My boat ramp complaint

[Team_Dougherty]

I have seen all of the above at one time or another at different boat ramps. I usually just sit back and enjoy the show.

Now here is a site that will tell you how to disable those annoying DRLs (Day Time Running Lights) in most cars or trucks. http://lightsout.org/disable.html. If what you need is not here. Just Google DRL disable and your car or truck model. I am sure someone has already figured out how to do it for your vehicle.

Paul

[Siebert Outdoors]

I have to pull my boat onto the trailer with ropes, but that's because I have a little 14ft fiberglass boat and the trailer isn't a drive-on. I have tried to drive the boat on and off but it just doesn't work. I don't know if there's a way to fix this, but it might be because an 8hp motor isn't powerful enough to back the boat off and push the boat on the trailer.

The above post on loading/unloading doesnt bother me at all.  As long as he/she is working on loading or unloading I have alot and I mean alot of patience.  

Its just the unhooking and rigging on the ramp that really gets me.  The only thing the ramp is there for is to load the boat on the trailer or unlaod it.  Nothing else,  thats what the parking lot is for.  

I saw it again saturday.  We were the 1st on the lake and fishing around the dock and a guy comes flying down the road turns the trailer and after about 5 minutes of attempting to back it down he made it.  Got out and un hooked everything, piddled around for awhile.  What I got a crack out of is another guy came down the same way and pulled right next to the guy piddling and launched his boat quickle.  Remember this is a one lane boat launch.    It might have got the picture through to the guy.  After boat 2 launched the guy was still piddling around and still hadnt launched his boat.

I dont know about you guys but I have backed a few trailers in the water for other people.

I remember one tourney I fished I guess the guy went to get the boat and left his wife who I dont think has ever backed a trailer to do it.  I was just walking by and noticed that it wasnt going to happen and the guy in the boat was yelling at his wife.  So I said do you mind ma'am.  And backed it down for her.  She was gracious and I left knowing that I saved him a chewin later from his wife.

I dont mean to be rude on this next comment.

Please, if you are not experienced in backing a trailer please practice before going to the boat ramp.  The way I learned is backing my boat down our road and in and out of the drive way staying in the one lane.  Not only will this reduce boat ramp arguments, but will also speed up your launch time.  Equals more fishing time.

[mferris]

besides the usual idiots at the boat ramp i had a real gem today...the dock at the lake i was fishing only has room for one boat..today as i was coming in there was a boat tied to the dock and the guy was fishing from the boat!!!!!!!!!!!! i idled around alittle bit and he just kept on fishing,so i pulled in close and asked him if he was waiting for someone and he said no,he was just playing around.... i asked him to move his boat so i could take mine out and he ok but sounded ticked!!!!!!!!!!!! i don't know if some of these people are that inconsiderate or plain stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SCarter]

Some great stories here. I have lived within 30 mins from an impoundment all my life and have boated and jet skied for many years. The "know it all - weekend warrier - rookie boat owners" seem to irritate me most. Triton Mike and a few others that fish Alatoona can probably grin when i talk about the Block House ramp. It's a 3 lane ramp and real steep. I saw a guy block all 3 lanes with his trailer and SUV one day. 4 people offered to back it in and he just wanted to get an attitude. And this was on a Sunday afternoon in July. Like was said .. practice in your driveway before attempting the ramps.

[GeneinTX]

My 14 year old son is now capable of pulling my boat on and off the trailer and picking me up at the dock. i always felt bad when I had to leave my vehicle on the ramp and get the boat to the dock and then run back to park the truck.

I have always noticed though, it is usually helpful to help someone who may have their first boat and not know of all of the unwritten rules of the boat ramp. I once broke up a fight on a ramp in Kentucky because a fellow had wedged his pontoon into the trailer. It took 20 minutes to get them to stop fighting and about 2 to help the guy out.  

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

I sure didn't know some models of new American made vehicles don't have a switch enabling choice of parking lamps or  taking the headlights off daylight runninglight mode or automatic darkness activation  to manual. I drive a 2005 Chevy pickup at work and it has that capability. With engine running I switch to the dark lamp figure and that turns the headlights off. It's spring loaded.

Jim

[Morrolan]

Everyone has probably already seen this, but here are some genius jetskiers.

