Boat ramp champs and chimps

[FishTank]

A dumb thing we had to deal with two weeks ago on the ramp.....

 

Fishing a tournament with about 40 boats and one of the guys in the tournament gets out of the passenger side of the truck and gets up on the boat.  The ramp only holds two boats at a time and other guy backs the boat down the middle of the ramp blocking anyone else from pulling in which is not a huge deal but...... The driver gets out to get the boat ready on the ramp and we all just have to wait and watch.  He still has all the tie downs for the boat on and he has to get his gear out the lockers.  To then top it all off, he changes his clothes next to the boat.  It took him about 10-15min. 

[Ski]

Early one weekday morning my partner and I pulled into the entrance of the ramp on the St. Johns river in NE Fl to find 2 cop cars lit up. I was thinking WTH is going on, when an officer jogged over to us and asked "how quick can you launch" my reply was about a minute, why? He pointed his mag-light to a floating car with a young girl sitting on the roof about 50 yds out and slowly drifting with the current of the river. The cop and I jumped in the boat as my partner launched us and we made our way to the frightened girl and took her back to the ramp where her boyfriend was explaining to the cops that he was teaching her to use a clutch on the ramp. We put the boat back on the trailer and went to another ramp.

[VolFan]

I made a one-shot launch this morning with no audience, backed it straight down no wobble, no pull up, no straightening, so I thought I’d tell you guys. My 11 yr old thought I was the best driver ever.
 

Boat ramp when we got back a little after one had a much bigger audience but everyone was being super cool. It was like a boat show though.

[Junk Fisherman]

A couple times I have offered to help assuming that the reason they were blocking the launch was because they were having issues.  Offering to help even if they didn't need it seemed to make them a little friendlier and more apt to move quickly.  I wasn't always this way.  I used to get annoyed and give dirty looks and stare but that doesn't improve the situation.  

[flyfisher]

On 7/1/2021 at 8:14 PM, Way2slow said:

OH!, I don't get confrontational.  I have never been able to argue a subject.  After about the third exchange of words, somethings going to happen if I'm still standing there.   I learned early in life, if I didn't want to knock h*** out of someone, which I did a lot of in my early years, I had better back off and let someone else handle the situation.  I guess that came along with getting married and having kids.  I think it's called growing up.   That's why I back off to a safe distance or location, and call the law.  Let them sort things out.   

 

Catt, I'm the same way, I'm gonna say it, even though I know things are only going down hill after I do.  

Like in restaurant and the waitress has an attitude and giving bad service.  My wife got mad because I commented to one, "you must not work for tips"  because she sure wasn't getting much from me.  I will leave a tip, but only maybe 50 cents or a dollar on a fairly large bill, just to let them know I was not happy. 

This is the perfect example of being passive aggressive.  

[Russ E]

Our local lake gets pretty entertaining at the ramp. My favorite time was 2 years ago. I may have mentioned this in an older thread, but I will repeat it here. 

A couple osprey were nesting nearby and people were coming out to film them. On this morning I pulled up to launch the boat and an SUV was parked sideways blocking all 3 lanes. When I walked up to ask what was going on a lady was filming an osprey eating a drum at the end of the ramp.

I asked the lady to move so I could get by. Her answer was"not until the osprey leaves". I said ok, and walked down the ramp to scare the bird away.

She called me several unfriendly names and left. I smiled and waved. Problem solved.

 

[N Florida Mike]

The most unusual thing I ever saw at a ramp was the time several drunk tourist looking guys were trying to launch a big speedboat of some kind at a little , fairly backwoods ramp. They had undone the straps and the guy backing the boat had a pretty good head of steam up and was doing a pretty good job backing up to the point when he hit the brakes for some reason. The boat slid right off the trailer right about where the ramp dipped at an angle to the water…

   

                                 CRUNCH !!!!!!

The boat hit the ramp and we helped them get it to the water… and off they went!

 

 

[Deephaven]

It isn't that hard.  Just offer to HELP.  I've backed at least 30 strangers vehicles down ramps and 95% of everyone I've offered to help has instantly let down their guard and become appreciative. Mo

[TnRiver46]

On 7/4/2021 at 8:37 AM, Ski said:

Early one weekday morning my partner and I pulled into the entrance of the ramp on the St. Johns river in NE Fl to find 2 cop cars lit up. I was thinking WTH is going on, when an officer jogged over to us and asked "how quick can you launch" my reply was about a minute, why? He pointed his mag-light to a floating car with a young girl sitting on the roof about 50 yds out and slowly drifting with the current of the river. The cop and I jumped in the boat as my partner launched us and we made our way to the frightened girl and took her back to the ramp where her boyfriend was explaining to the cops that he was teaching her to use a clutch on the ramp. We put the boat back on the trailer and went to another ramp.

My buddies pulled into a launch at daylight  one time and a car was face first in the water. My buddy walks up to the guys and says “rough nite, eh?” They said they were partying listening to music all night on the car radio and the battery died. So they tried to pop the clutch and start the motor using the incline of the boat ramp………. Hehehe

 

that particular ramp is wild, I’ve seen lots of dead deer and mattresses and burned up cars. And there’s off road trails all through the woods to top that off so it’s typically loud as well. The comic relief is the only saving grace