The vehicles people use to launch/retreive boats

Joined
Jun 1, 2010
Messages
51
OH boy...I'm fishing at the local boat ramps down here, and I notice a acura integra little sports car, with a fairly good size trailer on the hitch, I think to myself...what in the living hell is going on here? Anyway I go back to my fishing, and about an hour later I see this beat up old center console with 4 guys in it, smoking like a chimney coming down the channel. For some reason it clicked right then and there, and I said Oh my god, this is gonna be a sight to see. Well they tie up to the dock and I see this young kid walk over to the ... (you guessed it) Acura Integra, and I hear the typical teenage loud muffler and bass coming from the car, I am thinking...where is a camera when you need it. Well the fella who was driving the Integra decides he's gonna show off in front of his friends and do donuts in the parking lots with a boat trailer (thank god my car was far far away). After a few rounds of that, Florida Finest pull up and proceed to write them a ticket or two. Anyway, so the guy attempts to back the trailer down into the water, after at least 15 tries, I walk over there and direct him how to do it, all the while trying to figure out how this little sports car is going to pull a 18ft center console out of a STEEP *** boat ramp. So anyway, they get the boat on the trailer, and the fella decides the best thing to do is dump the clutch in 2nd gear and race out of the ramp with the boat....uhm...yeah...that didnt work out very well. Anyway, after he figured out that dumping the clutch wasn't a good idea on a slippery boat ramp, he tries his best to get this boat out, but god rest his soul his little sports car wont do it. So, they take the boat off the trailer tie it back to the dock, and park the integra with the trailer, off to the side out of everyones way. About 20 minutes later I hear tires squealing, bass jamming, and people raisin hell...I look back over towards the integra, and there is a Rousch Mustang over there and they are all talking. After about 15 minutes of this going on...the integra backs down into the ramp again (this time he got it in 4 tries), they put the boat on the trailer, they hook a tow strap up to the axle of the mustang, and to the front axle of the integra...and...you guess it....decided that 2 cars pulling at the same time might work. How they managed to get that to work, I will never know. After all this was over and done with, as they were leaving the boat ramp, they got stopped by a city cop...god only knows what that was about.

I used to have a 15ft flats boat and towed it around with a 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera...it worked nicely. But...a little acrua integra trying to pull a 18ft center console fishing boat :eek::rolleyes::eek::rolleyes:.

Some people I swear!!!
 

LongLine

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Messages
494
Re: The vehicles people use to launch/retreive boats

Would of been hilarious if an axle got pulled off. I'm sure that little car would be okay "pulling" a boat - downhill. :D (stopping is another issue)


Tom B.
(LongLine)
 

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
9,715
Re: The vehicles people use to launch/retreive boats

A nheighbor needed a tow vehicle for the twice a year short haul, so he bought an old Caddy or Delta 88 or something with a big old honking motor--cheaper than a truck he didn't need. Not a bad idea for a "yard car."
 

H20Rat

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5,201
Re: The vehicles people use to launch/retreive boats

As someone who pulls a 17 foot boat with a 'sports car', I even say what they did is ridiculous!! A FWD anything, sports car, truck, minivan, whatever is going to be limited by the ramp. And then throw in a manual transmission, it makes it that much worse. RWD is better, IF the ramp doesn't have seaweed/algae on it. Get the tires wet in that situation and it isn't moving.
 
Joined
Jun 1, 2010
Messages
51
Re: The vehicles people use to launch/retreive boats


:eek::eek: Did someone REALLY try that, or was that a edited video? I hope it was edited...thats...thats...thats...thats..I dunno...I've seen some crazy chit before but...eh well...stupid is as stupid does :rolleyes::rolleyes: If they try that with a little geo metro...what will they try with a pickup truck? Maybe they will hookup a semi trailer too it....thats about what they did to the geo metro... :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
Joined
Jun 1, 2010
Messages
51
Re: The vehicles people use to launch/retreive boats

I guess everyone is a googan at some point in there life. :D:rolleyes::D:rolleyes: lord knows I have had a few googan moments :redface::redface:
 

system-f

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
667
Re: The vehicles people use to launch/retreive boats

RWD is better, IF the ramp doesn't have seaweed/algae on it.