How to launch a personal watercraft

[VekolBass]

My most hated ramp scenario is when bank fishermen fish from the courtesy dock in such a way as to block access to the ramp. I don't even get real uptight if they are there and fishing away from the ramp--having been a bank fisherman I understand that Virginia is tough in gaining shorline access. But these dumb*** people who have eight lines spread out, half of which are right in the way are one of the reasons I don't carry a firearm with me.

[fishing4life]

try when 3 people are blocking the ramp with their car and fishing from the ramp,when asked to move the car,none of them know how to start it or drive it. its happend atleast 3 times this month alone

[BLUESKY]

What burns me is boaters trying to load their boats back onto the trailer by pulling it on with ropes or wading around attempting to get the boat on. Makes you wonder why they fiddle around when they see multitudes of people just drive their boat onto the trailer.

I also prefer to drive on, but there are some lakes where it is posted that power loading is not allowed. At theese lakes I still see boats being driven on to the trailers. One time I asked a boater why he didn't just drive on and he told me that it was his first time at a lake that allowed and that it was not allowed on the lake he usualy fished and that he didn't feel confident enough to try it.

BlueSky, that's interesting. I've been on many lakes that only allow trolling motors, but I still crank my outboard to trailer/de-trailer my boat. Once I'm off the trailer I shut it down and use my trolling motor. I assumed that this was OK. Are you talking about lakes that explicitly prohibit power loading? I've never seen this.

sorry it took awhile to respond, computer has been acting up. Yes there are some lakes which explicitly prohibit power loading, launch areas are not too deep and the ramp doesn.t extend very far into the water. power loading tends to wash out holes at the back of these ramps.

[Guest JoshKeller]

I tried the dome override switch on my 2001 s-10. It does indeed work.

I have to chuck my back tire when launching my boat (the e brake and clutch will sometimes slip when the heavy boat is being launched, my truck is only a 4 cylinder), and even so, I can have my boat off the trailer in about 1 minute, and back on in about 2 - 3 minutes, and I dont have a drive on trailer. I just back up the trailer until the water covers only 1 roller, guide it on, center it, then power it on. Takes no time at all after you do it once or twice.

[darren2569]

I used to get upset with the headlight deal also until I got my Sonoma, the headlights are on all the time. At night the only way to turn them off at the ramp is to turn the vehicle off, set the parking brake then start it back up, when you release the parking brake the lights come back on. It does make it difficult to back down the ramp with other people's lights on.

I have a 2000 sonoma. If you push the dome override button on and off 3 times, it'll turn off the auto headlights. You can turn them on or off yourself, but they wont come on by themselves  

[jasone]

I can top you all.

The last three times I have launched from my favorite ramp, there have been kids either swimming on or near the boat dock and/or ramp.  Unfortunately the ramp is near a camping area.

The first time, I launched normal and came back in so my partner could drop me at the dock.  There was a pontoon, a john boat and three kids all in front of the dock.  They didn't have any intention of moving either until I asked politely.

The second time, there were two kids swimming on the boat ramp as I pulled by to launch.  My wife motioned with her thumb in the universal sign for get the hell out of there.

The third time, I actually had to wait for some kids to quit performing Jackass style stunts on their bikes.  They were literally riding their bikes off the dock and into the boat ramp lane.  

Granted, they were just kids but where they heck were the parents?

J

[ThomasL]

Baasnlow,i have to complain on that one,i own a small war eagle with

a wesco trailer that is not drive on with a tiller motor,to load it i must

pull to it with the trolling motor and hopefully it aligns straight enough that

i can pull it up with the winch,but this past saturday that didn't happen and i had to hop out and pull the boat up on the rollers to get it straight,so some

don't have it as easy as others do. My dad had a stratos bass boat and

he'd back the boat in and i'd always drive the boat off,but since he died

i've had to do it all.I kept the boat and tried to use it but such a large

boat was too much trouble for me so i sold it and bought the smaller

cheaper! rig in case i do screw something up.

For the gripe the idiots that spend 30,000 or more on a bass boat but have a

piece of @!$% vehicle to TRY and pull it out and burn rubber and have there buddy jumping up and down on the bumper trying to get the thing out of the water!!!

[wcasey911]

I hate when people park there boat at the little dock by the ramp and it takes up the hole entire dock and you cant pull in to pick your partner up or even worst to pull your trailer up out of the water the people be hind you start yelling and what not > > > > >

If they are fishing by theirself or otherwise have no way to take out without tying to the dock then what are they supposed to do?  I admit when the ramp is busy I hate to do it, but when I go alone I have no choice but the tie off to the dock (the non ramp side of course) to get my trailer.