Took over an Hour to trailer the boat.

[dooma_Flatchy]

Yesterday was the 2nd day on the lake with my new to me 24' pontoon that my wife and 2 little ones enjoyed tremendously.

Now the story, I was headed into the dock and I saw a guy using his trolling motor headed in. He was dead in the water and no big deal we were a 1/4 mile out. I threw him a tow line and pulled him in. About a hundred yards out I saw the bow of a 18' Sea Ray what looked like straight up in the air from the angle I was at, ( I said to self that doesn't look right) As I got closer I could see that port side of his stern was completely submerged. I thought he had ran off the side of the ramp with his stern straps still attached.

As I pulled up on the same dock he was at (opposite side) there was a guy attaching a tow rope to the stern of the Sea Ray trying to pull it towards the center of the ramp. The puller was in a new Larson and when he started pulling the guys boat trailer and truck dug in and didn't budge and the bow of the boat came up more which I thought was impossible.

Everyone on the dock was waving and screaming at the guy in the Larson to stop. I asked a guy what happened and he said that the guy had backed the trailer in and was almost at a jackknife when his wife in the Sea Ray tried to trailer the boat.(picture this) The boat was sitting across the trailer so far that the Sea Ray's outdrive was was hung under the right side of the trailer and the center of the boat was over the left side and the bow was almost halfway into the back of the guys truck.

I told the the guy to hand me his bow line and I managed to get the boat pulled around to get the stern out of the water the boat was now across the ramp but outdrive was still hung under the trailer, I Told him to turn on his bilge pump on to start getting water out. The boat was still floating and a guy told him to raise the motor and it actually picked up the right side of the trailer. We told the wife to pull the truck forwards to try to straighten the trailer up. She said that she couldn't do it she was so nervous. I had my wife get into the truck and pull up when we needed it.

By now the guy that was in the Larson was in the water trying to see how the outdrive was hung onto the trailer. The Sea Ray raised his outdrive and with the man in water and with me pulling the bow line and my wife pulling the trailer forward we were able to get the trailer full onto the ramp but the boat was hung on the trailer. The guy that was diving giving instructions raising and lowering the outdrive and myself pushing and pulling and the bilge pumping water we finally released the boat.
My wife pulled the trailer out and the right bunk on the trailer was broken in half, The guys prop was destroyed but everything else seemed okay except rope burns on every finger on my left hand and 3 on my right hand . Thank goodness no one was injured or extensive damage to any property. The wife was extremely apologetic while the man didn't even say a thank you and when my wife handed the guy his keys she told him that she locked the truck up for him and he had a smart _ _ _ remark saying did you fill it up with gas too.

All this time I had forgotten about the boat that I had towed in. I helped him trailer his boat and I finally got mine on the trailer. The guy that I towed in helped me lower my hard top and secure it. When I got home I was unpacking the truck/boat I had a nice surprise, I guess the guy slipped 8 long necks into my cooler, Nice and cold and smoooothhhhh going down.

 

[BuzzStPoint]

Re: Took over an Hour to trailer the boat.

Some people are appreciative of help. Others are jackasses. Perhaps he was more embarrassed then anything.

I'm new to boating, so trailering is a bit tricky..
There are 2 landings on the river where I am at.. One is nice and wide with great docks. But is the busiest. The other is a landing that is dug into the earth and real steep. This one isn't used that much so it's a good practice place for me.

I just keep hitting the bow on the boat on the center of the trailer.

 

[david_r]

Re: Took over an Hour to trailer the boat.

the guy in the pontoon sounds like a classy and a real nice guy..............i would help him any day of the week..... and he dont even have to slip me beer.

sounds like your a bigger person than me because the sea ray guy would have been sittin on his a** trying to figure out who/what hit him if he smarted off to my wife after all we had done for him.................and i would make a mental note of his rig and he would never ever get help from me ever again ...... he may even find himself looking over his shoulder for being disrespectful to people trying to help.

i guess thats the redneck side coming out in me ..................... but nobody likes to treated like that.............. especially not people who are willing to take time from their day to help someone who is obviously in-experienced with boating.

since he was too good to do it here ya go:
thanks for being a kind and helpful person to those in need and i/we apologize to your wife for the smarta** comments

i feel sorry for the wife in the sea ray too.....

 

[dooma_Flatchy]

Re: Took over an Hour to trailer the boat.

Thanks David,
I think it was more like buzz said. More embarrassed than anything. When I heard him say that to my wife she knew it ticked me off as she seen the look on my face but she gave me her look for me not to say anything plus I had my girls with me (ages 8 and 5). I felt bad for his wife, She was very apologetic and very appreciative as well. She offered the guy in the water money but he refused and he even thanked me as well. The 8 beers made up for it later. I'm sipping on one now.

 

[fishon13]

Re: Took over an Hour to trailer the boat.

You can only help people and hope for the same back. I moved to WNC from FL just to find people like you a real class act. Once we were headed back to NC after x-mas break when my 250 superdutys tany locked up on I-95 durring rush hour in the center lane as the sea of cars parted like the red sea I counted 3 police go by for the 20 minutes we sat there. I felt like they might as well fliped me off when they went by with out as much as a f*** you. Keep in mind I'm in the truck with my wife and then two very young kids. Two trucks came to our rescue one stoping traffic the other draged us out of the road. I tried offering both drivers a tyenty neither accepted anything but my extreme gratitude. Now not to dis Florida considering I'm the 6th generatation born there, but the two drivers that rescued us wern't from there. After a call to my friend that was ahead of us we were hooked up to his truck with flashers on and heading to safety. Two miles down the road we were pulled over I suspect by one of the cops who passed us by. Just like me you would probally help the jerk again.