After seeing what I saw today, I wondered how many trips to a boat ramp it took to witness what I saw…Just a guess, but I figure I have been to a boat ramp at least 6,000 times and probably many more and I thought I had seen it all.
Anyway, after getting chased off the water by the storms today, we huddled under the porch at IOP…I noticed 5 guys sort of roaming around for awhile…they got my attention when one of them stepped onto my boat that was tied up at the end of the launch dock.
As I watched another one stepped on my boat…I started to the dock and then saw a pretty old (and big) Grady White approaching the dock. The first guy reached out and pushed the GW off as it tumbled by. They tied up in front of me.
My charter went down to the boat and gathered their stuff and left. I got my truck and backed in. The GW crew had their trailer backed in pretty deep and then proceeded to pull the GW to the trailer. Another couple and I just watched, knowing full well something was going to happen. They pulled forward, backed down…back and forth and were finally satisfied all was good.
I pulled my boat on the trailer as they went up the ramp, then the screaming and hollering started. First tire blew at the top of the ramp, second tire blew as they hit the parking lot…Stop, look, scratch head, scratch butt, proceed…third tire blew after 10 feet and the fourth tire blew just as they hit a luckly empty parking space right in front of them.
My charter came by and said he felt better now about a busted day. As I pulled away towards home the 5 guys were all looking at an impossible situation.
Dry rot would be my guess…From the looks of the boat it was months overdue for a bottom cleaning and now they were bumping a grand for tires and a service call.
Saturday before the 4th I was unfortunately obligated to take some out-of-town friends for a cruise on the water. Returning to the cut, my buddy backed my trailer in and as I was cruising in between the docks approaching my trailer, a guy in an old ski boat painted like an American flag cut me off at about 5kts going towards his trailer. I mean a foot off my bow. He hadn’t put me too far off line so I continue towards my trailer when I look over at him, and he had missed his trailer severely. The guy throws his boat in full reverse, turns his head and says “Sorry!” right before he slams his boat into mine when I’m 5 feet from getting on my bunks. Needless to say, it spun me around on the ramp with my motor right over my trailer. I was furious, and waited at the exit of wappoo to let the guy know as nicely as possible that saturdays weren’t the time to acclimate yourself with the processes of trailering a boat. It was dumb of me to think it wouldn’t be a zoo, anyways.
My favorite is backing the trailer in until the exhaust is bubbling then the person guiding the boat, is up to his waist in the water. There REALLY needs to be a beginner’s boating course. I am sure attendance wouldn’t be high, since everyone is hard headed and thinks they are plenty knowledgeable.
My favorite is backing the trailer in until the exhaust is bubbling then the person guiding the boat, is up to his waist in the water. There REALLY needs to be a beginner’s boating course. I am sure attendance wouldn’t be high, since everyone is hard headed and thinks they are plenty knowledgeable.
These guys did that also…plus a few others.
What is the difference between driving a car and a boat??? If we assume no differnce then why don’t people have to have a boat drivers license???
My favorite is backing the trailer in until the exhaust is bubbling
they’ve repaved the ramp at paradise and flattened out the pitch at the hi tide parts. most will have to get their exhaust wet up there. not sure which engineer designed this
OK. I have to tell this story. A different side of the boat ramp tales.
Took my dog for an after diner bike ride tonight. Hit the launch at the end of Plymouth, by the fire house, and the windmill. The tide was riping, as it does twice everyday. Just as I am turning around to leave I hear people struggling in the water. I thought it was kayakers fighting the tide when I realize it is two kids (10ish). The four gentlemen pulling their boat out saw what I saw and called out to the boys. Kids said “please come get us. We cant get back.” Boat was back in the water and chasing the boys in less than two minutes. They went 100 yds. in the time it took to get boat back in. Kids couldn’t even pull themselves in the boat they were so tired. This was at 8;15 PM tonight. Only two other boats in the lot. Kids did not have a chance. Thanks to those four men you wont read about this in the paper.
On the 4th went to pull my boat out at shem creek around 5. get there and its low tide and a boat tied up on the inside. After 10 minutes of waiting for this boat to move i realize there is no one at the landing with this boat. So everyone was having to use the outside lane. Don’t know how long the boat had been there on the inside but the DNR officer was down there and got on the phone with the owner. I got dropped off on the dock and asked the DNR officer if we could move it out the way. We moved it to the other side and out the way. I asked the officer what the owner said and he said that the boat owner had spun his prop off and had to get it towed in and left the boat there and went home trying to figure out what to do. The officer said this wasn’t the time to take your boat out for the first time this year. I agreed!
Just can’t believe some people and what the hell could of this guy been thinking. The busiest day of the year and you are not only going to leave your boat at the smallest boat landing dock but you are going to block one of the ramp lanes. I was surprised someone hadn’t untied his boat and anchored it in the creek or something worse.
So he spun his prop, did his truck/car work? Jeez, back the trailer down and work the boat around with a rope or wade in. I have had to trailer a boat with no power. Some people just don’t think.
Jipride, you are right, there are 2 guys who did a great thing and you’ll never hear about it.
nice to hear a positive story amid the idiocy, ji.
we use the heck out of that ramp, i like the “like it does 2x a day” observation. as predictable as the sunrise, but it still seems to catch a lot of people with their pants down…
there’s always at least ONE side you can launch on. the other side has caused some serious shenanigans.