I have to disagree with this one and have a perfect example. First off most ramps around me do have funk on them. This ramp had sand on it except where the water met the ramp which was free of funk. This ramp DID have a drop off.

The watercraft in question was a 400lb jet ski and a 100lb trailer. The vehicle in question is a 1988 Honda Accord. The Honda launched the jetski down the sandy ramp which dropped off 3"s and then wouldn't pull the jetski backup because my friend was being too nice to my car. I got in the car and spun the tires some due to the sand but had the jetski back out in a minute or two. Remember that the car ALSO had to pull the jet ski over a 3" drop off which is why it had trouble at all.

Now, later in the day they loaded this same jetski on the same ramp with a newer Toyota Tacoma. When trying to remove the jetski with this 2wd RWD wonder he sat there spinning his tires for a good minute or two before moving. Granted he should have tried the gentle throttle approach but made the whole ordeal much more of a pain than it could have been and the RWD tacoma threw sand and mud all over the jetski, something the FWD Honda did not do. When the initial pull started for the RWD Tacoma he did not have any funk on the ramp, just wet concrete where as the honda had to start off in sand.

Both vehicles were within the manuf. tow limits.

My 1999 Infiniti QX4 with AWD, 4WD and a nice low range had NO problems and did not spin a tire removing my 1500lb boat and 1000lb trailer even over the 3" drop off. 4wd with low range is just better.
 

H20Rat

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5,201
Re: The vehicles people use to launch/retreive boats

I have to disagree with this one and have a perfect example. First off most ramps around me do have funk on them. This ramp had sand on it except where the water met the ramp which was free of funk. This ramp DID have a drop off.


sorry, should have been more specific... If the ramp is dry pavement and free of ANY debris, RWD will ALWAYS be better. (given IDENTICAL vehicles) Simple physics, the weight is transferred to the back wheels, no way around that.

Yes, if you have algae/seaweed/SAND, RWD can lose fairly quickly to a FWD in some situations. Clean off some pavement, tilt it up at 45 degrees, and the FWD will spin pulling itself out.

Yep, no argument about AWD though! I load a 2000 pound boat with my little subaru. I've actually TRIED to get it to spin. Even with a partially sand covered ramp, best I could do was just a hint of wheelspin before it walked out.
 

Thajeffski

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
890
Re: The vehicles people use to launch/retreive boats

I have never seen a dry ramp completely free of debris.......ever.
 

Falco

Cadet
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
12
Re: The vehicles people use to launch/retreive boats

A good friend of mine used to tow a 17ft fiberglass Gypsy with an 84 Honda Accord hatchback. That was classic red green. Funny thing is he never had any problems towing or launching it. Skill??
 
Joined
Jun 1, 2010
Messages
51
Re: The vehicles people use to launch/retreive boats

A good friend of mine used to tow a 17ft fiberglass Gypsy with an 84 Honda Accord hatchback. That was classic red green. Funny thing is he never had any problems towing or launching it. Skill??

ummm....luck? how did he plan on stopping it if he had too? stupid too if u ask me
 

bsktball55

Seaman
Joined
Jan 11, 2009
Messages
58
Re: The vehicles people use to launch/retreive boats

I have never seen a dry ramp completely free of debris.......ever.

Maybe our ramps are different around here, but all of our ramps have deep groves cut into them for traction. I have never needed 4x4 to get out of a ramp even when I've backed off the end of the ramp. I have used low range just for the extra umph, but it wasn't needed due to traction.
 

TahoeQ4Pilot

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 23, 2009
Messages
242
Re: The vehicles people use to launch/retreive boats

I guess everyone is a googan at some point in there life. :D:rolleyes::D:rolleyes: lord knows I have had a few googan moments :redface::redface:

Okay, I'll bite. What is that supposed to mean? Code?
 
Top