Vehicles in water

CNT

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 26, 2019
Messages
157

Once in while I watch those videos, among other things. Anyway, apparently those videos are for real? If so, I couldn't help but wonder how people can be that dumb (meaning "didn't and couldn't know") or just plain stupid (meaning "knowing, but do it anyways"). What I am referring to is how can people be around or so close to vehicles being tow out of water like that? Those pulley cable could snap (people not realize how much water actually weight inside filled vehicle cockpit). In some of the videos, people were standing in between open doors (to let water drain) while being tow? What about walking around on wet ramp with bare feet? Lastly, but not least, people holding rolling trucks or whatever to "prevent" from further damage!?

After watching this video, makes me think I should get a 2500 truck (3/4 ton), that I could use for towing boats and snow plowing..
 

Grub54891

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
5,908
Not setting the parking brake, a slimy ramp, just not paying attention are some of these things happen. I don't care if you have a Sherman tank, if it starts sliding down you are not going to stop it!
 
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Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,307
4 wheel drive is very important in some ramps, especially slimy ones.

I will NEVER put a larger boat in the water again without a 4x4 bases solely on experience and having to dig the seat upholster out after a pucker-factor incident or two.
 

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
Staff member
Joined
May 19, 2001
Messages
26,019
I tend to "walk" the ramp before I back on to it just to check to make sure it had enough slime!!

I have actually considered a pair of wheel chocks (with teeth) to try to prevent the slide.

Then again there are just dumb people who just back it all the way in!!!
 

Tassie 1

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 13, 2018
Messages
581
As there was at least one " local " ( Oz ) entrant there have a search for a Australian fishing show's contribution to the " Oopsie" files

Hook, Line and Sinker is the show...
dropped their boat on a Queensland concrete ramp...while filming...after undoing the safety chain a tad too early, thus requiring the services of a rather large crane to lift said boat back onto the trailer,

Also had one of the hosts on board at the time, who may or may not have needed a change of underwear afterwards,

l believe while waiting for the crane they recieved a lot of 'advice' from the hundreds of onlookers who arrived to see this event,

Not something the hosts will be allowed to forget anytime soon...specially as they are boat safety ambassadors in their home state of Tasmania,

We know the driver,
 

sublauxation

Lieutenant
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
1,317
As to people so close to the cables, yeah, blows me away. A bunch of years ago I watched a tractor and 2 pickups pulled up out of 20+ feet of water. The tow truck was about 150 feet away and people all around it the entire time. That's an awful lot of cable with an awful lot of tension. Me, I stayed on the side opposite the tow truck!

Also worked for a towing company for a year and those guys would stand right next to the cable as they're pulling a fully loaded tractor and trailer from the ditch. Again, not me! Those cables would make some god awful sounds through the process. I was with a friend when a tow hook broke off a Toyota and that cable jumped a long ways.
 
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