With rain approaching, we were attempting to tie up at the back side of the dock at Shem Creek while a woman was fiddling with her paddle board on the floating dock and taking up a lot of space. Her board was laying length-wise on the dock and as my wife was trying to pull the boat to the forward most cleat…the woman shifted her paddle board and laid it on top of the cleat.
It was obvious we were going to the cleat as I was telling my wife “pull the boat to that last cleat.”
We give the woman a moment to move her board but when she didn’t, I hopped off the boat and took the rope from my wife and my wife stepped over the paddle board (the woman was oblivious to her surroundings ) and my wife reached down and started to pick the board up off of the cleat.
That’s when the woman yelled at my wife “Don’t touch my board! You are going to damage it.” I don’t think my wife had lifted the board more than 6-8 inches and she sat it down and said, “we need that cleat your board is on.”
The woman started yelling something like, well, you could have asked, you didn’t need to start tearing up my stuff…my wife just walked away and went for the truck as I secured my boat.
The woman kept fussing. She called us rude, then she said my wife had scratched her board. I simply said, “No. She did not.”
Anyway…if you ever see this woman at the Shem Creek boat ramp and she has her paddle board all over the dock…don’t try to help her, don’t touch her stuff…just calmly tell her ‘to move her (**() paddle board off the floating dock, boats are waiting to tie up, ya dingus.’
I purposely didn’t take a photo of her face. I waited until she had slid her board off the dock and had her back to me. It didn’t occur to me at the time, but I wish I had asked her who had lit the short fuse to her feminine hygiene product.
I avoid that landing at all cost on the weekend for the same reason. Last year I took my family down there to ride around in the harbor and when we came back, I tied the boat up on the backside of the dock like you did and as I was leaving the dock, some jackleg pulled his big old POS boat in behind mine and rammed the heck out of my transom. He came about three inches from hitting my motor and then tied his boat up on top of the cleat I was using.
Not that I own the cleat, but after I backed down and went to untie mine, he got real upset with me over having to untie his to untie mine.
Well, needless to say I was not in the best mood already and him already rammed my boat and them him getting upset at me, my bad side came out real quick!
Anyway, nothing really ever happened but I was ready to sink his boat after that. Ever since then I just stay away from there on the weekend.
Stories like these are why i love my slip more everyday.
I like looking at many of the girl paddle boarders…but there are so many paddle boarders on Shem Creek, you can almost walk from one end of the creek to the other on 'em.
They’ve got as much right to enjoy Shem Creek as I do, but man, I wish they’d show some common sense and courtesy and not 1)paddle directly in front of you and 2) not just sit or stand in the middle of the Creek or near the boat ramps…
I think the renters should give their clients a little 101 Creek Paddling Lessons.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 18 year old ( has decided being with parents isn’t cool)
1 - 15 year old (still does not mind hanging with the 'rents)
1 - wife (The Warden)
Some of us are forced to use local ramps. Shem is one I avoid in the Summer, too many yokels and inconsiderate people. My favorites are people fishing and not giving you any room to get in and tie up. I’ll stick with Remley’s if going into the harbor.
“Apathy is the Glove in Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
Claim, if you were to try and put in on the Combahee at the public landing near Yemassee, you would give that lady paddle boarder a hug and kiss!!! A few weeks ago the wife made me promise not to take her to that landing ever again. Sorry no pictures, but as I shut the engine down for a couple of jack asses swimming in front of the boat and trailer while watching a “lady” and her child swim/waddle towards the boat I could only agree with her.
People seem to think if they are on the dock first no matter what, they have the right of way with no knowledge of what it takes to get a boat out of the water.
I can usually tolerate the Shem Creek ramp stuff. Today would have been OK if not for the witchy woman that thought she owned the dock. I was only slight annoyed at the paddle board guy loading up his trailer, I only wish he had pulled up 10’ to clear the ramp while he secured his load of paddle boards.
The woman had one of those attitudes you hate about some people, but you are thankful you don’t have to work with them everyday and you pity the people who do. She was a piece of work.
I’m still pissed she asserted my wife scratched her board. WTF? She buys it, puts in on a car rack, carries or drags it to the ramp/dock and my wife lifting it 6 inches caused a scratch? She was effing delusional.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 18 year old ( has decided being with parents isn’t cool)
1 - 15 year old (still does not mind hanging with the 'rents)
1 - wife (The Warden)
Drove down by Steamboat Landing today and there must have been atleast 10 people on the floating dock crabbing. Couple of people came up and actually had to put their bow on the ramp and let someone go get the trailer.
Boat ramps can be a good illustration of the Slinky Principle. Many people are like Slinky’s. They seem to serve no useful purpose, but they always bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
“Sire, it belongs in truth to the Church of God, in whose name I speak, to endure blows and not to inflict them. But it will also please your Majesty to remember that she is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.”…Theodore Beza
You gotta know she is one of those paddle boarders that paddle in front of your boat and then just stops, expecting your boat to defy the laws of current and winds and not hit her or something else.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 18 year old ( has decided being with parents isn’t cool)
1 - 15 year old (still does not mind hanging with the 'rents)
1 - wife (The Warden)
Boat landings seem to have the potential to really bring out the worst in people (like airports). Sounds like y’all handled it as best as you could.
Also, the SUP scene reminds me of windsurfing in the 80’s. Remember that? Very trendy, people that were not formerly into any watersports were suddenly WAY into it, LOTS of boards and sails at certain spots, lots of people that didn’t know how to behave on the water, etc.
“You have the right to the pursuit of happiness. You do not have a guarantee that you shall have it.”
Why don’t paddle boarders have to follow the rules of the road like boaters or jet skiers do. Even a wind surfer should be considered a boat under sail! Wonder what would happen if they started getting run over! You think the state would make some rules for them? Like wearing life jackets and helmets!
Thanks for the info but it is not just Shem creek. Sorry to say it but South Carolina is the most unfriendly boater state there is. The ramps are small, the parking sucks, and then to allow people to fish and crab off the docks like they own them. I have lived in 6 different states in the past 12 years and yes this one is the worse. I boat for a living and feel that Staten Island New York which is the arm pit of America is better then this place . This is a coastal state and everyone lets it be known for its sea food, fishing, boat, and beaches. Yet the average boat ramp has 50 spots to park in so you better get there at 10am so you can get a spot or just don’t plan on going boating the day.
Sorry for the rant just thought this state would be boater supportive.
Chad
Cobia 256 Express
Pulled by a Dodge Ram 3500
