Inconsiderates at the ramp and maybe just stupid people--I guess a rant

[Toyelectroman]

We have learned that if we just wait 30 mins after dusk that the boat ramps are pretty much empty, where I boat it seems everybody has to have there boat off the water before it gets dark out which is fine with me

 

[redneck joe]

We have learned that if we just wait 30 mins after dusk that the boat ramps are pretty much empty, where I boat it seems everybody has to have there boat off the water before it gets dark out which is fine with me

yep or just before. In the am i try to hit about 9-10 am - that lets the bassers out and before too many idiots show up. The idiots do not seem to be morning people and show 11 am-2 pm

 

[Old Ironmaker]

A local Marina has a restaurant next to the ramp. We entertain ourselves watching duffuses launch and retrieve their boats on the weekends. I've seen it all, including fistfights between 2 women!

 

[gm280]

Old previously posted true story. But it does show how even seasoned boat owners can get themselves into ramp situations.

A close friend of mine back some decades ago now, was going fishing because the Crappie were spawning and everybody that had a boat was hitting the local waters to catch their limits. Well he was meticulous about his boat and keeping it well serviced and ready to go.

He used silicone spray on the bunks to enable him to launch and retrieve as quickly as possible at the ramps. Well one day as he waited his turn to one of the two ramps at a local lake, he prepped the boat to go. And as his turn came, he backed in and stopped just shy of the water to make sure everything was ready to go. But as he stopped shy of the water, his boat didn't. It slid off the trailer and onto the cement ramp not in even close to the water.

With a long line of other boaters waiting their turn to hit the waters, he was faced with winching the boat back on the trailer while the others were giving him the evil eye.

So even well seasoned boater can have upsets at the ramp. It could be you next time. Who knows? :noidea:

 

[redneck joe]

i've put a 25' Crusier on the ramp...

 

[aspeck]

After I retire, sitting at the boat ramp with a beach chair and a cooler is on my bucket list.

We have an older couple that EVERY and I mean EVERY time we go to the Snyder's Run Boat Launch they are sitting there at the picnic table with their dog, a book, snacks/supper, and comfy chairs. That is their every evening entertainment!

I try to help out and give friendly advise when it is welcomed. Last time at the ramp another guy and I were waiting in line for someone who was taking WAY to much time loading his boat. We got out of our vehicles to lend assistance to learn he was new to boating and his winch had jammed. We worked about 30 minute to free it up. Unfortunately where it jammed we were stuck ... could not get the boat on or off the trailer till we unjammed the winch. The newbie learned a valuable lesson on how to use the winch and what to do and not do at the launch ramp. The other guy and I went home feeling we helped and educated someone, and made a friend. When he tried to pay us, we told him to pay it by helping someone else out some day ... because that is what boaters do!

 

[flyingscott]

Why not say something to those people they may not know or realize that they even did that. That was the time to pass on your knowledge to maybe a person more inexperienced than you. Maybe they would have taken it maybe not but it is better than being pissed off all the way home and venting about it here. I don't like these posts because The OP decided to do nothing about it but complain here. Of course there are idiots at the ramp but not all of them will dismiss good advice when you give it to them. The people who did that are probably not even on this forum and will never know what they did. Speak up to people when that happens offer some advice to them they may appreciate it. But absolutely post here when you can prove they are inconsiderate morons.

 

[poconojoe]

This is why I decided to bite the bullet this season and just pay for a boat slip. My blood would boil almost every time I used any of the launches. Even the ones you paid for.
Here's my take on this...if you're going to get into boating, you should be responsible enough to research on how to operate it properly. Especially with the internet, there's plenty of information out there to prevent you from being "that idiot". I'm not even going to get into the "rules" on the water issues I run into. That's a whole other rant. Boating can be loads of fun when done properly, but also deadly if not trained properly.
Maybe the answer is licenses just like for you car or truck, IDK.

