I can’t find the old threads to bump em up. ramps seem crowded for this late in the year.
be courteous and think about the others there. that’ll take care of most things
do your make ready away from the ramp in a remote area of the lot so as not to clog the ramp or drive
if you’re not great backing your trailer, practice it on an uncrowded weekday. or in an empty parking lot somewhere.
same goes for launching and retrieving boat, shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. if it does, ask for help or hire a boat coach - somebody on here used to do that
don’t tie off leaving your boat in launch path. use the outside of the dock. get out of the way.
if you can’t launch efficiently, go to the ramp on a weekend with no boat. sit there and watch the others. you’ll see what to do and not do.
be sure to warm your motor up out of the water for at least 10 minutes before you lauch [sorry- i made that up. don’t do that. some do, they’ll regret it]
in a bind? disregared the above and now stuck? trailer stuck at an improbable angle? wife backed the truck across the curbstops? don’t sit there yelling at your wife, ask somebody for help.
“I am not involved in this thread, only helping Fred understand who he is dealing with.”
Jeez! You’ve really taken this contribute s**t, to heart[:0] You getting all soft and mushy in you later years, or something[:0] I’ll add another to your list. If you can’t do that stuff in your prime, wait until you retire! Then go through the week when you have the ramp to yourself:wink:
Pea, it’s been in the water 3 times and I’m putting my anchor on CL! That’s how impressed I am with it! PITA having to make and install the pulpit, so it would have something to bolt to was the only problem:angry:
I’ll maybe put something up on my NY trip, if I do any good! I don’t even take my camera with me on the boat. It’s a PITA, trying to keep it dry and safe!
A year or two ago my dad and I were taking the boat out at remleys and a guy had his wife backing his truck in for him to get his jon boat out. I’m guessing when she meant to put the truck in drive she accidentally put it in neutral and it rolled right back into the water. Thankfully everyone got out of the truck but it completely sank and drifted under the dock with the boat still attached to it. I wasn’t too hot on trailering the boat for a while after that.
17’ Mako
283 Grady White Release
Youtube:srgoprovideos
I don’t see why people find it to be so hard. I’ve only trailered a boat a dozen times (if that) in my life since I did most of my boat fishing with pops back in the day and he would do it.
Fast forward 10+ years
Now a month ago at rivers edge marina I go out with a buddy and he wants me to trailer the boat as he prefers that he drive his truck. Its mid tide I have one yahoo on my right up to his chest in water with two girls on the dock trying to help him align the boat via ropes as the trailer has no guides and he’s back in way too deep (they pulled the boat along the dock to put it on the trailer with nobody actually in the boat). On the left I have 2 yahoos that were docked when we got to the ramp yet still didn’t get their trailer in the water until just before us. They are taking their sweet time as a dozen others are waiting to use the ramp. Here comes the noobie(me) in the 22’CC that has never trailered a boat larger than a jon boat. I pull it right in first try and just have to rock the boat a little so it shifts a few inches to center. In an out in a third of the time yahoos to the left needed. Yahoos to the right were still swimming when we left…
Just tell the folks who back their trailer down too far to load the boat on the trailer to take the plug out of the boat. Works every time!
quote:Originally posted by Great White
I don’t see why people find it to be so hard. I’ve only trailered a boat a dozen times (if that) in my life since I did most of my boat fishing with pops back in the day and he would do it.
Fast forward 10+ years
Now a month ago at rivers edge marina I go out with a buddy and he wants me to trailer the boat as he prefers that he drive his truck. Its mid tide I have one yahoo on my right up to his chest in water with two girls on the dock trying to help him align the boat via ropes as the trailer has no guides and he’s back in way too deep (they pulled the boat along the dock to put it on the trailer with nobody actually in the boat). On the left I have 2 yahoos that were docked when we got to the ramp yet still didn’t get their trailer in the water until just before us. They are taking their sweet time as a dozen others are waiting to use the ramp. Here comes the noobie(me) in the 22’CC that has never trailered a boat larger than a jon boat. I pull it right in first try and just have to rock the boat a little so it shifts a few inches to center. In an out in a third of the time yahoos to the left needed. Yahoos to the right were still swimming when we left…
Yesterday at Paradise, we pull up around 6am and we’re the 3rd vehicle to park. Both of the other trucks had trailers and were already on the water, can’t be seen. One truck is parked in the normal location, where high functioning people park, the other is parked right at the end of the ramp, preventing easy turn around. Literally just a couple of feet from blocking the ramp. There were 25+ other places they could’ve parked. I realize this is a holiday weekend, which brings out those who have zero common sense, but seriously why would you park almost blocking the ramp? If the lot was full and it was the last place to park, OK I get that as well.
I have written this before but feel the need to reiterate. Ramps that are in state parks should be frequently patrolled by park rangers in order to educate the general public on ramp etiquette. They don’t have to be A-holes in order to keep things running smoothly, but you NEVER see a ranger helping at a ramp.
At other frequently used ramps, DNR should show for small amounts of time during the weekends of Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day to again help folks understand what is and is not acceptable at boat ramps. It wouldn’t take long for a large percentage of folks to learn proper etiquette with a little guidance which would lessen the pain during these busy times.
