Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

[I Fish]

Re: One THOUGHT, One QUESTION, One EXPERIENCE, And Another QUESTION!

Re: One THOUGHT, One QUESTION, One EXPERIENCE, And Another QUESTION!

You wouldn't happen to be talking about ceaser's creek would you? Everysingle one of these stories has happened infront of me at that lake, hence i don't go out there on the weekends anymore....... Btw, my fiance is from lebanon, have quite a few friends there.

Ceasar's Creek is bad, but, IMO, C.J. Brown is worse!

 

[greenz]

Re: One THOUGHT, One QUESTION, One EXPERIENCE, And Another QUESTION!

Re: One THOUGHT, One QUESTION, One EXPERIENCE, And Another QUESTION!

ah only time i've been to cj brown was on a windy rainy day with the old man about 10 years ago, didn't see many other boats at all. I don't think it matters around this part of ohio, common sense isn't in this gene pool for the most part. I've seen trucks underwater, i've seen guys back their big fancy wake board boats off the trailer and rip their bunks off the trailer somehow, none of them know right of ways, i've seen boats make sharp turns behind other boats and run across tubing/ skiing lines, boats doing 30+ mph in marked no wake zones with a dozen other boaters waving at them to slow down. I could go on and on, lol. But i rather just stay off the lake on the weekends, safer and less grey hairs!

 

[coopcafemgr]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

I work part time at the boat ramp checking boats for bad weeds and I could keep you guys reading for a week with all the stuff I have seen. Like the time the guy launched his ponton and and tied it to the dock went to park and when he came back the pontoon was 50 feet out and still going in a strong wind. The other end was just laying on the deck. But the best was the man who came with his wife and was preping his boat in the ramp. He was on the starbord and his wife was on the port. She was rolling up the tie down straps and he was inspection the equipment. He noticed her not doing the roll-up like he would and ran around the boat and proceded to call her all kind of names for being so stupid. There were about 5 others boaters waiting. He was so mad that he backed the boat in and they got in the boat and he tried to start the motor and she ask, "Honey are my feet suppose to be getting wet. In his fury at her he didnt put the plug in. We all had a good laugh.

 

[lonnie t]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

my boss rang me one day while he and his family was away on holidays , he asked me to go around his place pick up his boat and take it out for a spin ,i think was a 13ft tinny im pretty sure with a 25hp .

apparently his brother-inlaw (who is a mechanic ) told him that had been around couple hrs b4 hand and fixed the motor all ready to go.
so i picked up my ex-brother inlaw and picked up the boat up not even checking to see if it was running ,just going on presumption and me and the inlaw both newbies really.

we got to a ramp ,one that wasn't really use that much it was an old boat yard, i didnt really wanna slow people up ,
we got the boat in the water surpassingly quick.
i jumped in trying to start pulling and pulling first i notice the throttle was all jammed up but kept trying to start this bloody thing was ganna let get the better of me ,almost an hour later the boat was facing the ramp and the inlaw was holding the bow ,then it fired up on full throttle i fell back on the steering arm ,inlaw couldn't hold it and it was off im tryin to twist this throttle down and cr@ppin my pants i couldn't see past the bow it was up to high i looked back at the inlaw and was pointing and saying something then bang up the *** of a house boat (lucky it didn't seem to have anyone on board ) it slid across the chain and on it went dodge the marker by this time iv got the revs down took it back to the ramp back on the trailer and shaking the **** outer my pants lol

all this time there were couple older gents sitting in a tinny about 500m away just pissing themselves laughing not that i could blame them .

 

[lncoop]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

Wait, you can't leave it like that! We need closure. What was wrong with the motor? What about the house boat? What about the ex-BIL? What about the boss? I feel so incomplete.

