Major launch blunders

[Cadwelder]

Re: Major launch blunders

Just simply stupidity......

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Major launch blunders

Just simply stupidity......

Guess it is common.. Seem like it happens often.. Even got word it happened at my local boat ramp.. Big 1 ton Ford.. Guess the rich are stupid too..
The question is.. What would SBL do?

 

[lncoop]

Re: Major launch blunders

Would someone please give me the scoop on SBL? I've asked before. Don't make me beg. I'll do it.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Major launch blunders

I have a 75 jeep wagoneer with the 360, turbo 400 and full-time 4wd. It would out pull my Ford F250 super duty.

Awesome. I love those old beasts.

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Major launch blunders

Would someone please give me the scoop on SBL? I've asked before. Don't make me beg. I'll do it.

I'd like to know too.....I googled it but I don't think Southern Bible Literature is what we're talking about here..

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Major launch blunders

Would someone please give me the scoop on SBL? I've asked before. Don't make me beg. I'll do it.

A couple posters in this thread get their panties in a wad over another poster on the forum.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Major launch blunders

SBL is a frequent poster here, with many questions and many opinions. He loves boats that are small.

As for how so many vehicles end up in the water: in addition to the failed brakes, there is the slick factor--usually slime on the ramp but it can include ice. Either the car doesn't stop on its way down, or it starts spinning and sliding on the retrieve. The torque from the spinning wheels sometimes makes it go sideways, and as it does, the hapless driver spins even more in a panic. This, I believe, is how so many end up backwards in the ramp.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Major launch blunders

Yeah I try to avoid that slime.. It's evil stuff.. I normally will go scope the ramp well before the launch is completed.. To make sure not to get in that stuff.. As far as ice goes.. It never gets cold enough here to get it on the lake.. At 60 degrees we start wussing out about going boating anyway.. You northern boys are tough...

Some folks are too serious..

 

[Flysfloatsor]

Re: Major launch blunders

I have a Toyota, and have pulled boats with fords, chevys and Land Rovers. The Toyota is head and shoulders above the rest.
I dont even have the big boy Tundra with the 5.7 but my midsized 4runner w/ the 4.7 V8 tows beautifully. Came with a trans cooler too.

I have driven a 5.7 tundra when I was buying the 4Runner, and they are stout! I would bet any ford or GM guy would prefer it over theirs if they drive them.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: Major launch blunders

I have a Toyota, and have pulled boats with fords, chevys and Land Rovers. The Toyota is head and shoulders above the rest.
I dont even have the big boy Tundra with the 5.7 but my midsized 4runner w/ the 4.7 V8 tows beautifully. Came with a trans cooler too.

I have driven a 5.7 tundra when I was buying the 4Runner, and they are stout! I would bet any ford or GM guy would prefer it over theirs if they drive them.

Not what we are talking about. This is an age old debate over Land Cruisers and Jeeps. Got nothin' to do with 4runners, tundras, etc.

AND...it depends on what you are pulling. Your Toy-odor would struggle to pull my camper. I think I will stick with my Ford Expedition Limited 4x4 with the 5.4L and variable valve timing. It came with the big boy towing pkg too. Even built in trailer sway control helpers. Ummm...do you have any safety recalls due on that Toy? :facepalm: THIS Ford man will be sticking with his Ford, thank you.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Major launch blunders

I have driven a 5.7 tundra when I was buying the 4Runner, and they are stout! I would bet any ford or GM guy would prefer it over theirs if they drive them.

I looked at them.. The Tundra was 10k more than my truck and it wasn't even 4 wheel drive..

 

[CaptOchs]

Re: Major launch blunders

I saw a nice late model F250 go to the bottom of the Erie canal. Poor guy was retrieving his pontoon after a day of cruising. All his friends were just standing around in disbelief. I'm sure he'll never live that one down.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: Major launch blunders

I saw a nice late model F250 go to the bottom of the Erie canal. Poor guy was retrieving his pontoon after a day of cruising. All his friends were just standing around in disbelief. I'm sure he'll never live that one down.

As long as it wasnt a Toyota that pulled him out, he can blame it on the ramp.

 

[odie241]

Re: Major launch blunders

I have first hand knowledge of this happening.When I was a little kid,maybe 8 to 10 years old,my dad had an old 1968 ford truck,3 on the tree.He used to use this big block of wood to block the tires,because the emergency brake didnt hold real good.well needless to say,the block of wood didnt hold that day,because as he was pushing the boat off the trailer,it seemed to be stuck,and he was pushing harder and harder,until bam,,the block of wood slid out,and in went the truck,trailer,and boat still attached to the trailer.i watched as the truck sank.Well,what happened was he used to use this tiedown strap around the back of the boat,to hold it to the trailer,so it wouldnt bounce around as we were driving,he forgot to take it off.It was an old speedboat,dont remember much about it,except for this mural of an mermaid right below the front windshield.I will see if i can dig up the newspaper article about it,there is even an picture of the tow truck pulling it out.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Major launch blunders

