Ramp etiquette ( in general)
 

In the last two weeks I have Launched my small fishing boat at a smaller lake in nh, the ramp is not great and the access is not great for turning and backing down, what I have found on this busy ramp was that for the most part the kayakers and canoeists have NO CLUE about launch etiquette!
I was backed down to within ft of the water ready to launch and had canoes dropped in front of me while they go back for gear. Had five canoes across the ramp with no apparent schedule for launching! When I politely asked if two that were blocking if they were going in soon I got an eyeroll and a slow motion launch.
I am thinking that if these folks were charged for launching or perhaps had to donate to fish and game (buy a fish license perhaps) they might smarten up!
I saw perhaps 20 kayaks go by yesterday only two were trolling a line from the kayak, guess which two kayakers stopped to chat.....

There should be a seperate thread about launch stories.......some funny and some annoying.I have too many to even begin.

Ramp etiquette
 

I agree with SAMIAM about a separate thread for "ramp stories". I spend time during the weekends watching the activity around Wolfeboro's docks area, and this includes their launch ramp. I am always amazed at what I see - boats being launched with no lines ready to tie up; boats with no finders; boats with no drain plugs in place; boats with no people in place; family fights, and family make-ups. Some days I think ramps should be staffed by a two-person team, 1), Judge Judy, the other, 2), Dr Ruth.

Even without a boat I can have an interesting day just watching the start and finish of boating at a local ramp.

Probably, the answer to 'ramp etiquette' is 'common sense and decency'.

Is it possible to get both things together now a days???:)

Don't forget people who can't back up a trailer and jackknife
or drive over the sea wall.
How about those who forget to remove the tie downs......or don't have a bow line and the boat drifts away.
Many haven't checked the battery and the boat won't start.
So many fun things at the ramp.

Paddle Boaters.
 

Seen this many time. They would try to get their gear in the water while you are in the middle of getting your boat on or off the trailer! Like get the heck out of the way, it is dangerous when you are trying to control a 3000 lbs boat when they are under your feet! There should be a safety course for paddle boaters.

No Clue both on the ramp and in the water. Of course since neither are power operated the people sitting in these craft generally have not had to take any type of boater training or safety classes.

boat trailing
 

I have seen this talked about in many places but I never thought people were really that stupid. I sold my pontoon boat and trailer this summer and the guy that bought it took it too a pond in CT. He could not get the boat off the Trailer. He brought the boat back and said how do you get it off the trailer, I walked him around the boat and when we got to the tie down straps he looked kind of embarrassed. I would have loved to be at the boating ramp and seen that. What did forest gump say, stupid is as stupid does!

Trailering
 

I will never forget about a decade ago. A brand new big butt truck towing a brand new big butt pontoon decided to beat everyone at the Glendale ramp by backing the trailer down the jetski ramp to the far left. He kept backing the truck down hoping to float the boat only to find out later he did not release the trailer straps. By that time all wheels were deep in the mud. Even in 4X4 he keep moving deeper and deeper into the lake. Everyone was trying to give him pointers, he was to proud to listen. Eventually he gave up and I offer to pull him out. I had an old 99 Dakota and I pulled out a huge GMC dually with probably the biggest I/O pontoon I ever saw!

Don't know why, but I had a standing ovation, as the owner was sitting in his truck red faced!

Even without a boat I can have an interesting day just watching the start and finish of boating at a local ramp.
When we give up boating, it will be be because we can no longer deal with the inconsiderate people at the launches. People who have no clue that there is any one else on the planet or just don't care. I pray to God on my way to the launch that he gives me the strenght to find the patience that I will need to deal with these kind of people. And that I don't eventually become one of them, just because they don't care about anyone else.

Fast Launch
 

If you have the right people (and that's a big if) the launch can be very quick.

In the early 70's we would launch 2 or 3 boats almost every Saturday morning at Downings in Alton Bay. There was usually a line of 4 or 5 boats and you just knew that would take a minimum of 10 minutes per boat as all the things people in this thread have mentioned happened to delay the launch. And, that is assuming someone in their group could successfully back up a trailer.

When our turn came, the boat would already be disconnected, no dock line, no fenders, just a driver in the boat with the blower on. A quick back down the ramp, the motor started just as the drive hits the water, shift into reverse, and the car driver hits the brakes and the boat slides off. Back the boat out of the way and come back in to pick up your friends when they are ready at the dock. A total of less than a minute and the dock is clear for the next person.

People would be surprised at the speed of the launch and some of the regulars would wave us around them in line because they knew we wouldn't delay them at all.