 

[lonnie t]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

sorry matie im not the best story writer lol, someone had jammed a stick up throttle which was on full throttle so it was flooded thats what made it so dam hard ,we were thinkin kids may have done it (little buggers)
the house boat was anchored about 100m out ,there was no damage that i could see and thought if there was anyone there they would have been pretty cheery about it.
the brother ex inlaw wasnt much help he was in hestrics over the whole thing the fracker ,the first thing he done was ring the boss (he did some work for him aswell) when he finished laughing he was straight onto his inlaw havin one of theos family chat.
got home ditch the boat grabed a rum and havent been that boat again

 

[lncoop]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

:facepalm:

 

[biglurr54]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

My favorite boat launch story was at the 1000 islands. We were camping at a local camp ground and boating on the st Lawrence. Friday night we were walking down to the docks to get something out of our boat and notice the boat launch had come alive. It was pirate?s weekend there. Got the lawn chairs and sat the launch all night long. Best entertainment ever. Boats were on the pavement, swamped in the launch, strapped to trailers, drifting out with no one in them, blowing motors, scratching gel coats, all kinds of crazy. Everything from 30 foot cigarette boats to small run abouts. It must have been a full moon that evening or something. I have never seen anything like it. Boat launches can be a stressful place to be but it can also be stress relieving if you?re on the other end of things.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

My favorite boat launch story was at the 1000 islands. We were camping at a local camp ground and boating on the st Lawrence. Friday night we were walking down to the docks to get something out of our boat and notice the boat launch had come alive. It was pirate?s weekend there. Got the lawn chairs and sat the launch all night long. Best entertainment ever. Boats were on the pavement, swamped in the launch, strapped to trailers, drifting out with no one in them, blowing motors, scratching gel coats, all kinds of crazy. Everything from 30 foot cigarette boats to small run abouts. It must have been a full moon that evening or something. I have never seen anything like it. Boat launches can be a stressful place to be but it can also be stress relieving if you?re on the other end of things.

Holy crap! Never seen anything like that before. What was the deal? Someone handing out free crack for every launched boat?

 

[fshfool]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

I've learned to stay away on weekends, no patience.

 

[CharlieB]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

I always hate to see a new boat in line ahead of me, and the people just push it off the trailer without starting it, then, park the trailer, jump in the boat, push off, THEN try starting. The funniest instance I've seen of this was at a Lake Erie campground. A guy does just this, with his wife and 3 kids, which the oldest looked to be about 6yrs old, already in the boat. The boat looks to be about a 20' brand new Four Winns bowrider. We watch from our camp as he pushes off, the wind is blowing to the south and carries him southwest about 200 yds offshore past the breakwall into 2 footers, and he hasn't got her started. As he nears the shore in the back of the bay, he has his wife jump over the side to keep the boat from hitting the rocks. She is trying to stand in 4 feet of water, attempting to hold the bow into the waves with no rope. This guy is cussing and yelling serious profanities at her and the kids, who are now all crying. Whenever another boater would get near to offer help, he would scream he didn't need any effin' help, all the while, crankin and crankin. He yells something about that no good lying dealer that sold him the boat, jumps over the side, and comes ashore to use the payphone at the campgound. My Dad, looking through binoculars says he doesn't have the kill switch hooked up. Well, this guy proceeds to yell profanities at the dealer on the phone in the middle of the campground, until the Park Ranger comes and asks him to calm down. While this is going on, the kids are alone on the boat, crying and screaming, with mom over the side, scared and crying, getting picked up and washed closer and closer to shore with each wave. The kids are throwing a fit, screaming and crying and, for some reason, throwing things off the back of the boat into the water, ie: rods and reels, tackle, etc. She finally lets someone help, and they tie off to the bow, and idle their boat, holding them in position. The guy gets done on the phone, and as he walks by, my Dad suggests he should check his kill switch. He replies that's what the stupid dealer says too. Well, the guy wades back out, cuts his own rope holding him to the Good Samaritans boat, yells at him that he didn't ask for any help, and sends the wife back over the side to hold the boat! Then, he climbs aboard, fumbles around with the kill switch, and, viola!, she fires right up! The wife climbs aboard, and they are off! Later that day, we went out fishing, and found three brand new rods and reels the kids had thrown over the side! We left that campground 4 days later, and their SUV and trailer were still in the parking lot. I have no idea whatever became of them, but that was a half hour I'll never forget!

"We left that campground 4 days later, and their SUV and trailer were still in the parking lot."

I would hate to think that they sunk and no one noticed.

The possible loss of the innocent passengers because of an incompetant operator.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

"We left that campground 4 days later, and their SUV and trailer were still in the parking lot."

