What a launch

[HANGEYE]

Returning to the ramp after a day if fishing, what I saw was amazing. This guy is alone and attempting to launch his boat, a 21ft Thompson cuddy. As he is backing down the ramp his port side trailor tire is progressing down the ramp under his watchful eye. HOWEVER, the starboard tire is heading down the dock. Aparently the guy is blind because the further back he goes, the more the boat is listing to port. As if on purpose, he keeps backing until the boat and trailor (still secured together with tie downs) are now capsized at a near 90 with one tire still on the dock. Must have caused a good bit of damage to the hitch because when he tried to pull the rig out of the water, the hitch ripped off the trailor leaving the rig on is't side 3/4 of the way down the ramp. The guy calls a tow truck from a local auot shop. The tow truck driver hooks his cable to the rig, takes up the slack, and with just a nudge flips the boat completly over upside down. Work was calling and I had fish to clean. Went back the next day and the boat was gone but there were a lot of scratch marks on the ramp. I guess you can't fix stupid.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: What a launch

Some folk just have to learn the hard way it seems !!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: What a launch

this story shows the differences among mistakes, accidents and stupidity.
Anyone can make a mistake and have a tire start rolling along the pier. BTDT--for less than a foot.
Even a careful person can have an accident, of rolling one tire down the pier until the boat gets crooked.
But stupidity is going so far that the boat flips!

I'd love to see pictures of that one. That's a big boat to be laying there sideways on the ramp!

 

[BaileysBoat]

Re: What a launch

I feel for the guy.

Have to wonder about the expertise of the tow truck operator. Seems to me the situation was made worse by incorrect recovery technique?

 

[H20Rat]

Re: What a launch

just curious, you didn't yell/stop him? At my local ramp that isn't much of an option, the center dock is secured with two steel posts in the cement. There is an amazing amount of paint/gel coat on those posts though!

 

[j_martin]

Re: What a launch

I feel for the guy.

Have to wonder about the expertise of the tow truck operator. Seems to me the situation was made worse by incorrect recovery technique?

I've driven a tow truck quite a bit. I am both amazed and amused at the stupidity demonstrated by some tow truck drivers. They seem to have zero knowledge of either force or geometry.

I've seen some amazing recoveries done by psyching out the forces involved and setting up the hookup and pull to use them to advantage. I've also seen some remarkably undamaged cars in tight places totally destroyed by an idiot that doesn't know what he's doing.

Which corner of a leaning car you hook up to, for instance, depends on if you're going to drag it or pick it. If you're dragging it, you hook on the higher side. If you're going to pick (lift) it, you generally hook onto the lower side. Most youngsters will be told once to hook up one way, and never bother to understand why, then hook up the next one wrong.

 

[madurodave]

Re: What a launch

if you watched the whole thing go down, why not yell at the poor bastard? lol

 

[chenta]

Re: What a launch

As we arrived at the grocery store my son realized that after putting baby in her car seat, he didn't get his wallet of off the top of the car. He was wearing shorts, no pockets. We found it several blocks, 20 minutes later, with tire marks on it. Did YOU drive over it? If I see something WRONG I let someone know. Guess I'm funny that way.

 

[rjlipscomb]

Re: What a launch

Somewhere, here on iboats, is a very embarrassed boater who was simply trying to get away from the stresses of work. That's why we took up boating. Sorry poor boating friend.

 

[HANGEYE]

Re: What a launch

I yelled alright. From 150 yards or so from the dock with an off shore wind of about 20mph there was little I could do. By the time I reached the dock the tow vehicle was at the top of the ramp with the hitch still on the ball. At this point, all I could do is watch, load my rig and wonder why. I wanted to talk to the guy but with his level of anger I didn't want to get too close. I did wait untill the tow truck arrived. The tow truck driver was in his mid 20s and I heard him tell the boat owner, "I pulled a lot of stuff out of a lot of places, but this is my first boat." I wonder what kind of Insurance settlement will come out of this?

 

[HANGEYE]

Re: What a launch

Let me try this again

 

[rjlipscomb]

Re: What a launch

As we arrived at the grocery store my son realized that after putting baby in her car seat, he didn't get his wallet of off the top of the car. He was wearing shorts, no pockets. We found it several blocks, 20 minutes later, with tire marks on it. Did YOU drive over it? If I see something WRONG I let someone know. Guess I'm funny that way.

Had I seen the wallet, you surely wouldn't see the tire marks... LOL

 

[HANGEYE]

Re: What a launch

As we arrived at the grocery store my son realized that after putting baby in her car seat, he didn't get his wallet of off the top of the car. He was wearing shorts, no pockets. We found it several blocks, 20 minutes later, with tire marks on it. Did YOU drive over it? If I see something WRONG I let someone know. Guess I'm funny that way.

NO, I did not drive over your wallet. I have no idea where you live. Trust me, If I see anything that could harm health or property I WILL DO MY DAMNDEST TO STOP IT. Please don't be so quick to judge someone untill you have ALL THE FACTS. That is the what I taught my children and it is a good leason to learn IMHO. Guess I'm funny that way