Boat Ramp Etiquitte

[THOMMO59]

I think to obtain a boat license, you should have to prove you know what to do at a boat ramp.

1) Be able to actually reverse a boat without 600 attempts.

2) Use only 1 lane on a multi lane ramp, not across 3.

3) Prep and load before you actually block the ramp.

4)Don't leave your boat on the ramp while you run back to the car for what you forgot.

5)Park you trailer remembering you aren't the only car in the carpark and others may just want to park as well.



Have I forgotten anything?



I think boat ramp watching could become a National sport, just head off to you busiest local ramp, grab a chair and a couple of beers, sit just to the side and enjoy a morning of mayhem. Now if anyone could video this, edit a heap of clips to music, I would pay to go see it!



Come on guys, how many of you have clasic boat ramp stories???

 

[Scott Smith]

Yes....You forgot a HUGE PET PEEVE of mine..If there are no separate designated launch and retrieve ramps, DO NOT come in from a day on the lake to a busy ramp where cars are lined up to launch and tie up to the dock and wander off to get your trailer, essentially blocking the launch. Then drive your vehicle and trailer around all the cars lined up and waiting to launch. Beach your f*&%ing boat, get in line and wait your turn like the rest of us...!

 

[Jeffry Skidmore]

How about swimmers on the ramp?



I sometimes use a small TWRA ramp "in the country" that doesn't get a ton of use. Folks swimming on/off a ramp like that doesn't bother me until they won't "clear" when I'm trying to launch or recover. I mean, damn, git all the way off the single launch ramp when a vehicle is approaching!! And get your little kids outta the water when someone is trying to trailer the boat........ especially when it's windy!:huh:

 

[firedog978]

I agree with all the above mentioned things we have to put up with at ramps. I'd add one more thing; get that loaded boat off the ramp before you start to secure things and strap down!!! I have made mental note of who the culprits usually are after all the years of seeing poor etiquitte. Fisherman in fishing boats are usually good at proper etiquitte. But, those in pleasure craft tend to be the least respectful and worst boat/trailer handlers there are.



One funny note my last time at the ramp. I was putting my trailer in the water to take out my boat. A fellow was launching an aluminum deep v fishing boat as I was starting my swing to place the trailer down the ramp. Two other guys were close by walking toward the dock. I heard a scraping sound and the two guys were yelling "STOP!" I stopped immediately but, they were yelling at the guy launching. He had unhooked the bow rope, the trailer had rollers and his boat slid off the trailer as he was backing. Perhaps 20 feet from water. We all went over to help him get it back on. Surprisingly, he had just the tiniest dent in the boat that wouldn't hurt anything.

 

[Bill Wright]

I missed my first attempt at putting my boat on the trailer so I swung around. Just as I came around and started towards the trailer some YAHOO in a pleasure bout is pulling his bout with a rope stepping across across my trailer. Bit my tongue, had wife and guests until he had the nerve to say "you got a problem" (fcould of been the F-bomb I let go when he drove buy). Ya I had a problem and let him know,LOL. Sad part, he had a Fireman's sticker and gear in his truck.

 

[fatrap]

Believe it or not I had a guy, years ago, pull ahead on a busy ramp at dusk ramp just far enough that he could get the cover off his motor and start pulling spark plugs and checking them. My partner for the day came totally unglued. He was in my pickup waiting with the trailer. He jumped out, got in the guys jeep, and pulled the boat out with the guy running after it. Got to the middle of the parking lot then yelled at the guy that "That was the place for working on his motor".

I about died. Tommy was a huge guy so that was the end of the incident'



fatrap

 

[THOMMO59]

I thought we would get some classic stories outta this. My best was a was backing down the ramp and a guy came racing up to my window yelling and scared the crap out of me. He wanted me to stop because he had just back his trailer in, and his car totally submerged and didnt want me to hit it. He had called a tow truck and was waiting. When we got out you could see the roof about a foot under!

 

[Chris F.]

We were at a very small lake on the edge of a small town fishing on the 4th of July. People were shooting off firecrackers and other noisemakers through the day. When we wanted to leave, there were people using the ramp to shoot of their fireworks. They looked at us like we had no right to use the ramp, they just wouldn't move. They just continued to shoot as we loaded up, not safe at all. Chris F.

 

[Justin Lavely2]

Pleasure boaters are by far the worse. My partner and I once got stuck at a ramp after dark where 25 boats were waiting to use a single ramp. Hardly anyone in line dropped a person off at the dock ahead of time to go get the trailer while someone in the boat drifted and waited. I couldn't believe it. When it was there turn they would pull up to the dock, tie up, and then make the long walk to the parking lot to get their vehicle while the rest of the tribe stood around or sat in the boat and waited.



We watched this for about five boats and then made our move. We used the trolling motor to meander between the boats in front of us and I dropped my partner off at the dock. I then trolled out to an open spot and kept my boat lined up to the ramp. When he started down with the truck, a guy in a cigar boat who had tied up 15 minutes earlier and was still waiting for his trailer to show up said something about cutting in the line. He told him the line for idiots was still intact. Since it was really dark, I had to guess which trailer was mine when it came down. Luckily recognized the infamous Toyota bed squeak. It would have been awkward to put my boat on someone else's trailer.



From the time the trailer tires submerged to when we were on our way home was no more than 5 minutes.

