Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

[Joe Dirt]

Is there anything more entertaining than watching people at public access sites? Saw some dip fall in yesterday while trying to grab his boat when it was about 6" too far away from him to even think about trying to grab it. Stretch...uh oh...splash! Too funny.

Then watched some poor bloke try to get his new Four Winns 180 back on his trailer without getting the trailer wet. I just love the scraping screeching of dry bunk boards and disappearing gelcoat! Wouldn't want to get the trailer wet! The funniest part was that this guy knew he was screwed, and was trying to winch it on, coupldn't turn the handle anymore- not to slide the boat up, but get this- getting the boat to the point that it could tip back down to parallel! Meanwhile, his kid was laughing at him the whole time... I wanted to help him, but the trainwreck was too fascinating. In the end, I did off-the-cuff suggest for him to back up some more which he did, the whole time his kid giggling under his breath. Such a simple solution to such a funny situation. $20 says the poor kid got smacked in the car on the way home...

Wow- cheaper than TV and soooo much more entertaining!

 

[Khanhfucious]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

We mainly boat at a local privately owned campground/lake. Generally, our campsite is right next to the dirt/gravel boat ramp and single screwed up dock.

If I had a digital camcorder, Id record the people for you guys.

Ive seen people drive at the dock fairly fast, then realize the boat has bo brakes.

Ive seen people get half their truck underwater launching/retrieving their boat.

Ive seen people launch their boats, walk it over to the dock, not tie it up, and go park their rig.

Much better than TV.

Theres also that occasional group who gets into a fight and is kicked out, so they rid their PWCs in full steam at their trailers, then have their buddie pull the car/trailer up, before using any means of attaching the PWC to the trailer.

 

[LFK]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

Yea, there is always something funny to watch. Too bad for me I am usually waiting in line behind the idiot who doesn't want to get his trailer wet.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

Tonight was some guy who lowered his outdrive all the way down to let the water drain, then drove away- after forgetting to raise it back up. He never stopped even with people yelling at him. The dirt parking lot was one thing, but the pavement, oooohhhhhhh, I just get chills thinking about it. And yes, there was a trail leading to the pavement, and a big mark there...

 

[fire831]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

I was waiting in line on the water a few weeks ago and watched a boat and trailer come off the ball and start back to the drink while the owner was hanging on the side getting drug down the ramp. It ended up turning and going motor first into the side of the hill. Guy ended up ok and I was wondering to myself why the safty chains weren't hooked up but they said they just came from camp so I guess there's no need to hook up chains going that far.:^

 

[rottenray6402]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

It is much better than TV and you can get fresh air while you are watching. I am constantly amazed at the people that put their boats, trailers, tow rigs, and everyones saftey at risk because they buy the $1.49 ball at KMart or don't have time to fix the trailer lights or have nasty old mismatched car tires on the trailer. They have at least several thousand $$$ invested but won't spend another couple of bucks for decent lights or whatever.

 

[ricksrster]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

Hey fire831.
What makes me wonder is how much time do you save by not hooking up the safety chains. It must take about 1.25 seconds!

 

[NBE]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

Hey! What's wrong with the $1.49 ball from Kmart? 8)

 

[jaymasta]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

has anyone seen someone drive away from the dock with the boat still tied, today I was at a lake and saw someone put there boat in fwd and putted away luckily they had about a 20ft line at about 15ft one of them yelled and screamed and he stopped it, was about to put it in reverse and the guy started yelling again to wait until he was pulling the line in so it wond't get caught in the prop, would have hated to see what happened if he started to give it gas or even just hit the end of the rope at idle....

 

[Khanhfucious]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

We have this issue with people leaving their boats/PWCs/trailers on the ramp.

A lot of people cant back their trailers, so 2-3 of them push the trailer down, load up, and leave the trailer on the ramp while they go get the car. Of course, they stop and have a conversation along the way too.

And, theres always that group that stops their right on the ramp, and have a 30 minute conversation with someone.

