Boat Ramp Conundrum

[petjuli]

Hey all, new to the forum had a quick question about ramp etiquette. Getting out of the water today i'm torn if I did the right thing or pulled a **** move. Let me set the scenario. Wife with me but she's not comfortable with driving boat or backing trailer (yet ... she's still practicing). Pull boat up to ramp with intent to get a spot, tie off, run to get truck, back down blah blah. Ramp is a **** show. 5 spots all full with people getting out, probably 5-6 trucks waiting in staging lane. I tell wife I don't feel I should block an entire spot and then be 5 deep in the staging lane so we tie up boat on an outside (non ramp) pier edge. I'm also pretty sure that trailers have right of way so I assume i'll back down first then take the 2 minutes (and it took at most 2 minutes) to run by boat around the corner and load up. I go run to get the truck. All is good so far.

So now I'm first in staging lane, no one behind me all 5 ramp spots full. So the first spot that comes available a guy pulls his boat out but there is another boat behind them at the end of the ramp tied up. There's a lady in there but no truck to be seen, obviously the truck is on the way but it sure isn't there yet. Wait a minute, no spots open up, by this time 3-4 trucks now behind me. Still no other spots open up. Really didn't know what to do and I knew i could make it around that parked boat so I backed down their lane. Get trailer in water, run over to my boat, zip over, load up and i'm out. Of course after its all said and done my wife (who has a keen eye) ... said the lady in the boat exited the boat with her little kid thinking i was a madman and apparently the man who had his truck had a few hand motions for me.

So i'm torn. I think I did the right thing and then I rethink it and think i didn't. I know that tying up the boat and running to get truck is commonplace. I also know that with it busy that makes the entire ramp a mess. Obviously stay away from a busy ramp and get my wife up to speed are priorities but in this exact scenario should I have just held up the staging line longer for another spot to open or did I do the right thing? Thanks!

 

[blamtro]

I think you did it the correct way.

 

[ahicks]

So the question is, who has right of way? The line of trucks, or the line of boats? Not sure I'd get that one right every time myself, and I've been trailering a LONG time!

I'd say the line of trucks would be representative of who's been there longest and who is most prepared to go. I'd say you did good too.....

 

[Old Ironmaker]

You only did one thing wrong, boated on the weekend. Easy for a retired old guy to say. You really didn't do anything wrong. Theoretically you did cut the line but I know those waiting behind you thought you were their hero. How long is too long waiting for someone to show up with the trailer? Who knows the guy could have had mechanical problems with his truck and would be forever to show up.

We have a Marina out here that basically has Valet service for launching and retrieving, just fantastic, 2 minutes in 2 minutes out. They can move more boats in and out in an hour than the guy next door does in 3 or 4. There is always an employee that is the ramp Traffic Cop. Pay a kid 12 bucks an hour and make an extra 200 or more in launch fees. I don't know why they all don't do it.

 

[southkogs]

Welcome aboard:

Sounds like you did fine. Every ramp winds up with a set of unspoken rules ... so, you try and learn those as you boat there more often. Every ramps also comes equipped with a bouquet of hotheads who are going to get mad at nearly anything. Do your best not to set 'em off unnecessarily, but if you do ... well, they're pretty much makin' their own misery.

Most of the people at the ramps I go to are folks out having fun and enjoying the day. We get in each other's way here or there, but ya' laugh it off and share a cold drink back and forth. Do your best to be a good neighbor most of the time, and you're keeping up your end of the bargain.

 

[roffey]

I used to trailer my boat and as Old Ironmaker said boating on the weekend is nuts. I had a boater in a bass boat. who was fishing, yell at me for not pulling over when he pulled up behind me, lol. When I boat is for a relaxing day and tend to try and not get to excited.

 

[Mischief Managed]

You did it right, the tow vehicle order is key, not the position of the boats on the dock. One should never dock in such a way that they block a busy ramp unless their tow vehicle is at the head of the line.

 

[jkust]

It really doesn't matter what you did or how you did it even if you did it to the best of your ability in the most reasonable way possible. You won't please everybody at the ramp all the time.

 

[Watermann]

I never have any troubles like that with other boaters at the ramp, they all smile at me no matter what but then again my Sig 45 acp always on my side may have a little to do with it. :lol:

 

[Maclin]

Where I boat there is a pier that runs out alongside the ramp. Usually 2 piers at a ramp site, so 4 boats in/out can be accommodated when water is at normal level. There is no good spot to tie up on shore close when retrieving solo without taking a spot, the piers are it. I boat solo a lot and have to tie up one of the piers for a bit as I launch and tie up, then park and come back. No way for me when solo to honor any kind of "tow rig has right of way". Launching works ok usually, people can tell what I am doing and never seem to have a problem with that. Retrieving is a little more open to interpretation as I have to tie up at one of the piers and go get the truck, then load it up. When coming in to load I putter around if the piers are busy until I see one empty and no rig is aiming at it. I have never had an issue with that either, just have to go with the timing and wait sometimes. Sometimes boats come in needing to drop someone off but they seem to figure it out and stop at the end of the pier and drop off the tow rig driver, and they just go putting until their rig comes back.

 

[Maclin]

Woops, meant to comment first about your having done it exactly the right way Cadet

 

[Old Ironmaker]

roffey, with all your experience I am surprised that you don't know that those guys with 100 product stickers on his hull and patches on his Bass specific fishing shirt that don't even sponsor him has the right of way? Come on man get with the program.

 

[frantically relaxing]

No Title

you got in, you got out, good for you. You may have inconvenienced someone for a couple of minutes, not a big deal.

What IS a **** move IMO, the pics will explain--
first pic, we just got there. Note the shiny new white Escalade and Cobalt. Have no idea how long they'd been there, but notice people are fumbling about.
Camera time: 2:14 pm

Second pic, kind of a distant shot but 2 rigs have just pulled out with 2 more about to pull in.
The Cobalt is still sitting there.
Camera time: 2:28pm, 14 minutes now...

Third pic, Cobalt STILL there, and note the red truck/cuddy backing down to their left.
Camera time: 2:31pm

Fourth pic, it's 2:41 pm and the Cobalt is FINALLY pulling out, 27 minutes after my first pic, likely well past 1/2 hour actual.
Meanwhile, the red truck/cuddy are now 10 minutes in...

And guess what day it is? The Saturday of Memorial Weekend. In both cases the boat wouldn't start. Hey, get your broke boat off the ramp so other people can use it, you inconsiderate *&$#^&*^@!!

 

[redneck joe]

a **** move is when you do something like park your boat blocking others.....


Expediting ramp time is never a **** move, regardless of hand gestures.