Rich jerks.

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noworries79

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Re: Rich jerks.

(my dads bass boat idles at about 8mph and he could easily find a fiberglass expert to testify that hitting a trailer at half that speed can damage the gel coatg and every boater has a right to launch their boat and retrieve it in a manner that will not damage the hull.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't idle mean 0 mph with the engine on? :confused:;)
 

piper_chuck

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Aug 30, 2007
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Re: Rich jerks.

ok i was biking around and stopped by the local boat ramp. decided to sit at the bench to watch this guy with a real nice boat come in. his friend backs the truck to the ramp then the guy in the boat goes and guide the boat to the trailer. then he gives it some gas(some gas is a lot for 225hp) and it rams it on the trailer pretty good. he gets off the boat and i tell him that he is not supposed to be power loading. there is even a sign next to the ramp facing the lake! said something like winch trailers should not power load. i tell him and he's like "yeah i know" they take the boat out strap it up and wait in the truck for a few minutes. next thing i know is hear them say hahaha your not supposed to be power loading. they were mocking me...
Next time record them with your phone camera. Make sure to catch clear shots of his face, the boat and vehicle registration numbers, and enough to clearly id the location and send the video to the agency in charge of the boat ramp. If they ask what you're doing, stoke their egos by saying you wanted to catch a video of their sweet boat and expert trailer loading technique. ;)
 

jonesg

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Re: Rich jerks.

Isn't this why the road to hell is paved with good intentions.?

Yeh I've seen them too, it looks like they dont want to get their wheel bearings wet or something, what....ever.
 

tkrfxr

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Re: Rich jerks.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't idle mean 0 mph with the engine on? :confused:;)

I thought it meant "no throttle", whether in gear, or not....

You will make some mph if in gear....
 

tkrfxr

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Re: Rich jerks.

ok i was biking around and stopped by the local boat ramp. decided to sit at the bench to watch this guy with a real nice boat come in. his friend backs the truck to the ramp then the guy in the boat goes and guide the boat to the trailer. then he gives it some gas(some gas is a lot for 225hp) and it rams it on the trailer pretty good. he gets off the boat and i tell him that he is not supposed to be power loading. there is even a sign next to the ramp facing the lake! said something like winch trailers should not power load. i tell him and he's like "yeah i know" they take the boat out strap it up and wait in the truck for a few minutes. next thing i know is hear them say hahaha your not supposed to be power loading. they were mocking me...

You did the right thing, coolguy. By looking at your photobucket pictures, you are a regular water rat, and if you use the local ramp, you have an interest in preserving it. Don't mind the mocking...the guy knows he's wrong.
 

coolguy147

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Re: Rich jerks.

i do not use the local boat ramp. someday in the future i will be and want to keep nice.

i acually have an alternate ramp:D. the boat lift. ahaha.

while were in this convo. the neighbors boat lift is next to a bridge. the "jetskiers" like to go play a game called who can go through the bridge the fastest.


about the idle loading. so whenever you go into a idle zone you want to paddle your way through? i believe its the same thing as just going slow as possible to the ramp and then let the boat float on the trailer.
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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51,019
Re: Rich jerks.

idle speed is maintaining, the slowest speed possible, and still maintain control of the boat. most boats all you have to do is put them in gear. wind and current come into play here, you may have to increase throttle to maintain heading.
 

bitterboater

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Re: Rich jerks.

Powerloading a boat is not operating in a wreckless manner and I challenge any DWF agent to challenge that in front of a judge. To call it wreckless operation is a joke at best, I hope you were joking, Greg.

Anyone could make a case that coasting up to the trailer and then using engine power does less damage than ramming it onto the trailer at idle (my dads bass boat idles at about 8mph and he could easily find a fiberglass expert to testify that hitting a trailer at half that speed can damage the gel coatg and every boater has a right to launch their boat and retrieve it in a manner that will not damage the hull. Public lakes are just that, if you pay money to launch then you should be able to launch in any way you wish short of being a danger to the public. No boat trailer can be set up perfectly for every ramp grade. So powerloading becomes mandatory in some circumstances. To call it lazy or a poor trailer setup is hilarious.

You leave yourself far too open here.
Power loading is reckless, careless handling of a boat. Yes the case could be made in a court of law by a conservation officer.
Its not about damage to YOUR equipment that is reckless, its the WILLFUL DAMAGE to the PUBLIC ramp that your causing by power loading. Like it or not, power loading is against the rules for a good reason. I have personally experienced why this is the case when I had to get a prop repaired after launching at a ramp when the water was down, and hit the washout with the prop after the boat slid off the trailer. WITF, power loading boils down to lazy.

i idle on for one reason. anyone ever handle a 20 ft pontoon, by yourself.
To answer your question, YES. I have handled a 20ft pontoon solo, its not easy, but it can be done. Just like any other watercraft.
 

coolguy147

Commander
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Re: Rich jerks.

it can very possible that the boat might jump off the trailer while power loading and hit somebody plus damaging the docks.
 

Mark42

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Re: Rich jerks.

I NEVER powerload my boat. You know why?

Cause I'm askared to!!! :D
 

itsaboattime

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Re: Rich jerks.

Hey Cool....just chock it up to being wiser than older, probably hammered, boaters.

The bottom line is you did the right thing. Weather it was a rule or a law. The sign says not to power load.

I've never power loaded in my life. Isn't that what the winch is for??

See Einstein's quote below................
 

Triton II

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Nov 23, 2004
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2,479
Re: Rich jerks.

I guess this debate is a bit like smoking dope... most people have tried it but now couldn't be bothered. Personally, I've tried it, but now I do not powerload - I've found out the hard way it's too harsh on the trailer - I had a keel roller bracket sag then bend due to the extra forces while power loading on a very steep ramp. So now I nudge up to the beach and jump off, then, holding onto a painter, push her out, then pull her into the trailer V-guides, clip on the strap and winch her on.

If I have the missus with me, she'll back the trailer in while I hold off from the ramp, then I'll drift up to the V-guides and the missus clips on and winches while I stop and tilt the motor and shut down the GPS, radios etc. However this is an alloy boat, it's built like a brick outhouse, and if I owned a fibreglass boat I wouldn't want to beach her for fear of damaging the hull on the stones... especially at low tide. Our boat club ramp is a double with a sand/gravel beach and most fibreglass boaties powerload, while most tinny owners winch on. It's uncomfortable being on the ramp while the guy next to you with his big cat with twin 300s screws up his powerload - the strength of the swirling water mixed with a slippery concrete ramp is easily up to toppling over the average guy if he's in up to his knees, I've seen it happen. On this occasion I volunteered to help winch load and now we have another convert to the more gentle way of loading.
 

itsaboattime

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tashasdaddy

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Re: Rich jerks.

again bunk slicks, tight guide on, right depth, it goes right on, no need for throttle, idle only.
 

coolguy147

Commander
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Re: Rich jerks.

you would not believe what i saw today. turn out to be that the video that you guys showed me is very accurate lo. haha

i went to the boat ramp and was looking at the very end of the ramp where the cement stops. there is a very large ditch there!:eek: probably about 5-10 inches deep. it is deep enough for tires to get stuck there though. i could not see if there was a mound of dirt behind it but i am sure there is at least a little one.
 
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