 

[fishrdan]

Agree with everyone's frustrations. My pet-peeve, people fishing from the marina's boat dock, when it's clearly marked "No Fishing". I'm not going to confront those people as I don't want my truck to look like the vandalized abandoned hotel by the marina... I did send the park service an Email about the problem, which seems to have worked.

he backed in and stopped just shy of the water to make sure everything was ready to go. But as he stopped shy of the water, his boat didn't. It slid off the trailer and onto the cement ramp not in even close to the water.

I "helped" my dad do that once, think I was 6 or 7... I had watched him launch the boat many times and on this one steep ramp, I decided to help him by unclipping the bow winch cable from the boat. He made it half way down the ramp - and the boat rolled off the trailer, much to the horror/delight of all his co-workers who happened to be at the work picnic. (Yes, my kids have paid me back too...) Love ya - Dad!

 

[TuffySG]

Once again gm280, been there, done that. First time with rollers vs bunks was a great show for everyone who happened to be sitting ramp side at the time. Again, opportunity to teach vs complain. Kind of a "cast the first stone"philosophy I hope to try to live by.

 

[poconojoe]

Once again gm280, been there, done that. First time with rollers vs bunks was a great show for everyone who happened to be sitting ramp side at the time. Again, opportunity to teach vs complain. Kind of a "cast the first stone"philosophy I hope to try to live by.

Thanks for that! If I ever switch to a trailer with rollers, I will remember your tip!

 

[Old Ironmaker]

the thing about stopping on the ramp is a noobie mistake but made out of fear , they have been told by everyone to strap boat down or it will fall off trailer they fear going another 20 ft and being embarrassed.
true story, i got this answer as a guy flagged me down to tell me my boat wasn't strapped and was going to fall off trailer, i was pulling into parking space lol not 20 feet from ramp but as we talked i realized this guy wasn't being a jerk he was scared to death for me.
So i went over some ramp rules of the road so to speak and even though he still thought i was a "risk taker" he fully understood

I only saw a boat slide off on the ramp once, and it wasn't pretty. A guy pulled up to my buddies little private marina here and unstrapped the boat etc. Brand new 16 foot tinny with a spanking new 4 stroke Yammy. He had replaced the carpeted bunks on his trailer with that new space age plastic stuff. As he backed up on the rather steep incline "after" taking the bow strap off you can guess what happened to his new boat and motor. Destroyed the drive on his Yamaha and nearly tore off the transom. I can't remember feeling so bad for a guy. So it can happen, I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it. After seeing that I now take the strap off when the stern is wet. Poor guy,

 

[jkust]

People really love when you point out what the are doing wrong especially these days when people are so open to other's opinions and suggestions no matter how you present it.

It was a common sight for randy's to be fishing off of the courtesy dock or swimming at the access or even one time when there were no more parking spaces left at a single ramp access, the guy just parked his boat and truck right on the ramp itself as though it was overflow parking. People didn't like that they couldn't get on or off the lake for an entire day.

 

[Watermann]

Guys BSing at the parking lot while their boat sits in the way tied up at the dock is my pet peave. Saw one get his just desert as a 20 something foot Maxxum launches with a goof that thinks it's like backing up a car. Maxxum goof smashes into tied up Skeeter careens off it and all the while the guy never even notices his bass boat just got smashed. (Skeeter had no fenders and dock was solid) :lol:

 

[poconojoe]

Not only is the ramp a problem, but parking too. Last year I couldn't find a spot to park my truck with empty trailer because many of the long designated trailer spots were taken by single cars. There was a nasty woman sitting in her car that refused to move from a trailer spot. There were plenty of single car spots she could have moved to but she was a selfish b*@#ch. I asked her politely and eventually lost my temper. It bothered me later that I lost it. That's why I rented a dock space this year. People suck!

 

[444]

Every other boater is your enemy when ramp time comes. The lakes I go to all only have single lane ramps which really slows things down if I get stuck behind the wrong person. A lot of people aren't good at backing trailers, aren't good at centering their boats on their trailer. Then you have the guys who don't back in far enough and insist on powerloading onto their trailer. And you have the guys who are not prepared, don't unstrap ahead of time, load their boat only once it's in the water, etc. I try to stay calm and wait it out.