I would hate to think that they sunk and no one noticed.

The possible loss of the innocent passengers because of an incompetant operator.

Nah. More likely they drove the boat back to the camper. We do that as well, but we do usually go back and get our SUV and bring it back to the campsite. There are a few that dont though. They get camp set up, then go park the tow rig and trailer at the ramp, and drive the boat back to their waterfront campsite.

 

[Nantucket Bay Scalloper]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

I've got one for ya... 21 foot Sea Ox, After about a half day fishing, the weather starts turning nasty on us. The wind is picking up to around 35 mph and changing direction. I'm comming into the boat ramp full throttle with the wind to my back.

I get to the ramp, dock and tie off. Only now do I realize that the wind is causing the waves to break right over my back transom and its filling my boat with icey water (its January in Massachussetts). now I'm pinned between the two docks at the boat ramp and have no way of reversing due to the strong winds, large waves and the fact that I would have to reverse about 30 yards into the waves. The only thing I can think to do is abandon ship and run as fast as I can to get the truck and trailer.

Before leaving the boat I tell my mate to make sure this boat doesn't go down, I said if you need to get into the water, turn it into the wind and hold it then do it. Luckely my father (63 years old) was there to help.

Now picture me running full speed down the street, dress in my bright orange oilers (what the deadliest catch fisherman wear) for about a 1/3 of a mile, then backing up a truck and trailer at unnerving speeds.

I get back to the boat, now leaning hard to starboard and the bow resting on the boat ramps bottom. Now, with my 63 year old father and mate standing waist deep in the cold winter atlantic ocean holding it as best they could.

I get the trailer in the water and bring the winch strap out about 25' and hook up the boat. Now, we push and pull the boat into a position that will allow me to winch it up onto the trailer and get it out of the water.

The whole thing took about an hour from the time I pulled up at the ramp. When it was all said and done, the enging took some sea water through the exhaust, and i had to have it service. I had broken off my transducer and cracked some of the fiber glass on the botton, Nothing a little 5200 wouldn't fix up till I can have it redone in the spring.

I learned a valuble lesson that day, don't risk pulling the boat during fowl weather, take it to a moring or to the dock. It could have been alot worse, thank god that my mate had the common sense to untie the boat and let it blow onto the boat ramp, rather then sink in 5 feet of water.

 

[I Fish]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

"We left that campground 4 days later, and their SUV and trailer were still in the parking lot."

I would hate to think that they sunk and no one noticed.

The possible loss of the innocent passengers because of an incompetant operator.

They would have been noticed missing by the Park Ranger.

I thought of several others from the same camp/ramp. One was about a 25' fiberglass cabin cruiser on a roller trailer. He had a 30' or so rope tied to a front cleat and the other end tied to the back of the trailer. He backs down into the water, taps the brakes and the boat doesn't budge. He pulls up and repeats the process 2 more times, backing down each time a little faster. Well, he pulls back to the top of the ramp and gets out for an inspection and figures out he still had the winch cable attached. So, in the mean time, another couple of trucks and boats have arrived and are launching. Just as the guy with the cruiser starts backing down, one of the other guys yells out to his buddy to stop, and you see where this went. A 25' glass cruiser setting on the concrete, a good 5' from the water. They ended up using a tractor with a front end loader to push the boat into the water. Why? I don't know. He tied it to a courtesy dock, and left it over night with a generator and 2 bilge pumps running. He finally trailered it the next morning.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

Nantucket, your close call is a good lesson in a way lots of small boats are swamped out on the salt marsh were I go.

On a windy day, a boater hits a shallow spot (the large bays are notorious for being mud flats) and pulls up the motor, blowing further across the shallow water until stuck. It's too windy to shove back out (if they have a shove pole) and the bottom too soft to walk. Even if you make it to deeper water, once you stop shoving, you blow right back. being shallow, the water is choppy, and the waves splash over the transom at the motor. The boat eventually swamps.

The boater could easily die from exposure--it happens in the winter, to duck hunters and naturalists. Due to the shallow water, people are seldom in boats over 18' and they are flat bottomed outboards. The ones that experience this in the summer survive so no telling how often it happens; it doesn't make the papers.

