How many pleasure boaters...

[J White]

does it take to load a 20+ foot ski boat?
At least 10-
1 to back the compact SUV they're towing it with
1 to guide them back diagonally across both lanes of double ramp
1 to stand at top of ramp holding small yapping dog
1 to pilot(?) the boat
and at least 6 in the water waist deep to push/pull/tug boat onto trailer!

Wish I had a quarter for every time I've witnessed this! Don't get mad
though, just sit back and organize your tackle and enjoy the show.

P.S. If by chance they do leave enough room to sqeeze down the ramp
beside them, don't be tempted to do it - I did once, and the guy shot
the coal to it and ended up crossways of MY trailer. I started to haul
it to the top of the ramp for him, but was 'fraid it'd blow my tires :rolleyes:
If you're lucky, they'll have it squared away in 30 minutes or so and pull
to the top and stop to put away all their water toys - A diesel dually
backing past them with engine buzzing on the governor tends to break
up this party pretty good though! :D

[CrappieLips]

That's just about the size of it JWhite I'd just set there and throw pennies like i was at a picture show hoorah oncore oncore :D :D

[fiddlefarter]

I always enjoy watching some peoples attempts at boating. Occasionally I will politely ask if they want me to do it for them because they are taking so dang long. This try at being nice usually leads me to saying something like "well then hurry the hell up so I can go fishing." By then they are even more screwed up trying to hurry that it takes a couple more tries. Thing is I am never really in that much of a hurry. I just enjoy the show. The worst ramp experience for me was the day I walked up to get my truck to load up and a feller with two jet skis on a trailer was parked next to my truck. Thing was the door of his SUV was resting upon the side of my truck, which is a big no-no to me. I slammed his door so hard I thought it was coming off then I proceeded to call him a lot of words I'm not able to type and explain to him how he should respect other peoples stuff. He just stood there and I don't get that, he was a bit larger than me, I only stand 5'9" and 175lbs, but I guess I give off some kind of insane aura.

[J White]

I like that! I look pretty scruffy, what with a wooly beard and the
raggedy clothes I wear fishing. Even though I generally like to be
friendly and outgoing, sometimes people snatch up small children
and move to the other side of the dock! :D A crazy look will go a long
way towards people leaving you alone.

[reelcrappie]

It's a trip to watch some of these people launch, or attempt to launch. I'm with you on the door opened up onto your truck. If it had been me I would have gone balistic too.

[fishingpox]

Thats a good one fiddle, was your head twitching from side to side while talking to him?

I like that! I look pretty scruffy, what with a wooly beard and the
raggedy clothes I wear fishing. Even though I generally like to be
friendly and outgoing, sometimes people snatch up small children
and move to the other side of the dock! :D A crazy look will go a long
way towards people leaving you alone.

[SkyChimp]

Hope you folk will be gentle with me. I just bought my first boat. And my burning desire to use it is sort of tempered by my fear of launching it. I think I'll pick a nice quite weekday to get it in the water. Hope I don't make a fool of myself.

[CrappieLips]

Hope you folk will be gentle with me. I just bought my first boat. And my burning desire to use it is sort of tempered by my fear of launching it. I think I'll pick a nice quite weekday to get it in the water. Hope I don't make a fool of myself.

YES SkyChimp we'll be gentle :D :D it just takes a little cordanation don't be afraid to drive it up on the trailer, hook the safety chain all haul but up the ramp and do the rest out of everybodys way same with launching just remember to hook the tow line to the back of your truck so you want be swimming for your boat good luck

[fiddlefarter]

Hey if I'd have been anywhere I would have flown off the handle for someone hitting my truck with their door. And that was my old truck. I don't want to think about it happening with my new truck. Could be on the police blotter. Don't worry Skychimp, I've helped more people than I've got peed at. I don't mind giving someone a hand if they look like they need help. I can tell if someone is green as far as loading/unloading. Its the drunk posse that J White described that irks me. Of course from Memorial Day til 2 weeks after Labor Day I usually carry at least a small chip on my shoulder to the lake with me. The rest of the year the water belongs to us fishermen and hunters.

[David Waters]

talk about a bad experience at the ramp, came in from a Tuesday night bass tournament about 2 years ago at 10:30 pm, someone just prior to that had backed their truck (a jeep) and some how slipped out of gear and it backed right down the ramp into the water in about 25 feet. You could barely see the lights still burning as 55 or 60 bass boats were waiting in the harbor trying to figure out what to do. It finally was pulled out about 3am. Most fisherman however had run to another ramp. It was a weird night that night.

Oh, also witnessed this. Almost forgot. Right after I had bought my first bass boat, I was fishing by myself and had come in to load my boat. A couple of men were pulling thier boat out of the water as I got to the peir. Looked like they hadn't done this very much. Well, one man drove the nice challenger bass boat on the trailer and hopped out and latched it on, but all this took minute as I stood on the peir to make sure they didn't need any help. The guy in the truck, before pulling forward and giving it gas, pushed in the clutch and the truck eased back a bit. This was just enough for the wind to push the boat sideways offcenter of the trailer. Then, without looking back, he gunned it. The boat hull centered the wheel fender of the trailer, then just as the boat cleared the water, it came smashing down on it side and was drug up the ramp about 15-20 feet as at least 15 people were screaming at this guy to stop. I will never forget that sound of the boat hitting the lunch and it being drug across concrete. It took us about an hour to get it back into the water putting drift wood under it and sliding it down the ramp. What a day.