We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

[vintage boat junky]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

*BUMP*

Sorry, been a while since I've had time to check back...

I always try to help those in need; as they've tried to help me in my learning years. The thing is, some people try to help more to feel like they are the superior boater in my experience. For example; and this is also to show any noobs out there that sh*t happens to everyone, even the well seasoned; I was backing down the ramp when I hear a loud "Cachunk" and saw my bow fall out of site. The ramp has a significant pothole just before you hit the cement bars, and when the wheel hit the bar, it pushed the tongue off the ball. (The bolt underneath was loose).

So, I jump out and crank the tongue back up to the ball, (may have looked like I was nervouse, or panicky as I work fast) and people were quick to come up and offer a hand. There was no line, so time wasn't a factor. But what annoys me is when people try to sound smarter than they really are. The tongue latch needed to be tightened; hence why it came off while latched and padlocked. I did learn that my safety chains were too long, but that wasn't an issue at the time.

So, the people who were there trying to help, didn't ask if I needed help, they just started spewing out what they thought the problem was, and what they thought I needed to do. What they didn't know, is that I could replace almost any part right at the acccess because I come prepared. So they continued to say I put the wrong sized ball on. I said "no" as it's 1 7/8". Then they checked the ball to see if that was written on there, as if I was talking out of my ***. Then, almost sounding surprised, they said "Yeah, it says 1 and 7/8".

Then I told them what I already knew; the latch underneath was loose and that's what caused it to come off. I tested it as I always do before I left the driveway, and the attempt to lift the tongue off of the ball after locking it on showed it was secured. It was the pothole that pushed it forward, causing the glitch that wouldn't happen under any other circumstance.

So after wiggling the latch, and playing with the bolt, they agreed. So, what here is the definition of irony?



These were the same people I later met with the stranded jetski incident (posted earlier).

I was wondering though, does anyone else have problems with people fishing the access lot rather than the lake? Like say, for open vehicles? Nothing bothers me more than seeing people at a boat access with no boat, and no fishing gear.

 

[pinkham89]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

The last time I went to my favorite lake, after I got ready to come in with my little 12' tinny, it was pretty slow at the ramp. So, I tied up to the courtesy dock and went up and backed my trailer in. There was nobody in line.

But, there was a guy on the other half of the ramp with a 14' aluminum boat, who was having a devil of a time getting his boat on the trailer. I winched my boat up on the trailer and started walking up to the SUV to pull out.

The other guy asked, "How'd you do that so easily?" His boat was floating around and he couldn't get it centered at all on the trailer, which was backed in too deeply.

I told him that I retrieved my similar boat by backing in until the rear roller was just above the water surface, then pulled it partway on and winched it the rest of the way.

He thought about it for a minute, then tied his boat back to the dock and pulled his trailer forward until that rear roller was positioned just right. Sure enough, his boat came nicely onto the trailer, all centered and everything.

He parked next to me in the lot, where I was doing all the stuff to get ready to tow the boat home (It's a lot in Minnesota, since you can get a nasty ticket for stuff like weeds on your trailer). He thanked me, telling me that he had been having trouble loading his boat all season long.

We all, in a nice way, need to be helpful to the other boaters around us. Sometimes, the trouble they're having is easily corrected with a kindly piece of advice.

You can't help the jerks who know it all, but there are a lot of folks who would welcome a hint or two. For me, the key is smiling and saying something like, "Having trouble? Can I help?" That starts things off in a good way. I need to remember that better, and offer the help, without being asked, more often.

this is a great little snippet of info... roller or bunk trailer?

 

[boat1010]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

The small lake where we go the most only has public ramps, yes we have our share of people that abuse the ramps. I.E. pulling down to the ramp then getting the boar uncovered and ready to launch. MOST of them just don't know or understand. Some have the "Fancy" boats and think that everyone just loves to watch them. I have found over the years that honking giving dirty looks usually slows people down. I like trying to walk down to the ramp and see if I can "help" them with what ever the problem is. And hopefully while helping I can give them 'Hints" that will help them the next time and make the stay at the ramp a little shorter. I know we don't have the time or the patents to do this all the time but if everyone would do this once in a while hell who knows, you might even make a friend or two. My favorite place to camp is close to the ramp so we can sit and watch the fun there. I do agree that there should be some course to teach people how to load and unload boats. But as usual, the ones that need the "help" never get it. Well thats my 2 cents worth... Happy boating..

