It's confirmed... I'm an "Idiot" (launch ramp folly)

[fishrdan]

Before I go into the details, how do you feel about people hogging the ramp and unloading all the crap out of their boat, into their vehicle?


I arrive at the launch ramp and it's dead, 12-15 vehicles out of the 200 parking spots and I think to myself, this is going to be a great trip, there wasn't a soul around. I stop in the ready lane to get my boat prepped for launch and as I'm finishing up I see a boat coming off the lake. No biggie, I'm not in a hurry.

I pull my rig around to approach the ramp and see them loading their boat. This wasn't any normal run of the mill loading as they had the back of the trailer even with the water's edge and the bow was reaching skyward as this big dude was crankin' it all the way onto the roller trailer. From my perspective, I don't see how the transom wasn't dragging on the concrete It could be why the boat was so hard to load. This was like watching a train wreck and even though I could have pulled to the other side and launched (would have had to spend 5 minutes re-riggin my boat) I couldn't tear myself away. I learned that their inflatable toy had a hole in it and was taking on water, so they had fiddle fart around with that, while a couple others were unloading things from the boat into the vehicle. This was very amusing and every once in a while I would catch this "lady" staring at me like WTH is your problem.

After sitting there for 15 minutes I see the transom saver and transom straps come out so I know they are not leaving the ramp until they are ready to leave. I ask them as nice as I can "Hey Guys,,, can you pull forward so I can get to that side of the ramp?" Big Dude replies "The other side of the ramp is all free" and I say, "Yeah I know, but I'm all rigged up to launch from this side of the ramp." I can tell he's a put off by the way he's talking to the others, but he pulls up the ramp. Remember earlier in the story when the parking lot is 90% empty? There was no one in the ready and wipe down lanes either? What do you think he does? Well, he pulls forward just enough to where I can pull my rig around and launch. Oh well, at least I can dunk my boat now without having to re-rig for launching on the other side.

I pull around and get the boat launched in all of 1 minute, and as I'm passing them on my way to the parking lot I hear the "lady" say clear as day...

"IDIOT" (Well, that wasn't the term, but one that DonS thought was close)

I immediately stop and replied,,, "You know, it's common courtesy to pull off the launch ramp to stow all of your gear!" Big Dude replies "The other side was completely free." I reply, "Yes I know that, but I was all prepped to launch from this side of the ramp." The "lady" started to say something further, but Big Dude cut her off and told her to simmer down as I was driving off.

After thinking about this situation, we were both wrong. He should have got his friggin rig off the ramp and up into the parking lot, I should have re-rigged and launched from the other side of the dock. Ramp hogs are a pet peeve of mine and I hope they take this situation to heart so it doesn't happen to someone else. I know if I see another group as clueless and arrogant as they were, I'm steering clear of them. I'll let someone else deal with their lack of consideration.

I hope you enjoyed my tale and hope I never have to deal with that again...

 

[skargo]

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Ramp hogs are a pain, but it would take all of 30 seconds to move your fenders and lines to the other side. What gets me mad is if there is only one ramp to use, and people do that stuff!

 

[fishrdan]

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

it would take all of 30 seconds to move your fenders and lines to the other side.

Maybe that's what they were thinking too? It's a pain re-rigging my 14' jon boat to launch from the other side of the dock, rods, tackle boxes, ropes, etc,. Plus it's just a pain to launch solo from that side with my little boat, that's the main reason I waited 15 minutes to start with.

If I had my 18'er I would have just launched on the other side, and missed all of their antics.

 

[skargo]

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Maybe that's what they were thinking too? It's a pain re-rigging my 14' jon boat to launch from the other side of the dock, rods, tackle boxes, ropes, etc,. Plus it's just a pain to launch solo from that side with my little boat, that's the main reason I waited 15 minutes to start with.

If I had my 18'er I would have just launched on the other side, and missed all of their antics.

See, they probably assumed like I did, sorry bout that!

 

[bassman284]

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Still no excuse for hogging the ramp like that. I can't imagine what goes through people's minds.

I rarely see any of that around here although I ran across one a couple of years ago. This launch has a single ramp and a guy parked his SUV at the bottom of it while he loaded up two kayaks. Of course he had to unload both kayaks and stow all the gear before getting them on top of the SUV and tied down with jeweler-like precision. One of them had to be retied four times before it suited him. All told took about 20 minutes. Wife/girlfriend stood and watched throughout. Had a feeling she had learned the hard way not to try to participate.

 

[giantmonkey]

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

"This launch has a single ramp and a guy parked his SUV at the bottom of it while he loaded up two kayaks. Of course he had to unload both kayaks and stow all the gear before getting them on top of the SUV and tied down with jeweler-like precision."

friggin' kayaks and conoes!! i'm in S.E. Iowa and a river rat and all our local ramps are singles. when these goobs set out on a trip they'll spread everything out on the ramp. i've personnaly threatened to back over them after waiting 20+ min. in the past.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

I think I would have moved the ropes and been on my way. Asking him to move because you are rigged for that side, maybe not the best choice. It's good to laugh at ourselves and not take things too seriously.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

I feel for ya Dan I do, seems like common courtesy these days has just gone down the toilet, I try to be patient as much as possible but sometimes all you can do is wait, launch and get the heck out of dodge before something bad happens that would mess up your day. I won't tell you he was wrong or you were because it really doesn't matter, anytime you try to help someone else at the ramp you run the risk of either being thanked or verbally accosted, it's a crapshoot. Anymore I tend to just launch and hit the water as fast as possible or retrieve and leave in the same fashion, the less time I spend at the ramp the better.

 

[mscher]

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

I remember when outdoor recreation, was actually relaxing and fun.

Now it's just another day of stress, expenditure and confrontation. We can never truely get away from the "rat race" any more.

So sad.

 

[fishndirk]

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Look, I dont care what kind of ramp it is, an experienced boater knows that the ramp is just a passage way. Connect whatever cr*p you need to get your boat in or out of the water and ONLY THAT, and then get the H*ll out of the way. You can fiddle fart with your other gear when your boat is up out on the top of the lot or in another parking lot. (It will survive till you get there). If your having a real problem than let the other boaters know when your on the ramp, dont give them an attitude like their mind readers and already know what you have going on. Chances are theyve seen your problem before and might even help if so inclined.

 

[jjacobs007]

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Re: It's confirmed... I'm an "ICKHEAD" (launch ramp folly)

Maybe that's what they were thinking too? It's a pain re-rigging my 14' jon boat to launch from the other side of the dock, rods, tackle boxes, ropes, etc,. Plus it's just a pain to launch solo from that side with my little boat, that's the main reason I waited 15 minutes to start with.

a 14 ft john boat is nothing,i wouldnt have moved myself,sometimes things dont go right and as a captain you must always be ready to adapt.he was,you werent.