It happened to my father once when we were running several small boats out there. My cousin, in my dad's boat, was unable mentally and physically to help. I could only stand by in the deeper water and watch him struggle to get off the flat, but he made it. I go by that flat all the time and even after almost 40 years picture it clearly.

This is basically a wilderness area--few boaters, few patrols. Back in the day, there were no cell phones and few people had VHF on small boats. Although Coast Guard is around, it's a long run and they are constrained at low tide--and in the dark they won't find you.

Sounds like you saw what was happening and dealt with it. So many people think boats are like cars and ahve no idea how fast things can turn, and how a small event ends up with huge consequences.

 

[jor593]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

i have been a boat launch attendant during summers for the last three years. so needless to say i have quite a few of these fun stories so to say. i think my favorite however happened this year i had a guy with a 27ish foot formula backing down the ramp just doing a horible job of it. well he decides the best thing to do is hit the gas and hope it goes straight back. well he landed the back of the boat into the dock putting one of the wooden 4x4 posts right through the hull. needless to say he was not a happy camper when he figured out what happened.

 

[JSGOLD]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

Watching our local lake's launch ramp for several years I have seen everything from launching boats with no plugs, overloaded boats, drunks, wind calamities, one sinking at shore and even a baptism that kept everyone in limbo for almost and hour ( local church had 5 people baptized and they decided to use the ONLY ramp. LOL).
However we were new to boats ourselves last year and our first launch of our first boat was a mild disaster. We have a 16' Starcraft Supersport (76') and had NEVER launched one before, although we saw this done...How hard could it be? The first launch we broke the tolling motor's blade at the ramp, the 5.5 kicker stalled out after 100 yards, and we drifted into shore on top of a nice father and son combo who patiently waited for us to fire up our 55HP motor to get out of their way....(this is a 10hp max. lake). We limped around with the broken trolling motor a while and considered it a success as we did not SINK. :facepalm: Backing is was not a big deal, loading was a challenge..... But we have learned a lot since then. Still lots to learn though.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

Nantucket Bay Scalloper got me thinking of when I was a kid, maybe 13 or 14 or so...

We had a Hammond open bow my Grandmother bought for the family, we were at Roosevelt lake and I was with my aunts and uncles who were in there early twenties and it was time to retrieve and go home from the lake after a three day weekend, well a pretty serious storm had kicked up and as we approached the ramp it was pretty clear that things were going to be lets say difficult waves were running 3' and sometimes 4' which was tough in a 20' bowrider but the fact that these waves were running right into the ramp was the real difficult part, add to that a line was forming from all the others trying to get off the lake from a long weekend to head home. Well the "adults" come up with a plan my uncle, me, and a couple of friends all jump in leaving my aunt driving the boat, and swim to the ramp since it clearly looked like there was a pretty desperate need for manpower at the ramp. After the first two boats and the addition of a couple more hands we figured out a pretty good system, a truck would back down the ramp, as it hit the water I would jump on the tongue and man the winch(not smart I know), two guys grabbed the boat and pushed it towards four more guys between the six guys total they would get the boat aligned with the trailer, I would throw the winch cable to the driver on the bow who hooked the winch to the bow eye and I winched her on while 6 guys kept the boat properly aligned with the trailer, Once I had the safety chain hooked up I yelled "GO" and jumped clear and the boat was pulled out of the water as the guys kept her centered. After about five minutes of this we had it down to about 1 minute or less per boat and another crew doing the same thing right next to us. We even had someone we didn't know get our truck and trailer for our boat for us! We were at the boat ramp for over an hour and I think the beer donation pile must have had 5 or 6 cases in it after we were done. I remember from my view watching some of the biggest waves I had seen heading in and I would call the boat off and point towards the back to warn the boat driver and the guys in the water about the big set coming in.

Everyone patting me on the back and telling me how impressed they were with me was pretty powerful for me as a young teenager, I also remember that was the day I found out how a beer tastes much better when you have worked for it and people you respect are giving you so much praise.

 

[KingHardcor]

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

Great story, LippCJ7!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Funny Ramp Stories/ Boat Ramp Watching

Amen. Those are the sort of events that make young men grow up right--you don't get that sort of thing playing video games or even ball sports. There are many lessons learned when one gets in--and out--of jams with nature.