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

Well, in response to the people zig zagging down the ramp, that just has to do with people who never learned to back a trailer. They always seem to start wrong, like not lining up at the top of the ramp, wheels straight forward. Once you have that set up, put a hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and whichever way you want the boat to go, move your hand that direction. Pretty simple, really, but most people don't know that trick and keep having to "think" about which way the cars wheels need to turn to make the trailer turn.

Only thing we ever did in err is forget to trim the lower unit up and we busted a bit off of the skeg on the ramp after draging it 5 or 6 feet. Lesson learned $75 later for a new skeg to be welded!

I will agree that some people who screw up on a ramp and then deny help deserve to have their rating put on a sign. Let's them know how well they're doing while they were "doing fine on their own".

 

[vintage boat junky]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

I agree on the zig zagging part; people should learn first, then try. You don't pass your DL test by just watching other people drive... You need to get the feel of it, and get used to it. Nothing is more frustrating then waiting for someone who can't back - not into a lake, but into their own driveway blocking the street. When I was learning, I would let all vehicles pass before attempting, and if one came and I knew I wasn't going to make it - I pulled out and over and waved them through.

But, there still are some that will not get it no matter what. Its the whole disorienting Right goes Left scenario. When you're turned around in a car, and pushing a trailer rather than pulling, it does screw with ones perceptions.

Like some people I know (namely female) when they drive normally and I say "take a left" they hold both hands up extending the index fingers and thumbs to see which hand makes the "L", and that is how they remember. Baffled as I was to see that; this is coming from experts in the medical field.

So I came to realize, some people get it, and others will never catch on but refuse to quit trying... Oh well, win some lose some...

 

[CATransplant]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

this is a great little snippet of info... roller or bunk trailer?

Rollers and bunks. The bunks are just for the rear third of my little aluminum boat. The shallow retrieve, though, works for just about any lighter boat that goes on a trailer with keel rollers. The rear roller, which should be either a grooved one or one with shoulders, gets the boat started centered. The winch, which always pulls from the center line pulls the boat on the trailer, with the rear keel roller keepin the back side centered.

If the bunks are set up to just support the rear third of the boat, but not to carry most of the weight, the boat will come up on the trailer straight and true.

Again, this works only for lighter boats that can be winched relatively easily. For my little tinny, I pull it halfway onto the trailer with the bow rope, with the rope over the winch reel. That doesn't work with heavier boats.

The other factor is that you have to be willing to wade a little. I wear shorts and beach slippers.

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: Ummm... I'm starting to get a little nervous here...

Re: Ummm... I'm starting to get a little nervous here...

This thread is making me a little nervous. As a new boat owner (I haven't even put the thing in the water as its owner yet), I could very well find myself in the role of one of the people described. I would also prefer not to have my launch/retrieve prowess rated (at least for a while). I am more than willing to practice my backing up in a lonely parking lot (in fact, that's a bloody good idea) and practice my launch and retrieve during what the cell companies used to call off-peak hours. I am also more than willing to take the boater safety course -- in fact, I will over the winter.

What I'm most concerned about is the following, at least until I see how things shake out. The lake I intend to put my boat in for fishing has 2 ramps at the public launch. I believe they can only handle a boat each at a time, and there is a dock between them. I have avidly read many postings about launch and retrieval, and they don't really seem to cover this situation. I'm going to have a really rough time launching alone in this scenario. If I dock my boat at the end of the dock, I could technically block BOTH ramps while I go to retrieve the truck. Granted, I could go with someone else (and probably will for a while), but I'd also like to be able to do it alone.

Most of our Michigan boat ramps are set up just that way. In many cases, there is not a suitable beach on either side. Just leave the boat tied off on "your" side of the dock and park the trailer as quick as possible. In 20 some years of boating, I have seen very few people complain about my launching. Actually only one, and he might have had a point. I had a sial boat, and no place to run the sails up, so I had to do it on my side of the ramp. This boat would not have let me safely run them up on the water and he was a wee bit put out. Then he thought I should have let my date back the trailer in to recover the boat, until I enlightened him that she was not comfortable with driving a stick.

