I was the boat ramp idiot

[richg99]

Welcome to the ...very large....crowd.

Anyone who says they never did ANY of these things is either lying or hasn't been boating often/long enough.

 

[ppine]

When I was younger I had a ski boat, a Ski Centurion with a Ford 351 Cleveland inboard. Those boats have gears and can really pull. Bronze skegs on the keel line make them turn like they are on rails. First trip out in the spring on Pyramid Lake, NV a huge lake, I lifted the engine cover after we were under way just to check the engine. I had lost a freeze plug the size of a 50 cent piece and was pumping water into the bilge. I turned around and got the attention of my wife on shore. Fortunately she had the truck keys and headed for the boat ramp. We made it to the ramp but were swamped. We were able to pump the boat out and get it on the trailer. We easily could have sunk the boat and it is a deep lake.

 

[highbar]

A couple years ago my Dad and I were setting up his sailboat for the first time. It was an ordeal. It took us about 5 hours to get the mast on, make sure everything was set up properly, and to get the boat ready to launch. I was in the back of the boat, as he was trying to reverse down to the ramp. We hit a little snag, the mast was touching what seemed like a pretty weak tree branch, just the tip. We decided to continue on, and the mast snapped, and landed right off my shoulder nearly crushing me.

It's still a big secret today with the family how the mast snapped; we told them that it just snapped when we were winching it up, "must have been aluminum fatigue!" We've all seen "No Highway in the Sky" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043859/?ref_=tt_urv

 

[richg99]

Boy, you guys keep on making me recall disasters at sea.

Early 1980's, I had an older 27 ft. Catalina sailboat. Along with another couple, we were sailing in Galveston Bay. Healed over; Mains'l full; jib cranked way in...we were just plain flying along.

Pow! Crack!...all of the sudden the 34 foot long, ten-inch wide, main-mast was swaying. The Chainplate that held the Starboard wire stays (that held the mast up) had snapped in half!

Luckily, I was able to borrow the Main's halyard and tie up a temporary stay. We dropped all sails and started the iron jib ( Atomic 4 -Four cylinder-gasoline engine) and putted back home.

We were lucky. If the main-mast had come out, it could have poked all sorts of holes in that old fiberglass boat.

When you are on the water, you are in Heaven, but not too far from Hell....all at the same time.

richg99

 

[ppine]

I had some friends that lived in southern California. None of them had a boat, but they liked going to the Colorado River.
They used to sit at the launch ramp in lawn chairs with a cooler of beer. They held up paper plates with a number on them rating the boat launches.
They said if they stayed all day some one would drop a boat on the pavement.
There were always husband and wife fights.
People did lots of stupid stuff.

 

[eshaw]

ppine, you should get together with produceman and compare stories.

 

[madmurph]

I usually launch and land solo. Why is it that nobody is there to see me when it goes flawless with no problems? But when I forget to take the transom straps off or don't put the plug in, there are two other guys waiting to launch behind me.

 

[richg99]

Madmurph... So true.

 

[PharmD]

Ouch. I managed to offload my first boat onto the ramp. I pulled up forgetting that I had unhooked it and bam. But it was such a small boat that it and the motor were fine. I looked around and yelled "WHO PUT ALL THIS ASPHALT IN THE WAY".

LOL. I would have helped you push/carry it after seeing that. That is after I quit laughing!


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[PharmD]

Oh yeah. I also hate the people these days who get their phones out to record when they see someone ABOUT to mess up. Why not take that time tp take action and try to help stop the event from happening in the first place!


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[LIVIT]

Years ago up north. A buddy and I took my boat up the mountain to big public hunting area to deer hunt a hard to access area across lake. Ramp had a light coat of snow but seemed like nothing to be concerned about. It was dark and what was not seen was the layer of ice under that snow. This is a slightly steep ramp due to mountain type terrain. I was backing down ramp, applied brakes to stop and disconnect strap and then it happened. My full size blazer with 33" tires kept sliding down the ramp. I put it in gear and that is a sickening feeling when you can feel all four tires spinning and your still sliding backwards. Dual exhaust were just starting to go under when I finally got some traction. Luckily the ramp once it hit water did not drop off too fast or I would of sunk the boat for sure.
After my buddy and I changed our undies we did do a bit of nervous type laugh. I have never launched a boat in the dark anytime of year since then without walking down the ramp to check it out first.

I grew up in FL near where the space shuttle launches. I have seen way too many oh chit moments on ramps and have had enough of my own. One that stands out from back in the 60's, was my step grandfather. He had a thing for big boats and Cadillac convertibles. I remember him floating one of those caddies when he forgot to set the emergency brake on the ramp !