You and I could have had a contest..... I had a 26' Hurricane and the trailer had rollers instead of pads.
I would untie all the lines and back down rapidly,The wheels barely got wet as the boat slid off into the water with a huge splash.Funny to watch.....took about 30seconds.
Didn't have a driver in the boat,just someone holding the bow line to walk it away from the ramp.

I cringe reading the last two posts. What happens if a little kid were to run behind the trailer as you were backing down the ramp. You'd have to hit the brakes and hope the boat stayed on the trailer...

I'll join in on the contest !

Pretty much our standard launch process ....
(1) undo transom straps & uncover in parking lot (away from ramp area)
(2) Load wife into boat
(3) partially drive down ramp
(4) stop for one moment to get out and unhook bow strap
(5) proceed down ramp
(6) hit brake / launch

caveat: you cannot be on a steep ramp or you'll find your boat on cement not water :(



Done properly -- Whole process takes under 3-4 minutes


HellRaZoR004 ... in my case, unless the kid is swimming he isn't getting behind me, my rear trailer wheels are "wet"



.

Our procedure is similar,
pull into staging area,
I remove the transom straps, while the wife and passengers climb onboard
then I back down the ramp till the motor is in the water,
I get out and disconnect the bow strap while the wife starts the motor
I then get back in the tow rig and punch it in reverse, then hit the breaks,
the boat shoots off the trailer, and I pull out and park the tow rig and trailer while the wife pulls back in to shore to pick me up

It's good to have a routine. Here's my method:

1. Pull into ramp parking lot in such a way that I block anyone else from entering.
2. Inquire if I can cut in line. Argue with anyone that says no and lose.
3. Once at the ramp, I remove the boat cover, install the biminis, fill the fridge and repack my trailer wheel bearings.
4. I usually get the boat in the water on the 7th try at backing down the ramp.
5. Pull the boat back up the ramp and remove the straps.
6. Get the boat in the water after only 5 attempts.
7. Pull boat back out, wait for water to drain, then install the garboard plug and back in on the 3rd attempt.
8. Yell for help as boat drifts away with no lines attached.
9. Tie boat to ramp docks in such a way that no one else can use the ramp, then start inquiring if anyone has jumper cables.
10. Get boats started due to the kindness of strangers, then let it run at high idle through my open exhaust for 20 minutes until my crew arrives, parks the minivan in the trailer only spots, and gets all their gear aboard.
11. Crack open my third beer, and hit full throttle as soon as I clear the dock.

Only takes 45 minutes or so. :D

Now that's funny right there!! :laugh::laugh:

Good job!!

Dan

Dave -- You had me in stiches !!:laugh::laugh:

Sadly -- I think I have seen that before a few times ...... Was that YOU ?


.

HA, good to know I'm not the only one bored at work on a Friday afternoon. That's funny.

Oh,come on....isn't that a little far fetched.......a kid darting accross the bottom of a boat ramp at the last moment before launching....pu-leeze

You forgot to yell at your wife!

My Dad taught me DaveR methods, that's why I never bought a trailer for my boat. I couldn't back a trailer to save my life.

My Mom told me the three biggest causes of boating divorce: Launching, docking and anchoring.

Experience Counts
 

I might have to spot you some points. I have a Class A CDL and drove tractor trailers over 1,000,000 miles. I usually back up the Tahoe and trailer at about 30 MPH just for sport. (I do watch for little kids, though)

You would have to be really good in the launch phase to make up time.:)

Not at all actually. Saw idiots dart across lanes of a ramp 2x in one day at the public launch on Sunapee. Go witness boat ramp antics for yourself (or just youtube it).

But seriously, why risk having the boat slide off the bunks (or worse rollers)?

Knew I forgot something...

Really glad to say I have never done any of those things. I read Chapman's before I ever went to the ramp for the first time and was already quite capable of backing a trailer from other experience. I have been a trailer boater for 19 years now and have made several hundred trips down and up ramps all over the north east. The scariest was one in Saugerties, NY that had a 17 foot drop off at the end. You don't want to drop the wheels of that one...