Most people here in Michigan are reasonably decent, if some times ignorant about the whole thing. The only time I have really seen someone else really screw up the launch site was when several guys were using the end of the dock to tie off thier jet ski. It drifted across behind me as I was backing in my trailer. Thier fault, but I should have asked them to move it. They were actually pretty decent, just a little ignorant. (As are all of us on occasion.)

Oh well...

Thanks,
TerryMSU

 

[fat fanny]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

My 2 cents worth is I have seen everything that has been said on this post and I do agree with most statements but you do have to admit that watching a newbie is funny @ times and painfull @ others I have seen a man with a nice friendly family trying to back his brand new 3/4 to Ford and trailer down the ramp to fast and hit the brakes suddenly which in turn activated his fuel pump shut off and being new to the truck and Ford world didn't realize why it would not restart so I helped him out after restarting and finally positioning his triaxle trailer his wife attemps to trailer this beautiful 30' Searay cuddy onto the trailer they both not knowing or noticing that one of the roller assemblies had flipped completly over and upright from the sudden stop earlier and she gunned it by the time I noticed it was too late by a long shot and it impailed the hull the hole was @least 2' in dia. I wanted to cry along with that poor mans wife but come to find out after helping him get it on the trailer with no more problems just some water he had inherited more money than he could spend. But the only thing that gets me @ the launch is the fools that take the tow vehicle and trailer parking spots instead of the spot assigned for singles. Remember "Get busy livin or get busy dyin"

I think CMC needs to find his center or something eighter that or he needs a hug!

 

[DixieBoatN]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

I grew-up boating, but never really put a boat in or out of the water much since my dad always did it. I recently purchased my first boat. Maybe I am special, but I never have any real issues. It is second nature to me. I also used to drive a tow truck and towed medium duty trucks in addition to all types and sizes of car/trucks, so the whole concept including backing something up with only side view mirrors is simple.

This guy, on the other hand, needs some help:
Launch Ramp Fun Part ONE
Launch Ramp Fun Part TWO

I do have a question for everyone, though. My neighborhood has a community boat ramp and dock. I was the only one out the other day and I pulled up and tied off to the ramp side of the dock basically making launching another boat tight, but doable. There was no one else around and no other vehicles in the lot. I step out of the boat and start walking up the hill to the truck. As I do this, someone pulls up and stops in such a way that they can look straight down the hill at the ramp and makes me backing my truck up tight, but doable. Most people would not have been able to back their vehicle up with the other person stopped where they were. By this time I am in the truck with the engine running and the tranny in reverse and reverse lights lit. I pause as I am not sure if the guy is going to try to launch anyway with my boat tied to the dock or not. Once he doesn't budge after a long pause (1-2 minutes), I start to back up and pinch the trailer around the corner between their truck and some pylons. I proceed to retrieve my boat and pull forward slightly to pull the plug and attach an extra strap to the bow. At most ramps I'd pull out of the way before doing this, but at this ramp there is no where to pull out of the way until you reach the top of a steep hill. I don't like to trust only the old, rusty hand winch when pulling up the hill.

My question is how do you handle a situation like that? I could say that I should have tied my boat up on the other side of the dock and then the guy could have launched before I retrieved, but I had no reason to think that I would be in the way on the side of the dock I tied to as they did not appear until after I was out of the boat and walking to the truck. My motor also has a stripped reverse gear which is on my list to repair, but it makes it harder to back out and around the dock when tied up on the side opposite the ramp. Since I was already tied-up on that side when they arrived, am I in the wrong for blocking the ramp with my boat or are they in the wrong for blocking the ramp with their truck? They could have launched before I retrieved, but it would be slightly tight. I actually got frustrated since they pulled up and made it almost impossible to back down the ramp when it was blatantly obvious that I was in the process of retrieving. Maybe I am wrong? I can say that the guy is a general jack-***** anyway and routinely blocks traffic on a major through road while he takes his sweet time backing his truck and landscape trailer into his driveway. When people get tired of waiting on his slow antics, they go around him on the shoulder and he jumps out giving the single finger salute and yelling. So, maybe I am just jaded about this guy.

Your thoughts?

 

[slasmith1]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

he jumps out giving the single finger salute and yelling. Your thoughts?

Where I come from that is called 20% of a wave.

 

[ToonArmy]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

Blah, blah, blah, blah..........

 

[thepotroast]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

Blah, blah, blah, blah..........