 

[jawjatek]

Well, I did OK my first trip last Sat. I only got my feet wet. When I got to a local park ramp, there was a guy backing up a boat, and another just pulled up. I told the 2nd guy to go ahead while I was trying to figure out where the pay box was ($5 to launch/park, but this place is super-convenient to the house, and safe, has a 3-lane ramp with shallow angle - good for a newbie). All of a sudden I heard a lot of splashing, and the first guy had lost his rope and was wading out chest deep to grab his boat! He colorfully remarked on the temperature. I shouted "Hey, no swimming on the ramp" and got a few laughs. He got some clothes out of his truck and went off in the boat.

When I launched, I used a bow rope tied to the trailer, and floated it off smoothly - but where it was tied on the trailer was in a foot of water when I went to pull the boat over to the courtesy dock. I just kicked off my shoes & socks, and went and got it, and walked over to the dock and tied up. Then I parked the truck. I was thinking I needed a longer rope, but the 2nd guy advised to learn to stand on the tongue of the trailer and jump on the bow, and drive the boat to the dock. Not sure I want to do that, the Terrova is right in the way, and I'm not as nimble as I once was, ya know? So maybe I'll just get a longer rope I can hold from the cab for now. What do y'all think?

Recovery was easier, backed it in, then drove the boat on, cranked her up and put on safety chain while standing on the tongue. Again, I had to step into several inches of water.

 

[CedarRiverScooter]

I have 2x6's on either side of the tongue that provide a walkway.

Sometimes have to jump up on bed of truck at a shallow ramp to avoid wet feet.

Best to have tall boots, but I hate wearing them the whole time.

 

[richg99]

Long rope... Tie long rope to the winch. Works most of the time.

Always have an extendible boat hook in your hand.

 

[jawjatek]

Oh yeah, need to add a telescoping boat hook to the list. What length you like? Who makes the best one?

Edit: looks like there might be break in the rain tomorrow so will go to ramp and practice again - a different ramp this time.

 

[MrGiggles]

Here's what I do when launching solo.

If there is a dock parallel to the ramp, I use the rope method. Leave about 12ft coiled up on deck, one end tied to the bow cleat, other has a carabiner which I clip into the stake pockets on my truck bed (I hook to the truck since it's further from the water), back down to the waters edge, take off straps, lift up motor, and put the plug in. Unhook winch and back in, once the stern is floating, stab the brakes, boat slips right off. Get out, grab the rope, tie off to the dock, and park the truck. If the dock is in the middle of two lanes, I prefer to put in on the upwind side, so the wind blows the boat against the dock.

If there is no dock, or it's not parallel with the ramp, I leave the winch hooked, no rope. Back in until the stern starts to float. Get out, climb into truck bed, unhook winch, climb over the deck, start up the boat and back it off the trailer, then beach or dock it.

Without a dock, I've found that the rope method doesn't work as well because the wind will push it off course quickly, and it's hard to jump in the boat or beach it without getting my feet wet. My trailer has side runners that hold the boat until I get it started and reversed off.

As with many tasks repetition is key to success. No two rigs load the same, and it takes time to figure out what works best.

 

[CedarRiverScooter]

Several of the ramps I use have parallel docks. In that case I back in as close as I dare to the dock.

Then I just step into boat from the dock.

Push off trailer, tie off, dry feet.

 

[JL8Jeff]

We don't have a dock at our ramp so I just get my feet wet pretty much every time. The river level determines what your launching/retrieving angle is going to be so I expect to get wet. When I try to stay dry, I usually end up slipping on the river bank or trailer and that increases the chances of getting hurt so I don't bother trying to stay dry. I went out in Feb last year, a week after the ice broke up and that water temp had to be right around 32-33 so that was a bit of a wake up! Here's our ramp, it's pretty narrow and at an angle. And there's a nice big rock on the upstream side. Usually in the middle of summer, the water level is much lower and the rock is completely out of the water and not a factor.

 

[thedude]

Ha, love that Camaro towing.

 

[JL8Jeff]

Ha, love that Camaro towing.

It actually towed really well with the SS suspension. And the trailer hitch bolted to both frame rails and helped tighten up the rear giving it better traction. I still have the hitch, the kid who bought the car from me didn't want it so I told him I would remove it since there was a trick to it.

Here's the ramp when the river was about 3-4' lower, the big rock is out of the water and in the foreground. The ramp drops off when it gets this low.