 

[Bob Bourget2]

I remember going by our local launch and saw a bunch of boats milling around so I suspected something happened. Idled by and saw what looked like a shark fin on the water surface....of course it was the SKEG....followed by the boat...then the trailer....then the car...in about 80 feet of water. VERTICAL. Ouch.

 

[Paul P]

I think people get too uptight at ramps. When I see somebody struggling or not approaching the process quite right then I offer to help in a very friendly way so they don't get overly nervous. It makes the whole ordeal much more pleasant.

 

[Scott Allen]

Let's see, where to start.... The folks of the south of the border persuasion taking a bath while people were waiting to drop their boats, the young drunk idiots who were circling my boat with a skier the biggest part of the day while I was trying to fish, then came roaring into a no wake zone while I was trying to load my boat, washed me off my trailer and damn near knocked me off my boat. One of them then proceeded to almost slam into my truck while my wife was pulling us out of the water and up the ramp. My wife actually stopped me from killing the guy. Elteewon, you know what ramp I'm talking about!:angry::angry::angry::angry::angry:



Scott

 

[davetnitro]

I was leaving the lake, tied my boat up, went and got the trailer, when some dude there at the dock says, 'i need to use your trailer, my boat is sinking' being the gentle soul that i am, i agreed, not knowing that he was going to pull up into the parking lot to let his boat drain... i was pissed. had to show him how to run his bilge.. and to put the plug in.

 

[Jim B]

"I think people get too uptight at ramps. When I see somebody struggling or not approaching the process quite right then I offer to help in a very friendly way so they don't get overly nervous. It makes the whole ordeal much more pleasant."



I tend to follow the same rule of thumb but there are things people do at boat ramps that just make my blood boil. things like..



A) The person that pulls thier boat directly onto the ramp and then proceeds to take off the cover, straps, find the drain plug, load the cooler, dog, kids, skis, and whatever else they are bringing with them for the next 30 min. I have seen plenty of fisherman with bassboats that are guilty of this too.



B) the person that takes thier canoe and blocks the entire ramp with it doing the same thing as person A when there is a perfectly good location adjacent to the ramp for a rooftopper/kyack/canoe to do said activity.



C)The person that doesnt know how to tie thier boat to a dock and it drifts off blocking the entire ramp so nobody else can use it. This is normally the same person that also does not know how to start thier motor and the ramp is now tied up for the next 30 min while they flood it and then proceed to kill thier battery.



D) The person/people that think the boat ramp is the beach and set up thier lawn chairs and a grill on it and get angry when you ask them to move/threaten to run them over.



E) The person that thinks that the boat ramp is the perfect place to park thier car and sightsee.



F) The person that thnks its ok to let thier toddler run around on the ramp behind someone thats backing up.



Those are just a few.... all of these i have witnessed personally in most cases more then once and in some cases just about every trip to the lake.



Then there are the folks that do need a little help. I try to help anyone i can when they are in need. I have seen some people that needed help because they are learning and others that have just done something really dumb...



My favorite one was the guy that backed his ford ranger truck in up to the cab and then got stuck on the dirt ramp at Lake Pearl in Wrentham MA. He was trying to launch and he backed his boat up onto the sandbar thats just behind the ramp. The boat was totally out of the water, the truck was sunk. It was pretty funny and even the guy that did it got a good chuckle out of it. I eneded up pulling him and his boat out with my truck.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

You ALL are dreaming...it'll never happen:wacko::lol:

 

[Richard Hodge2]

Great read and I would tend to agree that pleasure crafters are the worst. I try to get in and out of the way as soon as possible. I'm very forgetful so I am slow and tedious when I am leaving the lake therefore I pull way out of the way or back into a parking spot.

Any tips on teaching my wife to back up the truck down the ramp? She tends to over react and panic so the few attempts have been short lived. I generally beach the boat over to the side and let her hold the boat while I go get the truck only to come back to a boat that has completely drifted ashore.:wacko:

I've seen where you can put a piece of tape on the bottom of the steering wheel and so whichever way you want the trailer to go, then move the tape in that direction. Any other suggestions? I'm thinking of taking her to a parking lot with some cones and let her practice. Every time we get to a ramp that seems quite and she gets started boats start showing up and we have to get out of the way. I have noticed thought that Tennessee has really cracked down on personal watercraft out on the lake and for the most part they seem to be careful, but too numerous! I've seen them stopped on the lake quite often to check credentials and the like so good on the TWRA.

Again.........great post

 

[Eric Aasen]

I taught my wife to back the trailer in just a couple trys. We did do a parking lot over a weekend and I taught her to hold the wheel at the bottom and move the wheel the way she wants the trailer to go. Best advice is to go on weekdays because if they get nervous it just gets worse. My wife is a pro now. Sometimes I have to laugh as she backs down in front of pleasure boaters who are weaving down the ramp. She gives them such a #%%*)it eating grin as she backs straight down the ramp to pick me up.



NoCAL

 

[ND Bass]

My wife and I are a team. She backs and I unload/load. Works great! We are usually much faster than any of the other boaters at a ramp. Of course, we fish in western MN so not as much traffic and so many lakes to choose from

 

[THOMMO59]

If you were a young guy or girl that could reverse really well, you could hang out at the ramp on a Sunday and offer a "Valet Reversing and Parking" service and I reckon you would make a bloody fortune!!

 

[Richard Hodge2]

Alas I have found my calling! I'll just be a ramp valet. Something tells me that the Corps of Engineers folks won't approve though, but they are never around to police the problems either.