the boat as I pulled it out. To push it back I got quite a bit of slack in the dock lines and just pushed it back and told my friend to hold it there while I pulled out.

Well, I followed my normal procedure and slowly pulled out as I watched the water line to make sure the trailer didn't catch the hull of the boat. What I didn't notice is that the slack in the bow line was such that the rope drooped down and as the side guide at the rear of the trailer came up and out of the water it caught the rope.

I had just turned my head and started to proceed out of the water when I felt a little tug/resistance and added just a touch of throttle. Pretty much as soon as I did that I knew something was wrong. I turned back, heard a yell and then saw the boat bounce up onto the concrete ramp. I had already back off the throttle and was applying the brake, but it was too late.

So, I didn't forget the plug, the boat didn't slide of the trailer, I didn't forget to remove the tie downs. This is the first time I have heard/seen this particular issue.

The keel is pretty gouged up (about 24" long) and the skeg has a slight little gouge also. The boat was mostly still floating when I stopped, so I was able to lift/push it back into the water pretty easily. The rear guide on the trailer is now about 30 degrees off vertical.

My friend got a little rope burn on his hand.

stuff happens.

 

[RobbyA]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

Pictures?

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

Yup that's a new one

Glad it wasn't too bad, you could've broken the entire skeg or grinded a whole into the keel if you drug it too far.

 

[DuckHunterJon]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

Ouch - stuff happens! Despite any ribbing you might get, I'll go ahead and thank you for giving me one more thing to be on the look out for. Glad it wasn't worse (You know, park the truck, open the door, look back and see your boat followed you to the parking lot!).

 

[ezmobee]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

That's the first I've heard that one. I did try to winch my boat onto the trailer once while it was still tied to the dock. I just couldn't believe how hard it was to winch it. Then I was like DULP!

 

[Doernuth]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

Good tip. never thought of that happening. Glad the damage was minimal some glass work in your future i assume.

 

[convergent]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

So to launch your boat, you have someone hold the rope and then drive the trailer out from under the boat? I'm not sure if I'm reading that right. That doesn't seem like a good way to launch to me, but I'm no expert. Why wouldn't you push the boat off the trailer into the water and then drive your tow vehicle off the ramp? Sounds like your friend could have easily ended up taking a swim in this particular case.

 

[marlboro180]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

Windsor-

That certainly is a new one to me, though I certainly could see how it could happen. Time to do some gel-coat repair, hey? And some minor other work too

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

So to launch your boat, you have someone hold the rope and then drive the trailer out from under the boat? I'm not sure if I'm reading that right. That doesn't seem like a good way to launch to me, but I'm no expert. Why wouldn't you push the boat off the trailer into the water and then drive your tow vehicle off the ramp? Sounds like your friend could have easily ended up taking a swim in this particular case.

I did float the boat and got it back off the trailer as far as possible. On this particular ramp/dock I wasn't able to get it back as far as I would normally. The front of the boat was still over the rear of the trailer. Therefore, with slack in the bow line and the rope drooping down, as the trailer came up and out the rear side guide caught the rope.

Part of the reason I put one wrap around the dock post was so that all my friend had to do was hold the loose end of the rope and the boat would stay pretty much were I left it. That one wrap in this case probably caused more harm than good. It allowed the slack and caused a lot more friction that really caused the line to get bound up on the trailer. If he was just holding it, chances are he would have let go right away and the line would have just slipped right off the trailer, or it wouldn't of had much slack to begin with.

Dang it.

I just got off the phone with a fiberglass shop. I'm having this one done proffessionally. I may even make my first insurance claim on a boat, depeding on the final cost.

I'll get pictures eventually.

 

[Purecarnagge]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

Why didn't you just get in the boat and have your buddy drive the truck up to park? Would seem like a much better way to launch the boat. Even if you drift off and wipe some seats down etc, you can always come back to the dock when he's down there... I dunno maybe its a weird launch. I'm not sure why you needed the lines out with two people there...

That's how I launch my uncles larson all the time but then again thats like a 18 footer.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

Similar situation happened to me on a low-tide mud flat solo launch, but there's more.

This is a small private ramp with special features, including a healthy lay er of creek mud.

The tide was out and I backed as far as I could without dropping off the end--the axle was still dry. Pushed the boat off (rollers) and when it dropped off the end, the stern stuck in the mud (there was about 8" water). So I tie the bow line to a dock post tight, to drive forward and pull the trailer out from under the boat. the boat levels, gently drops onto the 8" of water or the 8" of soft mud on the ramp, and can be slid back from there. Done it lots of times; it's a duck hunter thing.

