Glendale Docks Incident

[gravy boat]

To the obviously ignorant boater who today, Sunday of Columbus Day, in the late afternoon at the Glendale Docks:

1) Backed his truck and boat trailer in the launch spots in the MIDDLE of the 8 hr and 3 hr docks at GLENDALE, taking up 1.5 spaces. Oh, and part of his TRUCK was in the water as well. There was NO room on either side to bring in anything but the smallest of boats.

2) Drove his classic wooden boat onto his trailer and then OPENED his engine hatch and checked his filter and added oil...WHILE TRUCK, TRAILER AND BOAT WERE STILL ON THE RAMP AND IN THE WATER. Only two of us were in line when he started...by the time Capt. Bonehead pulled out there were 7+ boaters waiting.

It was hard to determine whether he was ignorant or just arrogant -- or a bit of both.

Amazing.

GB

{this post was edited by the moderator}

[Tank151]

Sounds like this clown was ARROGANT!

[Formula260SS]

To the obviously ignorant boater who today, Sunday of Columbus Day, in the late afternoon at the Glendale Docks:

1) Backed his truck and boat trailer in the launch spots in the MIDDLE of the 8 hr and 3 hr docks at GLENDALE, taking up 1.5 spaces. Oh, and part of his TRUCK was in the water as well. There was NO room on either side of this ignoramus to bring in anything but the smallest of boats.

2) Drove his classic wooden boat onto his trailer and then OPENED his engine hatch and checked his filter and added oil...WHILE TRUCK, TRAILER AND BOAT WERE STILL ON THE RAMP AND IN THE WATER. Only two of us were in line when he started...by the time Capt. Bonehead pulled out there were 7+ boaters waiting.

It was hard to determine whether he was ignorant or just arrogant -- or a bit of both.

Amazing.

GB

I ran into one of these morons on Sunday myself, sitting on the ramp draining his bilge and who knows what else.

All it took was a simple "do you need any help" and off they went.

[gravy boat]

Yes, he wasn't the only one this weekend that was a bit inconsiderate at the docks and on the lake. I mentioned his boat by name in the hopes that someone on the Forum knows him and can advise him on the unwritten rules of consideration in boating. ;-)

Oh yes -- almost forgot: Earlier in the day a chump from RI (Mercedes SUV) cut in line to launch (there were several of us already in an obvious line) -- he developed an attitude when told there was line and he'd need to wait. He told people to either "hurry up and go, or I'll go in front of you." He was in such a hurry that he tried to squeeze his trailer in a small spot instead of waiting for the other large boat to leave -- which would have been a 3 to 4 minute wait. "What goes around comes around" was evident when he had serious issues bringing his 15 foot runabout onto the trailer. For about 10 minutes he struggled to get that little boat on the trailer. Every time he tried, the boat floated off sideways. And his wife was no help...she just stood on the dock watching. I really wanted to tell him that his trailer was backed in a little too far, but...well...he was arrogant. There were a few dozen people milling about on the docks during this fiasco, and not one person offered to help him during his struggle...including my husband and I. You could hear him yelling and cussing at his wife after he finally pulled out.

Hope he stays in RI.

GB

[chipj29]

.....You could hear him yelling and cussing at his wife after he finally pulled out.

Hope he stays in RI.

GB

Why is it always the wifes fault when things go wrong at the boat ramp? :emb:

[Kamper]

Why is it always the wifes fault when things go wrong at the boat ramp? :emb:

On another forum I visit, a member told about a skipper who was yelling and swearing at his female companion trying to back the trailer down the ramp so he could load up. After a while she reached her saturation point and put the truck in forward gear.

"You're too far up! Hey! Where you going?! Hey! Hey! Come back!!!"

(approximation of what was actually said)

The guy who wrote this up said he hung around another hour and that lady never came back.

[MJM]

We use Wolfeboro Town Docks ramp, albeit just to launch in the Spring and haul out in the Fall, and have never had a problem with someone unnecessarily blocking things. Only once did I feel we were being held up, and that guy made a point to call over to us that something on his sailboat had just broken on the boat ride over, and he needed to secure it before trailering. He apologized, was obviously going as quickly as he could, and got out of the way relatively quickly.

The problem I encounter very often is clueless folks walking directly behind the trailer when I'm backing down, or walking directly in front of the car while I'm hauling up the ramp. I try not to let it bother me, and figure they just don't understand that the task can be difficult/stressful.

[Seeker]

The problem I encounter very often is clueless folks walking directly behind the trailer when I'm backing down, or walking directly in front of the car while I'm hauling up the ramp. I try not to let it bother me, and figure they just don't understand that the task can be difficult/stressful.

Those are what we call tourists.:)

[Taz]

My view was that gravy boat was not totally blaming the wife. However, my wife and I both believe that both spouses should contribute. When we were trailering we had a great routine where she drove the boat and I drove the tow vehicle and trailer. We could launch and haul the boat in 2-3 minutes. We believe both spouses should be experienced at all boating duties.

The trick at the ramp is you prepare to launch and haul before you back the trailer into the water. The only activity that should be occuring while the trailer is backed into the water is launching or hauling. Nothing more.

[gravy boat]

I wasn't blaming the wife -- but the husband certainly was! :rolleye2:

[Excalibur]

I always thought it would be interesting to set up a camera for a weekend day at the Glendale launch ramp. I have watched people launch and load there boats and have been quite entertained while I have waited for guests to arrive. I also offer to help while I am there and grab lines and fend off near misses. In perspective I think Warren Miller could relate it to skiers handling a rope toe or a icy lift at a ski area.

There are the experts that do it every weekend and then on the other extreme there are the beginners who do it maybe twice a year.

I always dread my launch and haul. Will the truck make the 240 mile round trip pulling such a load. Will the trailer be fine and is everything going to work. Finally make it to the ramp and then trying to back up straight to leave room for others. Also will the water be deep enough, I always push the season because of the dreaded haul out. Usually I am the only one at the ramp and have my parka on. With the boat on the trailer I let out and a sigh of relief.

Then back on the road where the cars on the highway pull out in front of you it seems at every on ramp as I proceed in the right lane cautiously. I hope the surge brakes work well to slow my 45 feet of truck and trailer.

Maybe next year I will leave it at a marina.. then maybe not.. its to much fun :laugh: