Are You a Boat Owner? The Launch Ramp/Dock Fiasco Gets Old

diyer2 · July 20, 2017

The fishing site I belong to has threads started every year about the ramp/docks and the inconsiderate people or retards using them.

Do you have this problem?

NEFisher11 · July 20, 2017

See it all the time. My father almost got hit once by another guys trailer. He was in to much if a rush to park his. Also I would say 90% of the problems are pleasure boaters.

Heavy 5.7 · July 20, 2017

I wouldn't own a boat of any sort even if you gave it to me...

grampadirt · July 20, 2017

Looking for a boat now,gotta sell my toy hauler first though.

I had a boat in the early '90s and had a great time with it,I also experienced rude people at the ramp.I usually went during the week when there were far fewer boats on the lake.There's always that one guy who thinks he owns the ramp,unfortunate but just the way it is.On some busy days we had an attendant directing traffic which helped.

SkiDooNick700 · July 21, 2017

There's two lakes that I frequent here in SE Michigan with my jetskis - I'm ready for all the haters - please know I'm one of the responsible ones. One of the lakes it's a free for all with 4 ramps, it definitely can get annoying, especially for the people who back into the water then get out and start telling their buddies how their going to unload the boat, rather than doing this ahead of time. Then they dock it there for a while until they're ready. The other lake just a few mins away you are not allowed to tie up to the dock - soon as you drop in the water you need to pull your boat off to the side onto the beach. DNR personnel is almost always there to make sure people are doing this. I like this lake more because of this.

Don't get me started on the guy who doesn't try starting his boat til after he parks his truck LOL. Another thing that kinda ticks me off is people who power load. I have zero experience with big boats but I'd imagine the people who do it are people not experienced enough in loading it back on the trailer.. whether it's not enough speed or trailer isn't in far enough, I don't know and I shouldn't really say anything until I've been in their shoes I guess.

I always try to get out earlier in the day when the lake/launch is less busy.

diyer2 · July 21, 2017

I wouldn't own a boat of any sort even if you gave it to me.

I can understand that.

diyer2 · July 21, 2017

See it all the time. My father almost got hit once by another guys trailer. He was in to much if a rush to park his. Also I would say 90% of the problems are pleasure boaters.

Agree.

I use my boat for fishing, that's what it was bought for. I have backed boat trailers for people holding up the dock. Then the ones that own the ramp.

brclark82 · July 21, 2017

I find it's rarely the people that are new to backing a trailer (or just not very good) that drive me crazy, it's the a-holes who are in such a hurry they damn near run into you or cause the newbs to get even more nervous and take even longer.

Who cares if someone is just learning or not perfect and takes a little longer. It's a lake not a hospital. Some peoples time is just so much more important than others

michigan2500hd · July 22, 2017

I almost hate taking the family to some of the boat launches around here. There are fist fights at times and morons who can't back up a trailer, morons who are slow, morons just being morons.

Then you have the guy who didn't think he needed to buy a 4x4.. Pulled a few of those guys out. I'm not judging anyone who's driving what they can afford, etc. it's the guy in the new loaded 4x2 truck. Really? In Michigan dude?

Or the yuppie in the RAV.

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grampadirt · July 24, 2017

Sold the toy hauler and bought an '84 Galaxie,now I get to fix it up and go to the lake and see how my launch ramp skills are.Used to be pretty good back in the early '90s,we'll see if I remember anything,lol.

06pirate · August 5, 2017

I have done enough boat launching / recovery to know how to do it, but it's not something I enjoy due to the other morons.

You can have a very entertaining afternoon sitting in a lawn chair with some beer at the local launch ramp watching people screw up. The best time is late afternoon when they start coming back with four hungry, thirsty, sun-burned kids, an engine that won't idle, a wife that is totally pissed off and won't stop yelling, and the trailer has a flat tire.

j-ten-ner · August 5, 2017

We're planning to buy a boat next year.

Nothing fancy. Just 17' to 20' Bayliner type of thing.

We went to boat ramps just for watching.

Didn't see many screw ups but what stood out was that maybe 7 out of 10 drivers just put the truck/car in "P" w/o applying the E-brake.

This sound when they shift out of "P" again.....BANNGGG.

so long

j-ten-ner

06pirate · August 5, 2017

We're planning to buy a boat next year.

Nothing fancy. Just 17' to 20' Bayliner type of thing.

We went to boat ramps just for watching.

Didn't see many screw ups but what stood out was that maybe 7 out of 10 drivers just put the truck/car in "P" w/o applying the E-brake.

This sound when they shift out of "P" again.....BANNGGG.

so long

j-ten-ner

Yeah, Parking brake first, let the drive line slack settle out, then "P". Reverse that coming out.

diyer2 · August 5, 2017

We're planning to buy a boat next year.

Nothing fancy. Just 17' to 20' Bayliner type of thing.

We went to boat ramps just for watching.

Didn't see many screw ups but what stood out was that maybe 7 out of 10 drivers just put the truck/car in "P" w/o applying the E-brake.

This sound when they shift out of "P" again.....BANNGGG.

so long

j-ten-ner

O_J_Simpson · August 5, 2017

If you take more than 30 seconds to launch a boat, you are the problem. Go watch one of the large BASS or FLW events. They can launch 200 boats an hour with no problem and no idiots with their headlights on at the ramp.