Well this time, the line when it loosened dropped and caught on a roller arm and the boat pulled up some; the line snapped, the boat dropped onto the mud/water as planned, and SLID ITSELF OUT TO DEEPER WATER away from the ramp!

I jammed into park and ran to the end of the pier; the boat hung up on a mud flat a few feet from the end. It's December, getting dark, tide falling, no one around, and that mud has no bottom; you cannot walk it (the irony of water too shallow to float, bottom too deep to walk).

So luckily I had my shove pole out on the dock, and basically pole vaulted from the end of the pier and into the boat.

Some people call us crazy. We're just having fun.

 

[NHGuy]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

Home cookin, you have got my attention. Don't do that any more though! We like to read your posts!

 

[Expidia]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

Don't let it get you down. At least no one was hurt. I've seen plenty of people standing on the ramp in between the end of the trailer and the boat.

It sounds like it was more a factor of a bad ramp setup than your fault. I hate towns that are too cheap to put a couple of lengths of dock out there.

I've had to launch at those types of docks where it's so tight that there is no where to move your boat away from your trailer as you pull out . . . especially when you are launching alone!

That line catching on the trailer was a fluke which was hard to spot. I wouldn't have spotted that situation either. My wife who usually stands on the dock holding the lines and tying off the boat while I park the trailer. She's screamed out loudly many times to me when I've forgotten to do something like driving off dragging a line when pulling the boat out.

Last week, a friend was with us was holding a front line and I said toss it in the boat after I start cranking it up on the trailer. She missed the boat (which was only 2 feet from the dock) and tossed it into the water. I should have done a walk around but didn't and as soon as I started to drive the boat up the ramp I heard this real loud noise as I drove over the line and shredded it

You can't win because as another poster has already said on small dock situations it's better to stay with your rig and let the other person drive off and park the trailer.

As long as my Wife can just drive it straight and park it or make a wide circle she's OK with it.

But I say you can't win because if you let the other person you are with who is usually inexperienced hop in your tow vehicle you can sometimes watch as they allow your car to roll backwards into the water up to the windows! Seen that one plenty of times at various ramps over the past few decades! Especially later in the summer when the ramps are slick with algae :EEK:

 

[62 pipestone]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

at least you figured it out befor this guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wt8rNe8O-M&feature=related

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

After the event my friend said that the scene in that video is what he pictured happening. He was very glad I stopped as quickly as I did.

This particular friend isn't someone I would want to teach how to pull a trailer out of the water in one evening. He hasn't been around boats much at all and I doubt he has ever pulled a trailer. Him standing on the dock holding the boat was the right task for him.

I'm glad the ramp was deserted when this happened. I realize now that I was blocking the ramp for probably about 15 mins or more. It is funny how little details seem to not really set in until you have had time to think about something like this.

The rope was really jammed in between the board of the side guide and the metal bracket/post that holds it to the trailer. I actually had to loosen the bolt holding the board to get the rope free.

I'm going to pull the boat out of the barn tomorrow. I'll get some pictures then.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

Here are a couple of pics of the damage, click for a larger version.

Hull/Keel:



Trailer Side Guide...the support is supposed to be straight vertical:

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

in my case, no alchohol--going hunting. But stuff like that happens when you are in a hurry--that's also when you get hurt, even if it's just a pinched finger or stubbed toe. It's important to tell yourself to slow down and think. There are lots of steps involved and all are important.
Boating in tough natural conditions is very different than trailer-to-the-lake boating. But I am eternally grateful I don't have to deal with the public ramp issues that are so often discussed here. Give me uncharted waters and dangerous weather any time!

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

No alchohol in my incident either. I can't see how anyone would draw that conclusion. Based on the majority of the responses it seeems most recognize this as a fluke event that could have happened no matter what.

I'm bringing the boat to the fiberglass shop tomorrow to get a quote. Depending on the timing of the actual repair, I may use the boat as is for the rest of the summer....although, I don't really like the thought of causing more serious damage.

I'm not a big fan of Keel Guards. I always think they look kinda silly. They also look like they would negatively effect how the boat handles in certain situations. I'm now seriously considering getting one. In this case, if I had a Keel Gaurd, I could have simply pushed the boat back into the water, parked the truck and been on my merry way.

No matter what I am getting this fixed right. If I then still feel the desire to add the Keel Guard, I might just have to do it.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

I wouldn't get a keel guard just to guard against this fluke happening again. It probably won't "nothing teaches better than a burnt hand." They make sense only for people who frequently beach against rocks.

 

[Purecarnagge]

Re: First Time for Everything (Ramp Story)

Live in learn, no reason for a keel guard unles syou feel you really need one.