Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Nuts at the boat ramp

I bet the boat launch is a good place to see some good fights. LOL

Until they outlawed them, the boathouse was sure nice.

Its not the backing down the ramp that drives me nuts. It's the people who take 10 minutes to get the boat on the trailer once the trailer is down there. I retrieve and launch offshore boats solo all the time. It's amazing how fast and efficient you can get when you do it enough.

Jaguartx: That was fun to watch and reminded me of my last few years on a major west coast cities police department. I eventually qualified for and had enough seniority to be accepted in that cities Harbor/Dive Unit.
The numbers of human errors and blunders and antics and property damage done in that cities many "boat ramps" by "boaters" was just astounding!
In fact to amuse ourselves for a time we would often position ourselves to view the antics at those boat ramps. We never had to wait long to get a good laugh.
Thankfully over the years I served in the Harbor/Dive Unit only a few serious injuries happened at boat ramps - I still puzzle over that.
It boils down to folks doing things they are not familiar with and don't do often - thus human errors are "rampant" at boat ramps!
Also this - that woman needed the next size LARGER swimsuit.
Thanks for the video.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I don't care about them taking 10 minutes to get it on the trailer.

I care about the 10 minutes they block the ramp, either coming or going, to get their whole Clampit family in the boat. Load the coolers. Strapping the boat to the trailer. Tie off their lily pad that they're going to go float on in the lake all day. Load the dog. Run back to the truck for the life jackets. Oops, forgot the sunglasses too, gotta run back to the truck. Etc. Etc. Etc.

All of that could be done up in the parking lot out of the way of everybody.

Yes, good one, and the scene at Mukilteo was like that even 40 years ago when we headed out toward Whidbey, etc.. Thanks for the memory.

"not sure why it won't start? It ran fine last fall when I put it in the storage unit" as they crank it over for the first time in 7 months as it is on the trailer in the water.

Opening day of duck season, public land ramp, 3:30 AM. Chaos.

One afternoon, I spent about 45 minutes backing and parking horse trailers for mothers at the ninilchik fair.

It started out giving helpful instructions to one lady until she got too frustrated, got out and armed d to park it. Others must have thought it was valet parking.

I have to admit that I've been in some humorous/serious situations at the boat ramp... wind and current can work wonders on a boat in just seconds. One little gust of wind at the wrong time and it's time to back off and have another go at it. Anybody that laughs at someone that backs off of a situation that is going south quickly, just doesn't know boats. Happens to everybody sooner or later.

I was getting ready to launch my 25' center console alone. I stopped on the ramp about 10 feet from the water and got out to do the walk around. Got back in my truck and started backing the boat into the water...All Hxll broke loose, the harbor master screaming at the top of his lungs, people running towards my boat....I slammed on breaks and put the truck in park. Some old guy and his wife had pulled his golf cart up and parked behind my boat, between it and the water. Not all the nuts are in the boat.

I had about 8 of my wife's girl friends on the boat for an after dinner cruise. When time came for docking, one of the ladies asked what they could do to help. Anther, that had experience with a larger boat of her own, spoke up and said..."I'll tell you what he wants us to do! He wants us to find a spot, sit down, shut up, keep your hands inside the boat and don't move." Perfect instructions, but my wife would have killed me if I had said it!

One thing I did recently that I think will help me is adding a back-up camera mounted in the frame around my cargo/bed light on the back of the pickup cab. Placing it much higher than the normal backup camera located on the tailgate. This higher camera gives me a much better view of what my trailer is doing and I can switch back to the low camera to see the trailer tongue and ball on the bumper.

I refuse to be ashamed of being crappy at backing up anything. That saves a lot of angst. . Ignore all those snickering onlookers!

Narrow ramp, I agree, Clark.

But I can do it at the not-narrow Manley Hot Springs boat ramp (20' ? wide), once or twice a year. I get out and look every few feet. My wife's "directions" just compound the problem. It helps to know that if I can see the trailer in the side mirrors some correction is needed and possibly overdue. The only way I use the narrow local-lake ramp (test-run lake, 3 miles away!) is with the camper off, or with the Expedition.

Thankfully, The Manley ramp isn't busy . I can take that 15 minutes if I need to (camper on) . And often, I need to. Plus, usually no witnesses!

Tho the last time, that float plane was parked a little too close for my comfort. But clear enough.

I'm getting better at backing trailers into my garage-attached open stall tho. Even with the highway vehicles. Mostly I use the 4-wheeler. There is a meter mount somewhat in the way, and the short wheel base is good!

Test running the boat on the local, narrow-ramp lake 3 miles away, either the camper is off or I use the Expedition. Sometimes I even make it on the first try!

This. Or after loading the boat on the trailer they pull up a few feet, put everything up, clean trash from the boat, tie it down, screw around.

Why not pull ahead to parking and get off the freaking ramp?

Hands at the bottom of the steering wheel.

If using mirrors to back down, move your hands in the direction you want the trailer to go.

Don’t be shy about talking to yourself out loud.




P

How about that 'cheeky' lass trying to throw the line to the guy on the dock? Tremendous arm.

No doubt - WAY easier!

A 7 to 8' stick or pipe laid across the stern of a boat with flag on each end gives you something to see and makes backing it much easier.

LOL I thought this post would be about Iowans

I'm getting a lot better about backing down the launch ramp, and also better at getting the boat to the ramp and onto the trailer. My biggest challenge, however, is backing the boat into my storage unit. I have nowhere at home to keep a boat, so I rent a storage unit. Backing a black boat into a dark unit from daylight is a genuine booger, let me assure you. I am VERY fortunate that the location of my unit is at a T intersection that allows me to get almost lined up to begin with. If I had to make a big swooping turn into the unit, I'd be there all night.

Maybe run your boats night running lights while backing in?

K, get your boat lined up straight to back down the ramp.

Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with your driving hand. Back up slow looking in rear view. Turn the steering wheel a bit the way you need to go as you back up.