Left Truck in Reverse on the Ramp? Here's the Solution:

[jtexas]

last winter (I may have reported this already, if so, I apologize for the redundant posts), as I was lining the boat up with the trailer to load, I noticed the reverse lights were on (did I mention I was alone?)........luckily the parking brake held, I very nearly panicked......I was afraid that if I came in too fast and bumped it, well you know.........you never saw somebody scramble through the open hatch of a Ford Explorer so fast. I left the outboard running in gear just in case the extra push might help keep the truck out of the water. That was the last time I let the dog wait in the car while I launch or load.

Ok, so this past Saturday, I unintentionally discovered a solution, to avoid that kind of panic........I'd spent the whole day (crack o' dawn to dusk) chasing white bass & hybrid stripers around Lake Ray Hubbard, put around 40 or so in the boat, including a couple 4 pounders.

Like before, I was coming round to load up, only this time I calmly drove on to the trailer, hooked it up, jumped onto the ramp in ankle-deep 56? water (yeah, December and I'm fishing in shorts & sandals, temp 73? and dead calm at sundown......who says global warming is a bad thing?). Dusty was safely tethered over to the side, barking......as if I'd ever driven off without him (I haven't).

Climb into the drivers seat & turn the key to start the engine.......nothing. Anybody care to take a guess? The engine wouldn't start because.............


it has to be in PARK for the starter to engage.........it just doesn't work in REVERSE....duh!!!

 

[bigbenrusky]

Re: Left Truck in Reverse on the Ramp? Here's the Solution:

yep. that could be a problem. good thing the breaks held or you would have had not only a boat but a truck that doesn't usually float but who knows with your luck you could have driven it right off the water and not get the sides wet..

 

[starcraft67]

Re: Left Truck in Reverse on the Ramp? Here's the Solution:

It is funny -at least when the worst doesn't happen -to look at the things one does wrong when it's something you don't do everyday. Talk about the value of "muscle memory." No wonder professionals like cops and soldiers talk about their "training kicking in." Yesterday I hooked up a boat trailer (no boat on it) to move it from one place to another. Lowered the coupler onto the ball and raised the jack. Then figured the latch in the coupler wasn't set as well as it could be and released it and jacked the tongue up again and reset it. Now of course, after checking my coupler connection, chains, and light connection, I get in the truck and drive off with the jack still down.

On the matter of the tow vehicle and the ramp, though, I have the problem whipped. My 4x4 truck with manual transmission is not to be trusted to stay put on a slope, even in gear with the brake set, so I always chock a wheel (and leave the driver's door open). On sloped streets I either chock a wheel or put a front wheel against the curb. On ramps I always have the front wheels turned full lock in one direction or the other, usually toward a curb or the side of the courtesy dock, in hopes that if disaster strikes the truck will roll into something and stop. Muscle memory does have me locked in on this one.

But, the boat I have used over the last few years is a pontoon. Now I have a runabout too. So now I've got drainplug issues. I'm going to do like one fellow suggested on this board and put the drainplug around my wrist with a keycord or tie it to the steering wheel of the truck or something so that it's right in front of me. Even that's no guarantee! Fortunately, on my runabout the drainhole is readily visible, and accessible, from the cockpit of the boat so I have an extra plug right there on the dash. Maybe I'll start taping a checklist to the top of my truck steering wheel before I head for the ramp. Of course, after a certain age, you're not even sure your checklist is complete!

 

[K.C.IMP]

Re: Left Truck in Reverse on the Ramp? Here's the Solution:

Best place to chain the drain plug is to the boat key.

 

[ddennis]

Re: Left Truck in Reverse on the Ramp? Here's the Solution:

Anyone ever though of adapting one of those bilge float switches to an alarm of some type so that it can sound off and also turn on the pump at the same time?

 

[HyperFox]

Re: Left Truck in Reverse on the Ramp? Here's the Solution:

Yup.. Then EVERYONE on the dock will know why your zipping towards the ramp at 50mph.. lol

 

[starcraft67]

Re: Left Truck in Reverse on the Ramp? Here's the Solution:

Okay, so here's my latest "I don't do it very often so it didn't work out quite right." I took my Starcraft runabout out of the water and went to winterize it, which in my case means take the battery inside the house and disconnect the fuel tank, then spray fogger into the carb and spark plug holes (a light winterizing, but the boat is likely to be used again before winter is out).

When I do the fogging on the outboard on my pontoon, which is a boat I have had for a few years, the spark plug wires are not in the way. On the Big Twin on the Starcraft, they are. So out come the plugs, get the significant other to turn the key and bump the pistons up and down while I spray. The plug wire hanging in front of the open plug hole ignites the residual fuel in the cylinder and there you have the big bang out the plug hole. No harm done, except to my manly ego, but next time you may be sure I will have the plug wires well out of the way when I do that.