Scary day at the ramp!

Well, I went to the river to test out my repairs to my little boat.

I met a fellow there who wanted to fish with his two young kids, maybe 3 and 5 years old. I spoke with him for a few minutes while I prepared the boat for launch. He and his kids moved to the left dock and I prepared to back down the right ramp.

Since my trailer is really short I needed to back down really slowly in order to not jackknife it. So, I was backing down slowly with my head out the door, watching the trailer. With the transom no more than 2 feet from the water I saw a red jacket emerge from behind the trailer and jump on the dock on my side. Obviously, the boat blocked my view of the other ramp and dock; I did not see her until it was almost too late.

Knowing kids are unpredictable, I stopped operations until the dad came over and got her. He said he was sorry, that she just ran out before he could stop her. I said no need to apologize, I'm just glad I was going real slow and didn't hit her.

Live and learn: Be ever vigilant when kids are around--even under parental supervision.

At least the rest of the day went well--engine started first turn of the key and the boat performed well.

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sad thing is that adults are often just as dumb and will walk behind a 30 foot boat and just stand there expecting it to stop... We get groups of 5-10 people set up with coolers and chairs fishing on the ramp here......I've come close to hitting them a few times when they decide to walk behind me .... Personally I think it should be illegal to do anything other than launch a boat on a boat ramp.

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Yes, the parents should be watching their kids . . . but who's watching the parents :noidea:

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if you used both mirriors you might have seen them

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WOW Frank I sure am happy no one got hurt, I will have to think about this since I usually back down the ramp at a pretty good clip, there is no chance I could have stopped that fast, I would have felt horrible.

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smokeonthewater said:

sad thing is that adults are often just as dumb and will walk behind a 30 foot boat and just stand there expecting it to stop... We get groups of 5-10 people set up with coolers and chairs fishing on the ramp here......I've come close to hitting them a few times when they decide to walk behind me .... Personally I think it should be illegal to do anything other than launch a boat on a boat ramp.

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exact same problem here... It IS illegal, and there are signs saying no fishing or swimming. Never fails, you often get a family parked on the ramp with chairs and coolers, or somebody dock fishing. Both act EXTREMELY annoyed that a boat dare interrupt their time at their favorite hangout.

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And you don't dare say anything to them for fear they'll vandalize your truck while ur out.

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cgd7777777 said:

if you used both mirriors you might have seen them

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Not all boat ramps are straight. On my ramp the drivers side mirror is useless because the boat does not come into view until the trailer is in the water. Just saying....know the situation before insulting someone who appeared to be very safety conscious.

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smokeonthewater said:

And you don't dare say anything to them for fear they'll vandalize your truck while ur out.

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Yep. Best to give them your boat, and take their place on the boat ramp.

Or chop them up and use them as chum. Oops, was I typing out loud?

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Reminds me of last summer. Lake Mead, NV. Coming in at the peak of the day (3-4pm), I drop my wife of at the dock so she can get the truck. I go and circle around the cove waiting for her. She gets the trailer in the water, so I start towards it with the boat. Just as I'm lining up, I see a kid swimming between my boat and the trailer (I'm moving pretty good). I stop the boat and look to my right, and see the parents sitting on the shore next to the ramp in lawn chairs just staring at me, while I'm screaming at them to come get their kid!! They just looked at me like I was stupid, not understanding a thing I had just said. Luckily, the kids sister swam out to get him. NO BRAINS.

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I put all my windows down now when I'm backing down the ramp. I've never hit a kid but have had plenty of adults walk in back of the trailer and start yelling for me to stop as I'm going down a steep ramp with a 14,000 lb load. I'm 42 feet in front of them with the boat blocking my view!

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The value of having a spotter can't be over estimated.


Do it for others and maybe someone will do it for you.

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I am amazed that on several occasions I have had an adult walk behind my boat as I was backing it down the ramp.

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roscoe said:

Or chop them up and use them as chum. Oops, was I typing out loud?

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I call that "post-natal birth control". Sounds like a good plan!

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I will tell you a better one, Last fall I had had my boat out to do some work and when I took it back the ramp was blocked by a crowd of around 50 people all on the right side of the ramp, a local church was having a baptism at the ramp, yea that's right. Its a 6 lane ramp and at least 100 foot wide and I launch on the far left side I thought id drop it in and just sit on the boat and wait till their done before I fired up the motor.No one was on the side I was going to use so I very slowly started backing down to have a group of about 4 woman glance up and then walk over behind my trailer on purpose. I have a pontoon so I was able to see under the deck and see them standing there, and the group didn't move until I was about 3 feet from them. And of course one of them got all indigent and just had to walk over to my window to give me a tong lashing. I smiles and asked her name and she told me and while she was going off on me I called the local DNR officer and reported her and the group lol while she was standing there watching, she never even noticed she was being reported, after the call I stepped out and got the boat off of the trailer all the while she was still going off on me, got it tied off to the dock and went and parked the boat and walked back and sat down. She walked back over and started in again just as the DNR officer pulled up, I motioned him over and pointed to her, and asked him to arrest her. She exploded and set in on him and he calmly pulled out his cuffs and slapped them on her. About this time the crowd noticed what was going on and started milling around and running their mouths so he called in for back up about the time the pastor walked up, The pastor very wisely turned and told the group to get in their cars and go back to the church and they did. That that left the DNR Officer, me the cuffed woman and the pastor standing there.

About that time the Officer starts walking the woman toward his car with the pastor in tow. I was very sure the last thing he wanted to do was arrest her and fill out paper work so he let the pastor talk him out of it. But that was the last time that bunch was at the launch ramp.

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Glad you avoided a tragedy. Even if you were totally without fault, something like that (running over a kid) changes your life forever. Good reminder to be extra careful when little ones are around... thanks.

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Del Corbin said:

The value of having a spotter can't be over estimated...

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+4 on that!

I am fortunate that the Admiral is active in the launching process.
18ft. Bowrider with a Grand Cherokee towing it.

I always back up with the rear seats down, looking out the open hatch.
We use cheap FRS Radios as she spots the trailer from the bottom of the ramp.
The parking lot is counter sloped to the ramp so it is impossible to even see the ramp until the Jeep crests the hill.
I can't even see the horizon on the lake.
If i don't hear at least a "Your Good" every 5 to 10 seconds I stop!

Except for the spotter, I am backing blind until I am fully on the ramp.
I am glad I don't have to try it solo!

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my ramp is well designed it is just really close to a park and kids like to swim there cuz of the dock
before i back up and if its not busy i mention to the kids the sign that says no swimming.
i also show them the prop and explain the dangers i also tell them i cant see behind the boat while i am backing up.
ie if you cant see my mirrors then i cant see you.
i say all this politely until i get attitude.
i have had parents tell me to mind my own business and have been told that it is a public place
i tell them its parents like you the reason the world is going to hell in a handbasket or that they are the reason selective breeding should be in place (i only make comments when retrieving the boat)
the admiral gets mad when i get mad or frustrated
but its stressful enough backing the boat to a ramp without having to worry about kids getting squished or turned into bait

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smokeonthewater said:

Personally I think it should be illegal to do anything other than launch a boat on a boat ramp.

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Out here .... it is illegal but noe enforced