Boat Ramp Follies: 3 Things you Shouldn’t Do at the Boat Ramp

[HD]

Boat Ramp Follies: 3 Things you Shouldn’t Do at the Boat Ramp

The boat launch ramp can be a place of great entertainment – and great frustration. How well a boater launches and retrieves has an impact on everyone else, mostly in how long they have to wait for the ramp to be cleared. But there’s also a big impact on just how much fun we have, because watching boat ramp follies can be quite hilarious, too. (Note – before letting the follies get too far out of hand, it’s always a nice idea to offer help to someone who may not be as experienced as you are). If you want to make sure you’re someone who’s in and out fast as opposed to being one of those entertainment providers, make sure to avoid these three things you should never do at the ramp.




  1.  Never transfer gear from the truck to the boat while you’re clogging up the ramp. This should be done ahead of time, when you’re pulled out of the way, to help speed the launching process and keep the ramp clear. This matters even when the ramp is empty as you pull in, because two or three other boats could arrive right as you’re in the middle of loading, blocking the ramp.

 2.   Don’t remove the safety chain prior to backing the boat into the water. This goes double for those who have “slick”bunks or rollers on their trailer, because that makes it more likely your boat could pull free and start sliding off the trailer prematurely. Many people get away with doing this for years so they think it’s fine… then one day, perhaps the ramp’s steeper than you’re accustomed to or you tap the brakes accidentally as you’re backing up and wham – suddenly, your boat is laying on concrete. Ouch.

  3.  If at all possible, have someone in the boat as its launched, ready to start the engine and pull it out of the way immediately. In the case of very small ramps with a single, small pier, this may be difficult. But even if it means pulling out of the way then pulling back to the dock later to pick up a crew-member returning from parking the truck, the people waiting in line will really appreciate the fact that you opened up the space for them in a matter of seconds.

[Gunner55]

I volunteered to do last 1/2 of the Opener at our PA a couple years ago, for the lake assoc. It's mostly for AIS monitoring / education as we have Zeebs. I was very surprised to see how many that went up or down the ramp without having the safety chain hooked up. A few were guilty of the other 2 on HD's list but not near as many.

[Rebel SS]

Ayup. And RAISE that lower unit, along with leave safety chains on....

[mike89]

 

seen crap like that happen too!!  one time as a guy was going home he gased the truck and boat came right and slide down the road behind him!!

[HD]

 

[mike89]

nice truck!!

[glenn57]

structure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mike89]

new panfish hole!!

[Gunner55]

Talk about blocking the landing. Is that a white Chevy truck?

[gophergunner]

Our fishing club used to run an open tournament for others to fish as a fund raiser for our club.  It was a pretty good sized tournament.  We'd have about a 100 boat field.  We would help everyone launch at the public ramp.  Most of the tournament guys were no problem, but the pleasure boaters just had no clue.  Why is it so hard for folks to understand they need to be ready to put the boat in the water when they get to the bottom of the ramp?  That's no place to be emptying out all your worldly possessions from the truck to the boat!  Another classic is when the Dude has his wife back in the boat while he's in the boat, surveying his domain as she jackknifes the trailer and he starts screaming at her.  Don't put folks in a position of automatic failure like that!

I wish I could count the times I've seen boats backed in with no plug in them.  Boats backed in with the motor down and it's scraping the pads on the ramp.  Boats that floated off the trailer and into the abyss before the guy in the truck knew what happened.

I am so used to launching my boat by my self, a seldom have any troubles.  I never disconnect the rope from the bow until I am pushing the boat off the trailer, and I always hook the rope up and tilt the motor before pulling the boat out.

Ramp ettiquette just eludes a lot of pleasure boaters.  Like the guy who backs his boat in, and then either beaches it right in the middle of the ramp, or ties off to the ramp side of the single dock, while the off side site empty.  It's incredible how people go out of their way to pizz off everyone else.

[Rebel SS]

Stoopid begats stoopid. 

[Boar]

i wish u wouldnt talk like that about glenn, he is not a stupid begat.

[LPS]

LOL that is a good one.  I can just hear that aluminum scraping on the concrete.  At least the guy holding the rope was laughing.  I bet it wasn't his boat..   

[Rebel SS]

Can't count the number of motor skegs I saw sanded down as they dug into the concrete going up or down the ramps.   

[HD]

Yup.....I'm not sure if a "class" would help stupid......or they do it "just because they can"

I have seen it both ways, so, it's either bite yur tongue, or help the smuck out.....

I personally have done both (depending on my temperament at the time)

[glenn57]

Hey HD You weld aluminum, get in da business!

[HD]

Hey HD You weld aluminum, get in da business!

Yup, I can run a tig welder....... I can weld steel, nickle, stainless, aluminum, brass, copper and zinc..... never tried lead yet....but how hard could it be?