Accidents happen too. Several years ago I rescued a guy and his wife on their 26' cabin cruiser out on the water who had a dead engine with a blown hose pouring water into the bilge. I towed them all the way from the other side of the lake and helped him load is up. Just as he got it winched up and put on his safety chain and started pulling up the ramp his winch strap snapped. Good thing he put on that safety chain because that boat moved fast down that roller trailer until the chain got tight. To top it off it was their first time in the water with that boat.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

People really love when you point out what the are doing wrong especially these days when people are so open to other's opinions and suggestions no matter how you present it.

the guy just parked his boat and truck right on the ramp itself as though it was overflow parking. People didn't like that they couldn't get on or off the lake for an entire day.

That's when someone calls a tow truck. I guess however if it's a public unmanned ramp that's when I drag it out of the way with my 4X4.

I am going to tell you about the best ramp that I have ever gone to. North Erie Marina in Port Bruce Ontario on Lake Erie. You or one of the guys working there if you are a newbie or having problems back the boat into the water, one of the young summer students is in the water and unhooks the boat and walks it over to the dock and ties it off. You take the truck to the parking lot followed by someone in a Golf Cart to bring you back to your boat. By the time you get back they have 1 or 2 more boats in parked behind you. They move more boats in and out in a 1/2 hour that most marinas do in 2 hours or more. 5 bucks for the ramp, 5 bucks!! They put so many in it can get tight taking them all out at once. So you call ahead and they will tell you when to come in for the quickest time.

 

[jkust]

That's when someone calls a tow truck. I guess however if it's a public unmanned ramp that's when I drag it out of the way with my 4X4.

I am going to tell you about the best ramp that I have ever gone to. North Erie Marina in Port Bruce Ontario on Lake Erie. You or one of the guys working there if you are a newbie or having problems back the boat into the water, one of the young summer students is in the water and unhooks the boat and walks it over to the dock and ties it off. You take the truck to the parking lot followed by someone in a Golf Cart to bring you back to your boat. By the time you get back they have 1 or 2 more boats in parked behind you. They move more boats in and out in a 1/2 hour that most marinas do in 2 hours or more. 5 bucks for the ramp, 5 bucks!! They put so many in it can get tight taking them all out at once. So you call ahead and they will tell you when to come in for the quickest time.

Ha ha, this is Minnesota so there were literally 30 mean notes under his windshield wipers. Worse yet was they guy was a sponsored fisherman with sponsor names all over his truck and his Ranger trailer.

 

[Tnstratofam]

The Admiral and I have a pretty good system for launching and retrieving our boat. Usually launch witout any fuss one of us in the boat ready to start it up and pull clear of the ramp once floating. The other takes the truck and trailer to park. Retrieval is me getting truck and trailer whike she holds the boat. Our trailer isn't a drive on, but we can crank our Starcraft up quickly other than choppy water causing the boat to get off center occasionally.

However 2 Sundays ago we skipped church and went to the lake. Had a great day on the water very relaxing and fun. However when we went to retrieve our boat we had a little trouble getting it centered on our trailer. Mostly due to being in to big of a hurry ( My fault ). I was trying to move the boat and trailer closer to the dock so the Admiral could pull the stern over just a bit more on the trailer from the dock with the line while I backed the trailer in enough to float the stern. I wasn't paying attention and blew the right front tire on my truck by hitting the steel guide for the floating dock :facepalm:.

The only other people were 2 kayakers who weren't in any way waiting on me to load. I don't know why I felt so rushed. Just ready to head back home I guess. Anyway I drove up to the parking area, changed the tire, went back to the ramp and got the boat centered on the trailer and secured and headed home. Crummy end to an otherwise great day on the water. The Admiral and I managed to keep our cool through it all even though we looked like total newbies.

We both agreed we shouldn't have skipped church.

 

[Brandon5778]

I have a roller trailer.. to the folks who have witnessed a boat slip off the trailer on the ramp, I'm only curious as to how you would fix that situation... Not that I'll ever do it to my boat! But in case I would ever need to help out a fellow boater.