 

[vintage boat junky]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

This guy, on the other hand, needs some help:
Launch Ramp Fun Part ONE
Launch Ramp Fun Part TWO


Your thoughts?

Thanks alot there Dixie; I just wasted an hour after clicking those links! Hilarious! I have pictures but no video (yet) of a genius who decided to block the single lane ramp with his truck (no trailer). I was rather curious as to what was going on, and I was still staging when one of their party comes up to me stating that they'll only be a minute as they were having problems. I said that was fine, as I still had my stuff to do and was in no hurry.

So after finishing my stuff I pull off to the side and park. (It was a single lane access that you have to drive straight in and whip a U-ey with your trailer to back it in - parking was only off on the left side at an angle).

I walk up to see this truck pulled straight up to the water with his hood open. What the devil could he be doing with his hood open over open water you ask???


Jumpstarting his boat!


He had his boat flipped around so the motor was against the ramp, backed up to the hood of his truck. What part of "be prepared" does..... Ahh forget it! I was in good spirits, and in no hurry, so I sat back and laughed as I took pictures. People sometimes don't believe me until I show them the pictures.

I haven't figured out how to post them yet though....

As far as the guy who decides to block your path - you did the right thing. Common sense is as rare as solid gold at an access, if he had any consideration or sense he would have waited for you before backing down. Most people I see, even if impatient, still wait and give room.

 

[DixieBoatN]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

Here are some from Bill Dance:

"What's wrong with this boat? I can't even maneuver it."
"I wasn't in the boat!"
"STOP! STOP!"
"The key to success is being prepared."
"Come here!"

The last 2 are not boat ramp specific, but still hilarious! Enjoy!

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

That's nothing, I have watched a couple of mid-20's guys walk out to an old POS stand-up style jet ski with a car battery and jumper cables thigh-deep in the water, lol. They did this several times in order to start the jet ski each time. Sometimes I think it would be better if they just went ahead and earned the Darwin award.

 

[DixieBoatN]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

That's nothing, I have watched a couple of mid-20's guys walk out to an old POS stand-up style jet ski with a car battery and jumper cables thigh-deep in the water, lol. They did this several times in order to start the jet ski each time. Sometimes I think it would be better if they just went ahead and earned the Darwin award.

I think maybe it is rude to jump start a boat at the boat ramp by using a truck that blocks access to the ramp, but given the voltage and amperage of a typical marine battery combined with the quantity of water involved, I am not sure that it is dangerous from an electrocution stand point. Now, do the same with a typical 110 volt house outlet and enough amps on the circuit and you might do yourself some harm, but it usually takes many more amps than even provided by the typical house circuit to really do yourself real harm.

It is the amps that hurt you, not the volts. That is why people can survive some lightning strikes. Typically lightning is extremely high voltage and very low amperage. Sometimes that is not true, but most times it is. A 12 volt marine battery produces plenty of amperage but when you add the quantity of water involved, that amperage would not all be sent directly through your body.

It is still a little dumb though. Also, if there are any electrical engineers or electricians on here, correct me if I am wrong. I had a buddy that was an electrician and he would routinely repair aerials (the main lines coming into a house) in the rain or snow. He even got jolted one time and acted like it was nothing. It was stupid, imo, but he had to pay the bills.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

I wasn't thinking more on the lines of fatal electricution, just the skock you'd get from grabbing onto the jumper cables while wet, lol. It would take serious voltage and amperage to kill you in a body of water that big. Freshwater at that.

 

[The_Kid]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

They always seem to start wrong, like not lining up at the top of the ramp, wheels straight forward. Once you have that set up, put a hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and whichever way you want the boat to go, move your hand that direction.

I wish I had the luxury of being able to have my truck and trailer in a nice straight line when I use the community ramp. Here's a ruff, but fairly accurate drawing of what I have to deal with. When you consider the truck is 19' and the trailer is about 22' it makes it interesting. It's even more fun with an empty trailer. Once the trailer is on the ramp and in line with the truck you can't see it with any of the mirrors until the truck is on the ramp.

 

[vintage boat junky]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

Hmm, I'd say interesting for the inexperienced. I'll bet that access spawns alot of good stories.

 

[tahoeinarlington]

Re: We need a dang boat launch ettiquite lesson...

Anyone have a comprehensive checklist/rules for the ramp? Might be nice to keep a couple of copies in the truck to give to the folks that are commiting the offenses....could be plain ignorance