I dont want to be discourteous , but...

[snowforfun4]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

'Specially if'n it's a left turn light. Personally I think people should think of that light as the "christmas tree" at the drag strip. When that effer turns green they oughta lay rubber ...

Well put! My wife tells me at least once EVERY time she rides with me "you can't push them out of the way" when getting thru the intersection. My usual reply, "watch me"....

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Yep on the hose at home. Dont want any problems with motor not starting

 

[biglurr54]

Re: I dont want to be discourteous, but...

Re: I dont want to be discourteous, but...

I don't see what the problem is. If there are multiple ramps open with no one using them then there is no line. If there was a line there would be people using the ramp. The idea behind boat ramp etiquette is to get as many people in and out of the water as possible. Most efficient way of doing that is no waiting 10 minutes while the ramps aren't being used for someone to load and prep the boat. All the ramps i have been to that have attendants won't let you in line for the ramp until your loaded and the boat is ready to go. Now if there is one ramp open or only one ramp it can get complicated and then you would be better off asking. My local ramp is a one lane dirt ramp. its extremely tricky to back down. I always ask to jump in front of people who look like they are going to have trouble. Never had anyone say no and make me wait. When I walk back down to my boat i always help them get theirs in the water as a thank you for letting me go. It doesn't save me any time but at least I'm not sitting in my truck fuming at the guy who cant launch his boat.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: I dont want to be discourteous, but...

Re: I dont want to be discourteous, but...

All I can say is I've been blessed. Almost every ramp I use has little action at it and the one at the end of my road is only used by myself and a couple other cheapskates that don't mind gravel ramps. I try to avoid crowdes at all cost.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

I do that. It would suck to get all the way to the ramp and discover there's something wrong with the engine(s).

Same here... Always start mine and let it run for a little bit before splashing. Its usually part of my pre-splash checklist at the ramp, open the hatch, look/smell, then start it.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

I always see some brilliant boaters starting their I/Os or outboards right before they launch without water. Probably the same ones that are getting towed in at some point because they are overheating and can't figure out why.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Bruceb58, see this is why I enjoy my little boat and my primative gravel ramp. No one ever there and I can stop and feed the ducks for an hour if I so desire and no one to hound me about Hurry Up!

 

[BRICH1260]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

I do not consider it dis-courteous for someone to pass me if I am still prepping and they are ready to launch. To me the launch line starts with splash ready boats only, the prepers do not count. You never know how long they will be preping, 2 minutes or 2 hours.

 

[spdracr39]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

You should not be in the launch "line" unless you are ready to launch. If that's the only place to get ready then you are physically but not technically in line and you are not really passing them because they are not ready to launch. I'm sure everyone here is the same but I can get the boat ready and float it faster than most people can back down the ramp and I NEVER prep in the launch lane even if I think there is time before it's my turn.

 

[delbellboy]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

You should not be in the launch "line" unless you are ready to launch. If that's the only place to get ready then you are physically but not technically in line and you are not really passing them because they are not ready to launch. I'm sure everyone here is the same but I can get the boat ready and float it faster than most people can back down the ramp and I NEVER prep in the launch lane even if I think there is time before it's my turn.

I prep at my house, drive 30 minutes to the ramp. The prep line is 1500 feet from the ramp depending on water level. You can't even see the ramp activity. It works out well. If the vehicle(s) in front of me at the prep line do not have someone sitting in the drivers seat, I will pass them up and move to the launch line. I can launch my 26 foot boat very quickly because we are prepared before we leave home. This is with my wife and 4 kids. We all have a responsibility. Engine starts, boat is moved to the end of the dock and biminis go up while the trailer is being parked. If boating alone, its launch, move to end of dock and park trailer. less than 5 minutes. 4 ramps for launching and retreiving is plenty if used properly. It is congested when Bass Masters is in town. It speeds it up becuse they will drive you to and from the parking area.

Unless it is posted, anyone can see the rules the way they think they should be. I try to be courteous and use common sense as the first 2 rules.

 

[sccatfish]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

I guess I'm lucky to not have to launch at any ramp that is very busy.

I also don't understand people who need to unload stuff from their vehicle into their boat. Everything stays in my boat. If I may blow out, it stays in a storage compartment. If I'm worried about it getting wet or messed up it's not going in the boat anyway. I can see having a bag or two of things, but not multiple trips between the vehicle and boat worth.

If I'm ready to launch before you are, you better believe I'm launching, and I'm not saying anything to you about it. If you're not ready to launch you've not no reason to be upset. If someone can come behind me and is ready to launch before me, they can go ahead, but there's little chance of that happening.

If you're loading, then you definitely don't need to wait for those prepping to launch, but if there is someone ready to launch then you should wait for them.

What irritates me is the people who stop on the one lane approach road to get ready to launch, those who stop on the ramp to get ready to launch and to strap down after loading, those who don't know how to back a trailer, and those that have 2 or more capable adults in the group, but yet only one seems to be able to participate in the process while the other(s) are standing around oblivious to the fact others are trying to use the ramp they are standing in.

As far as the starting before launching comments, if it's been more than a couple of weeks since I used the boat, I will start it up, usually the night before, on the muffs before going, and I always charge the batteries before going. I've seen some guys start at the ramp before. While I get that they may want to make sure it will start, I would imagine they would only want to just start it and turn it right back off. Even that is not good for the water pump, but I've seen guys start their motor dry, and actually rev it up for a while.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Same here... Always start mine and let it run for a little bit before splashing. Its usually part of my pre-splash checklist at the ramp, open the hatch, look/smell, then start it.

Consider me part of the pre-launch starting crew as well. It's a minimum 40-minute drive to any lake I boat on, so I like to fire her up on the muffs at home to at least rule out most mechanical failures. If something electrical happens while on the trailer from home to ramp, that's not something I likely could have caught. I've never had the boat start at home, then not start at the ramp using this method so I might as well continue. Something about Murphy's Law . . .

 

[catfish58]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

My situation is different. I back down the ramp before I prep to launch because usually there is no more than 2 or 3 boaters at the ramp. There is room for 8 to 10 boats on the ramp at the same time. It takes 4 to 5 minutes to prep,launch,tie up to the dock and park the truck and trailer. If the ramp was crowded of course I would prep before backing down the ramp. When I load back on the trailer I pull to the prep area to put on straps etc.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

One of the ramps I use is also like that but I still prep in the parking area.

 

[phillyg]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

I'd jump in front of people doing their prep if I was that ready to go. Don't see anything discourteous about that, but I'd probably let everyone in the prep line what I was doing.

 

[m casey stock]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

To me the "line" starts at the ramp, not in the staging area.

Yep

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Here, we have multiple lanes approaching the Ramp those not ready to launch prep in the far right lane and those ready to launch pull to the left, it is not a slight to pass the prep lane and I feel no insult being passed while I am in the prep lane. I have been questioned for passing a person in the prep lane and I let my wife handle the uneducated woman....


She Handles the light work...

The way I see it is if I am not ready and others are whats the problem?

 

[blouderback]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

If there is a spot at the ramp open, and the boats in line are not actively moving toward it because they are still prepping, I will jump ahead if I'm ready. I will motion to the guys in front of me, "asking" if it's OK, and they usually wave me on. If they're prepping and there is no open slot at the ramp, I wait behind them.

 

[rivermouse]

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

Re: I dont want to be incortious, but...

here is where I sometimes launch . Several years ago some drunk red necks argued the point about who was disrespecting who and it was settled with gunfire leaving 2 people dead....anyone that wants to go in front of me is welcome .I will even help.