Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...
Reading all the posts here reminds me of the average weekend outing at any of the local public ramps.
I watch a guy with a 22' or better aluminum boat a few weeks ago trying to load on the wrong side of the dock in a strong cross current. He had the the tandem trailer backed in on a 45 degree angle, taking both lanes, he was only backed in far enough to get the rear rollers over the edge of the water and had the boat grounded about a 1 behind the trailer trying to hand winch the thing up with a rope and winch. His truck was jack knifed completely blocking any chance or someone using even the entrance to the dock.
It took him 45 minutes to get loaded. When I told him he needed to back in further his response was that he'd been doing it like that for 40 years.
His trailer was hitched super low, raising the rear end even higher, he had surge brakes and no lights or backup solenoid connected so he burned the tires to back up. There were two guys trying to load it, one was wearing the full mail order boaters apparel kit, but was afraid to get wet, he rode the trailer back standing on the axle tubes holding the winch cable. He only had about 10' of cable out and had to keep going back to pull more cable, each time he did, the driver pulled the trailer back up the ramp and back in for another try. I was waiting for him to fall under the sliding trailer as it bounced and slid backwards down the ramp against two locked wheels.
One the boat was hooked, the pulled farther out, enough so the second guy could step off and not get his feet muddy, then back in a bit, all the while dragging the keel on the concrete ramp behind the trailer. When he finally started winching, the boat was at a 45 degree angle to the trailer and it missed the first keel roller by a foot. That didn't matter, he kept winching, on a rope I remind you, till the boat finally began to lift a bit. I was waiting for him to eat the rope if it broke. The boat was sitting low in the water, well loaded and it turns out full of water as well, once off the ramp they pulled the plug and it gushed water for a good 5 or more minutes. I heard a remark amongst the two of them to the effect that the leak was much better, and that it had very little water in it 'this time'. If that was a minor leak, I can't imagine what it was like before. They proceeded to pull up, blocking the entrance to the marina's shop completely as well as blocking both lanes leading to the ramps for another 20 or so minutes. Oblivious to all the complaining and horns blowing. The boat ended up loaded all the way over to one side, they then proceded to take a huge iron pry bar out of the truck and pry it over in place on the rollers, using the trailer frame as a leverage point and the bar against the hull. After all was done and I finally got in the water, (I was staying way clear of the whole show with my boat and rig). I noticed it didn't even have valid registration stickers on it, they were years past date. They did get out and grease the bearing buddies before leaving.
It takes me about 3 minutes at best to get in the water once I get an open ramp spot, I dump the boat, tie up, park the rig, and pull away. I make sure the boat it rigged, ready to run before I even hit the marina. When loading, I normally stay back and wait for all the dangerous or more entertaining boaters to get done. It's not worth any damage they can cause.
The bad part was the guy with that boat was completely clueless to what he was doing or doing wrong, that's the way his boat launches go and probably have gone for years, he knows nothing different and most likely couldn't ever be taught otherwise. The trailer looked pretty new, at least compared to the boat, but it was already well battered, as was the boat. They had no lines on the boat, it was just 'beached' on the ramp till the trailer got there. The first line securing it was the winch cable. I didn't get a good look at the keel, but I can only imagine what it looked like after years of that sort of ordeal. It's probably why it took on so much water.
