Launch ramp antics

[Full_Monte]

My wife and I were at Berryessa the last few days. There are a lot of things to tell, but the launch ramp retrieval of the boat was memorable. I back up the trailer/camper into the water at the wife's directions as to how far. Since I can't see the trailer in the mirrors, I don't know how far the trailer is underwater. Well, we missed the sweet spot on depth. It looked a little deep to me, but I got out of the truck and drove the boat up on the trailer. It floated almost all the way onto the trailer. I made the mistake of telling my wife that the trailer was too deep, because it was floating in the rear. She said it was too shallow. This made for a memorable argument. Well, after all was said and done, we got the boat out of the water off-center on the trailer, and both of us were mad. Lesson learned: launch ramps are an excellent source of family arguments.

What are your launch-ramp stories?

 

[Kokonuts]

Launch Ramp

Wow, this happened to me yesterday (May 1st.) at Lake Merwin.

When I went out about 8:00 the wind was up. By 12:30 when I came in the wind & waves were really pushing me around ! In The Marina! After the 3 or 4 try I got turned sideways between the two docks, & lost all control of the boat. laugh hyst Since I was by myself I couldnt leave the wheel to tie it down. I was lucky to have two guys come to my rescue! It was still hard to control the boat & one guy almost went in trying to hold a rope!laugh hyst After 3 or more trys, we finally got it tied down. I went and got the trailer backed in, drove it straight on the first shot! thumbsup
Never seen it so Bad In The Marina!....Kokonuts

 

[SilverBullets]

After getting our boat years ago, I had done alot of work on it including the installation of a couple of mini bunk guide-ons. When the day came for the maiden voyage, I backed it down and we tried to get it off the trailer...wouldn't budge! We rocked it back and forth trying to set it free but no luck! I figured it must be the side bunks causing the problem, so pulled her forward and got out a wrench and proceeded to remove the guide-ons. Back her back down, and tried again without much luck...until we discovered the rear tie-downs were never taken off!!! Hasn't happened since...laugh hyst

 

[ImHooked]

Launch Ramp

Now this my friends is some genuine quality entertainment. I have had the privilege to be part of the launching comedy routine. The wife and I were launching our boat at Crescent Lake a few years back and it was a shore launch. I was having difficulty getting the boat off the trailer, so I had her back me in and out several times, could not figure what was wrong. I had the motor fired up and was using it to help the boat off the trailer, so I thought. I noticed that I was stiring up the mud near the shoreline. Of course by then our conversation was getting a bit heated because it certainly could not be my fault so it had to be hers. I realized that the boat and trailer were at a angle to the truck, hummm.......was the trailer floating as well. laugh hystYes, indeed it was, now of course the proper thing to do would be pull out and straighten up and release the "tiedowns". No, I could not do that, I released them while everything was still floating, smashing my fingers on the back of the boat.crymeariver

Lesson learned: Preparation,Patience and Humility...........also ate a little crow, not to mention the sore fingers.

I always make it a point now to camp near or spend some time in the latter part of the day at the boat ramp and I am never disappointed.laugh hyst

IH

 

[SilverBullets]

Got to the lake one morning and was next in line to launch. The boat in front had just launched, and the guys girlfriend or wife climbed aboard as he parked his rig. As we waited patiently, he walked down the ramp and got in to start the motor so he could move to let other's launch. Well...I think you know where this is going! He couldn't get it started, had a few choice words, then walked up the ramp, got in his truck, and headed into town 15 miles away to purchase a new battery while he left his boat sitting there ...no one could get in or out of the water!! He had no clue, and his women sat there with a blank face. We had to go and move the boat around the dock to the other side while she sat there looking at us. If she hadn't been in the boat, I have a feeling he would have had to swim out to it by the time he got back...if ya know what I mean!thumbsup

 

[Kokonuts]

This is great! Soooo I'll add 1 more!!

A couple of years ago I got my first boat, an old 16ft. Fiberglass. I had my wife a buddy & his wife go with me for a ride to check it out.

The launch went off without any problems and I went to park the trailer & left them all at the dock with the boat tied up. When my wife noticed some water in the boat, my buddies wife said thats ok its an old boat! laugh hyst
Then my wife said its about a couple of inches deep just as as was walking to the boat. I RAN down to the boat and looked in & saw the plug in the motor well where I left it! RAN back to the car got the trailer in , back to the boat. Its now sinking with a foot of water in the bottom, I ran the boat back up on the trailer while everyone on the dock was laughing! laugh hyst

That was all bad enough but you just have to know that my WIFE had her CAMERA & it wasnt long till the Picts hit the internet to all the rest of my friends!!!
laugh hyst............Kokonuts

 

[Full_Monte]

OK, Kokonuts, I gotta ask....where can we see those photos?

 

[Petty4life]

OK, Kokonuts, I gotta ask....where can we see those photos?

I want to see the pictures to...laugh hystlaugh hystlaugh hyst

 

[SilverBullets]

movie89586 It's show time!

 

[Bduck]

movie89586movie89586

 

[bobco]

did a good one weds, had to take buddy to dock at 10:30 so he could go to work, I forgot my thermos that morning so I tie off and walk up to the truck. get back and go say hi the marina manager since he just got back, Inside shooting the $@#@ with him and someone comes in and says anybody in here got a boat, I look out and here is my boat floating out to sea, I yell at my lab and she sticks her head up like now what dummy? got I ride out to get not before suffer a good rash of ribbing, going to hear about that all year I'm afriad...........

