I did a search through the forum, and couldn't find this topic or anything like it already posted. If it is out there, I apologize for the overpost.
At some point in time, nearly all of us here will come to share a public or private club boat launch with others. At these ramps, there is a certain unspoken "protocol" that we must all follow.
I'm relatively new to the sport, and am among the first to admit that I don't know much when it comes time to put the boat in or pull it back out. I have some questions.
First, who has Right-Of-Way: Those pulling their boats out, or putting them in? That is, if 2 people arrive at the launch at the same time, one by water and one by land, who has rights to the ramp first? Consider that the person pulling out of the water may be alone, has to tie his boat up to the dock, walk/run up to the vehicle, back the trailer down the ramp, then possibly, struggle to get the boat on the trailer correctly. Whereas, the person launching may have someone in the boat on the trailer, winch line unhooked, and just has to back down the ramp and slide the boat off. Who should have priority?
Bringing up the second question, what posesses people to tie up their boat to the launch side of the dock while they make everyone else wait for them (I've waited up to 10 minutes for one person) to retrieve their vehicle and back it down? If he was to tie on the non-launch side (or even at the end of the dock, 3 or 4 others could pull in/out while he is getting his vehicle. The same goes for when someone is putting their boat in, especially if there is someone else in the boat that could motor out a little ways until the tow vehicle driver returns, pull back up to the dock, board, and depart. Why do they tie up to the launch side and wait??? Is this the proper way to do it, or are they just being inconsiderate. Perhaps even they, like I, just don't know any better.
Does anyone out there know of any published, or at least decent credible internet reading on this sort of topic?
I would like to hear some of your stories or other launch ramp pet peeves that you might have.
Thnx
At some point in time, nearly all of us here will come to share a public or private club boat launch with others. At these ramps, there is a certain unspoken "protocol" that we must all follow.
I'm relatively new to the sport, and am among the first to admit that I don't know much when it comes time to put the boat in or pull it back out. I have some questions.
First, who has Right-Of-Way: Those pulling their boats out, or putting them in? That is, if 2 people arrive at the launch at the same time, one by water and one by land, who has rights to the ramp first? Consider that the person pulling out of the water may be alone, has to tie his boat up to the dock, walk/run up to the vehicle, back the trailer down the ramp, then possibly, struggle to get the boat on the trailer correctly. Whereas, the person launching may have someone in the boat on the trailer, winch line unhooked, and just has to back down the ramp and slide the boat off. Who should have priority?
Bringing up the second question, what posesses people to tie up their boat to the launch side of the dock while they make everyone else wait for them (I've waited up to 10 minutes for one person) to retrieve their vehicle and back it down? If he was to tie on the non-launch side (or even at the end of the dock, 3 or 4 others could pull in/out while he is getting his vehicle. The same goes for when someone is putting their boat in, especially if there is someone else in the boat that could motor out a little ways until the tow vehicle driver returns, pull back up to the dock, board, and depart. Why do they tie up to the launch side and wait??? Is this the proper way to do it, or are they just being inconsiderate. Perhaps even they, like I, just don't know any better.
Does anyone out there know of any published, or at least decent credible internet reading on this sort of topic?
I would like to hear some of your stories or other launch ramp pet peeves that you might have.
Thnx