 

[Blackgang]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

A buddy was giving me a hand with my motor the other day at my slip at the marina, when we heard a loud crack. We started walking for the launch, and sure enough, some guy forgot to attach the safety chain to the bow of his New boat. When the driver of the truck pulled the trailer out of the water the winch slipped and the boat slid off the trailer. 20' fiberglass. The owner just stood there in shock.:^

The now imploded Trojan Nuclear Tower in background. RIP-5/06

 

[Darkhorse1201]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

Khanhfuscious - where are you located? I have my boat at Lake Dean in Oakham, MA. You any where near that? And yes, me and my buds love to watch the morons trie to back in, forget the plug and much, much, more! I just love it when I hear the guy with the boat say something along the lines of "This is the first time this has been started in 6 years!" Gotta love that!!

 

[Khanhfucious]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

Khanhfuscious - where are you located? I have my boat at Lake Dean in Oakham, MA. You any where near that? And yes, me and my buds love to watch the morons trie to back in, forget the plug and much, much, more! I just love it when I hear the guy with the boat say something along the lines of "This is the first time this has been started in 6 years!" Gotta love that!!

Were in Fitchburg, usually at Lake Shirley.

I dont know where Oakham is :/

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

Yep...too true...

I did however see the most inept pair of idiots on the slipway at Fowey in Cornwall yesterday whilst sat in the boat chilling out on the pontoon.
They were in a yellow dory with an ex-military mariner 40 on it that broke down and were towed in at LW springs by one of the harbour patrol boats.
At the end of Penmarlam slip is a lip which is hidden by the water but has markings to say how far it is to it. The guy fetching the trailer came backwards down the slip in a white Fourtrak van (it's a rocky in the US) and pushed the trailer off the lip-then drove the Fourtrak off the lip with one wheel too.
Rather than use low range 4x4 to pull it up he revved the tits out of it in 1st until the water was steaming and eventually it came back up.
He didn't bother to pull the trailer up the lip though and it was on about a 30 degree angle sideways as well as 45 degrees backwards.
I shouted across to his mate that the trailer was p1ssed and had fallen off the end of the ramp and got an arsey response so left them to it...as they just clipped the ratchet onto the bow eye of the floating boat and drove forwards (revving the tits off it in 1st again) yanking the trailer up the lip with a bang leaving the boat on the p1ss...
Then they tilted the engine DOWN and drove off without even securing the boat, whacking the skeg on the floor on the way up...
You couldn't have made it up.

 

[stan_deezy]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

Hey Welcome back Nos! 8)
haven't seen you on the boards for a while, where ya been? Just lurking?

Sounds like the muppets were out in force at the slips yesterday. Watched as two boats tried to use the same trailer (mistaken identity on the part of the owners: they both had identical tow vehicles!) :^

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

LOL!

I've been run off my feet for ages Stan-got a bit more time back now so I'll be about a bit more

 

[Daddy O]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

Several years ago my son and I was fishing close to a public ramp. A no wake lake, so this was a small boat.I've always enjoyed watching people at the ramp. So I was watching these two guys launching their boat. The owner of the rig was in the boat shouting directions to the guy in car. I watched as they backed in, the boat man hollers stop, the car man stops. The boats goes free. The boat man tells the car man to pull out. Next thing I hear is engine racing, as I look over at the ramp. All I see is a big rooster tail from the car. When all is said and done. The car man was chest deep in water behind the steering wheel, with boat man yelling explicives at car man. Something about drive and reverse, and his car being under water.
we laughed so hard good thing we were far enough away. We might have added fuel to his fire.

Public Ramps better than T.V.

 

[Capt Joe]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

"good thing we were far enough away"

Ever notice how far sound travels over water - especially when things go suddenly quiet, as usually happens when you say something you shouldn't have

 

[atticus3600s]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

Were in Fitchburg, usually at Lake Shirley. :/

I do alot of boating in the summer at Lake Shirley. My grandparents had a house there. The bass fishing is great on that lake.

 

[ssminow]

Re: Public Access Sites = SHT on parade!

Khanhfuscious - where are you located? I have my boat at Lake Dean in Oakham, MA. You any where near that? And yes, me and my buds love to watch the morons trie to back in, forget the plug and much, much, more! I just love it when I hear the guy with the boat say something along the lines of "This is the first time this has been started in 6 years!" Gotta love that!!

Lake Dean? That's a pond that doesn't allow anything larger than a 16' boat in it....The pond is less than 1/2 mile long and you can almost throw a stone accross it. What boats are they putting in? Jon Boats?