I have first hand knowledge of this happening.When I was a little kid,maybe 8 to 10 years old,my dad had an old 1968 ford truck,3 on the tree.He used to use this big block of wood to block the tires,because the emergency brake didnt hold real good.well needless to say,the block of wood didnt hold that day,because as he was pushing the boat off the trailer,it seemed to be stuck,and he was pushing harder and harder,until bam,,the block of wood slid out,and in went the truck,trailer,and boat still attached to the trailer.i watched as the truck sank.Well,what happened was he used to use this tiedown strap around the back of the boat,to hold it to the trailer,so it wouldnt bounce around as we were driving,he forgot to take it off.It was an old speedboat,dont remember much about it,except for this mural of an mermaid right below the front windshield.I will see if i can dig up the newspaper article about it,there is even an picture of the tow truck pulling it out.

You would think... If you turned off the engine, put it in gear and then chocked the tires... I wouldn't think it would get away from ya... Musta been a very steep ramp... Or did he leave the engine running?

 

[ac0j]

Re: Major launch blunders

I watched a couple guys trying to launch a 20' lund, with a 80 something Cadillac De ville. One guy in the boat, one guy in the car. As they were backing the boat in, they looked like pro's. The boat hit the water, the guy in the boat goes into full reverse, and the boat didn't move. The guy in the car sat there with his foot on the brake, still in reverse. After a second try, still the boat didn't budge. The driver opened his door and started yelling at the guy in the boat that the winch line was still on, but the boat driver couldn't hear him over the outboard running WOT in reverse. The man in the caddy, frustrated exited the car to unhook it his self, and forgot the car was still in reverse. It only took a second and the caddy was all the way in the lake. Surprisingly the boat didn't go down with the car and trailer, it just nosed down quite a bit. The car disappeared in about 20 seconds because the driver door was wide open! by the time everything settled the boat/car/trailer drifted about 40' from the ramp. It was hard not to laugh, the whole story took me longer to type than it did to happen! I walked up to the Caddy's driver and was overwhelmed by the booze on his breath! Serves him right I guess. It took a diver and a tow truck to get the car back on land a few hours later. Divers are Kind of rare in central Nebraska!
Needless to say, they NEVER ended up unhooking the winch line that day!

 

[Mel Taylor]

Re: Major launch blunders

Haven't yet ever come close to losing the truck. My major blunder involved a steep ramp and a slight miscommunication between my wife and me. I had been fishing for many years but even if my wife was with me, I usually attended to all the mechanical aspects of launching and taking the boat out of the water. For some reason she decided she wanted to get more involved with this part of boating. I explained to her how to operate the winch, including setting the pawl.

It was rather windy and we had some considerable trouble getting the boat (14' Aluminum V hull w/ 30hp Evinrude) on the trailer which probably contributed to the next phase of the episode.

Finally got the boat on the trailer, winched up tight and I said "did you set the pawl?" She misunderstood what I meant and released the pawl which she had already set.

I pulled forward up the rather steep ramp, the boat slid backwards off the trailer. WHAP! Right into the shallow water just at the base of the ramp.

As luck would have it there was enough water to avoid damaging either boat or motor and all we had to do was reload the boat, this time making sure the pawl was set correctly.

Since then she's learned to do it all as far as launching and retrieving the boat.

OH yeah, we were lucky. There was only one other person at the ramp to witness our comedy of errors.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Major launch blunders

I pulled forward up the rather steep ramp, the boat slid backwards off the trailer. WHAP! Right into the shallow water just at the base of the ramp..

Should add a chain to hook to your bow eye so the whole world isn't depending on the winch and the strap.. My boat trailer has one and so did my other boat trailer.. Bigger boats, but it wouldn't hurt to add to yours..
Seem like blunders happen when we get in a hurry.. The weather is bad.. Hurry Hurry Hurry.. Been there..

My wife holds the rope good.. Thats about it.. Be great-full yours is trying to help.. Mine is wanting to learn how to run the boat:facepalm:.. Yeah I am scared

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Major launch blunders

Would someone please give me the scoop on SBL? I've asked before. Don't make me beg. I'll do it.

He's 15 years old. He doesn't think an education is all that important (it shows in every post.) I may have been his strongest advocate until he told sasto "I'm going to laugh at you Florida guys when hurricaine season comes." Kinda washed my hands.:facepalm:

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Major launch blunders

He's 15 years old. He doesn't think an education is all that important (it shows in every post.) I may have been his strongest advocate until he told sasto "I'm going to laugh at you Florida guys when hurricaine season comes." Kinda washed my hands.:facepalm:

He said all of US southern folk I thought.. All cause we get a long season... We caught a hurricaine a few years back... It wasn't fun..