 

[Kokonuts]

Sorry Guys!! Those pictures were deleted a LONG time ago and I'll never admit to the story again!!!!....Kokonuts

 

[jekern1015]

Up at Willard a couple of weeks ago I backed the boat in with my neighbors grandson on board. I then climbed into the boat to remove it from the trailer and it wouldn't move. I climbed back out and backed the trailer in a little more when I noticed the boat floating away. That's when I remembered I didn't reconnect the front tie down. We managed to get the boat back to shore by tossing me a rope and having me pull it in.

 

[Lundman]

Boat launching on the Hard Deck

A while back (a couple years) the wife & I launched and I was waiting in the boat for my wife to come down to the dock. Pickup with a Lund boat pulls down and the boat looks exactly like mine (almost) – well the two guys pull right down to launch their boat and the driver is backing down and heading for the dock, so he has to pull forward -- and as he pulls forward the boat decides to launch on the hard-deck. (see attached pic). Everyone just can’t believe the sight – the guy in the boat is just sitting there like all is OK. The driver gets out and hooks the winch strap to the boat and starts cranking. The boat driver finally gets out and starts pushing and they get it back on the trailer and go fishing.

 

[Kokaholic]

That photo looks like it could have been taken right around the time that the Buckboard tournament is held each year. Busy ramp day.

 

[fish-on-bend]

I've done 2 "dry" launches in the last 3 years. The 1st was at Crescent lake, Oregon. Its a long steep ramp and I always used to unhook the bow winch strap at the top of the ramp on my previous boats with carpeted bunks.. Well this was October with a little ice and the plastic bunks coupled with a smooth welded aluminum hull caused my 1 st dry launch. Thank God my winch and strap are strong. So I wait till I'm almost at the waters edge to unhook. Last January that wasn't good enough. We had 12 degrees that morning and lots of ice fog. Everything was super slick. I got into the boat at the waters edge and as soon as my buddy shifted into reverse the boat beat the trailer again. Now if its anywhere near freezing we back in till its at least a foot of water. My buddy said that a few more dry launches and my 15 degree hull will become a flat bottom sled.laugh hyst
At least my motors were raised all the way up each time.

 

[smokepoles]

(see attached pic). Everyone just can’t believe the sight – the guy in the boat is just sitting there like all is OK. The driver gets out and hooks the winch strap to the boat and starts cranking. The boat driver finally gets out and starts pushing and they get it back on the trailer and go fishing.

Glad to see someone got a pic of that one. Wasn't that the day before fathers day two years ago. Our first trip fishing kokanee that was, but thankfully a bit less eventful during put in and take out.

 

[Flyguy55]

Anyone that's been boating awhile will have stories to tell . I have 2 , thankfully I wasn't the star . In the early 60s I had my first restaurant in Red Bluff Ca . After the lunch rush I went down to the launch ramp for something. A guy had a brand new ski boat being backed down the ramp by a very pretty blonde girlfriend in a pretty new Ford Starliner convertible. The Starliner had a steel folding top that folded up into where a trunk would be. When I arrived the guy was in the boat yelling at the GF to keep backing up. By then the rear wheels were nearly under water but the boat didn't float off . He kept yelling to come back . He finally yelled to pull forward . But when she tried , the rear wheels were spinning and the car kept rolling back and soon sunk.
Of course he hadn't untied the hold down and the big trunk plus the boat floated the rear tires off the ramp , the girlfriend panicked and didn't brake, and the whole thing was soon under water. The guy started cussing the girlfriend and I decided I had other things to do and didn't help him get the rig out , It wasn't her fault , she was following directions .

 

[Flyguy55]

The other one was at Powel . Somewhat similar , Wife or girlfriend in a Cadillac this time and the guy was in a 24 ft twin cabin cruiser. Its a very long ramp and the woman was having a hard time backing straight. I was with friends on a house boat at the dump station. The guy was cussing and yelling and she had the boat all crossed up across the ramp. The guy climbed out of the boat , jerked the woman out of the seat and proceeded to drive up the ramp till the boat was straight again, he was quite skilled at backing. He gunned the boat straight down the ramp then hit the breaks , the boat rolled off the trailer beautifully . Problem was only the last 5 five ft was in the water , the rest was still on the ramp. He went ballistic . We didn't help him either

 

[3RivrFishr]

Monday (Memorial Day) was Jackass day at the big eddy boat ramp on Dworshak. Apparently Cooter cant read the buoys that say no wake. Then Cletus forgot which pedal was go and which was stop while he was snaking his rusted trailer down the ramp and he rammed his trailer into the dock shoving it about 3' back and jamming his trailer underneath the dock while 4 of us were trying to keep our boats under control from the 3' wake that Cooter made. Poor gal on the end had to let go and jump in because the end of the dock where she was standing was forced underwater by Cletus' trailer. Then when Cletus finally got unstuck he almost ran into Bubbas' trailer because Bubba parked it 2' on the other side of Cletus while the whole calamity was taking place. After the 3' seas from Cooters' wake settled down I figured it was safe to leave the boat in the hands of my son and nephew and go get my trailer. There was only one side of the dock open and Bubba decided he needed to park at the top of the ramp whilst a line of boats 2 miles into the lake was queing to take out. I sat there and watched in disbelief as he pulled his plug and started stowing some gear. He saw me waitng and said "oh, am I in the way?" My 3 word reply was "ya think, maybe?"

Oh well, it ended well and nobody got hurt except I tore the hide off my thumb when it got jammed between the boat and the ramp during Cooters' water plowing trip through the no-wake zone. Had my thumb not been bleeding so badly I would have hung around and watched the jackassery continue. movie89586