Bad Ramp
 

I dropped the trailer off the end of a ramp in the Danvers River. I didn't know the precast stopped and suddenly the trailer was sitting on the frame. It is really hard to get it back up! In my first attempt someone with a 4X4 attached a 5/8 braided line to the front of my vehicle and the line broke before my vehicle moved. Long ugly story. (Lake reference: Never saw a ramp this tough on Winnipesaukee) :)

One time my vehicle sat spinning the wheels and not moving up. I got back in the boat, dropped the drive 1/2 way, and pushed the vehicle and trailer half way up the ramp to drier ground while someone else was behind the wheel of the towing vehicle spinning the tires. (Lake reference: It was nice to get back to Winnipesaukee and easier ramps):)

Fair enough......definately some thing to think about.I'm always preaching safety to the kids and grandkids ,so I
Think I'll take your advice andkeep the strap onuntil we hit the water.

Well I put in at Downings Friday. There where 2 WP people, 2 white vans, & about 12 kids under 16 fishing. I'm backing in, 2 kids w/ hand lines weren't moving even after wife tell them 2x that BOAT IS COMING!!
No markings on van, no brains in head.??

ramps
 

By the way, does anyone know why at the Alton docks ramp at Shibleys, a place to help Downings launching congestion, you cannot park a trailer across the street; but you can park snow mobile trailers there??
And parking at Letter S road is not the answer I'm looking for.

A friend of mine had an Ebbtide on a roller trailer. He disconnected the winch strap and safety chain on the flat upper level of the ramp lot. He then started backing down the steep ramp.

Need I finish the story?

Too much traffic in the summer time for boat trailer parking..
 

Both sides of Rte 11 can be covered with parked vehicles in the summer season. Trying to get a boat trailer in and / or out of that space to the left of Pops could be frustrating at best and darn near impossible as the norm.

Snowmobile trailers are generally considerably smaller in length than a boat trailer, and there are often large boats with their large trailers that launch at the Alton Docks. Trying to park them across the street from the docks could be difficult.

Also, the Alton Docks are not there to help Downing's congestion, but has been there for many decades as a free launch facility. Downing's on the the other hand has been a pay to launch until the NH F&G bought the property a year and a half or so.

While you may not want the Letter S road parking as an answer, it is certainly a good answer to launching at Alton Bay. It is only a few minutes ride to the parking area. Then a few minutes back to park your car for the day at the Bay parking area. Just no overnight parking at the bay parking.

Retrieving is harder
 

It's been a long time since I trailered--probably since forklifts started appearing, but I'm still amused by the folks who use the ramps. There have been several worthwhile posts about safely and quickly launching, but not much about retrieving.

When you launch, an unskilled person can hold a line and stand on the dock while the other backs down the ramp. Easy enough.

But when retrieving, to do it quickly, I think, really takes two skilled people. Often, the boat cannot be docked close to the ramp when there are several waiting to get out. So the one skilled boat driver, ends up also being the one who can back up the trailer. S/he ties the boat up someplace and walks to get the car. Parks it on the ramp and then walks someplace to get the boat. When s/he brings the boat around, there's another boat waiting, the winch cable isn't ready, the wind prevents getting the boat lined up, etc., etc. You've all seen it.

It looks like, to be quick, you need a skilled helmsman and a skilled tow driver. Anybody got good protocol for a crowded retrieval period when there is only one skilled operator?

Post of the month Dave R. You forgot this one part though.

It does help to have someone pilot the boat on to the trailer. We have it down to 30 sec in, 1 min out every time with 2 of us. My wife just idles where she can see the ramp and drives on when I back in. If you have to retreive by your self and can't dock next to the ramp, just hustle and people will be thankful. It's tough if you can not climb over the bow on to the tongue though. It's the people who are completely clueless and stand around wondering what to do that get frustrating.

I saw several people up to their necks in water this year launching:eek: One woman actually swam the boat over to the dock at Sheps after getting it of the trailer.

Retrieving
 

Retrieving with one skilled, one unskilled operator works well if there is some type of order at the boat ramp, however I've commented on a previous thread that if there's no order or direction(shep brown's) things become aggravating and stressful.
At a boat ramp where there's organization and I have one unskilled 14 year old with me:
1. Pull up to the end of the dock, assuming everyone ahead is pulling.
2.Shut off the ignition for good, I don't want to powerload nor do I want my child dealing with the winch, clasps, etc.
4. Hand my child the lines and tell him/her as the boats ahead get pulled out of the water move up the dock.
5.Retrieve my trailer up the dreaded hill at shep browns, worst part of the day.
6.By the time I return with my trailer and back it in, my child is next in line to pull, throws me the line, kicks out the back end and away we go in less than 5 minutes maybe.

Here's what drives me nuts.
1.Pull up to the end of the dock(sheps), in line with boats I assume are pulling out of the water because the entire end of the dock and other side is empty of boats
2.Hand my child the lines and tell them to pull our boat down the dock as boats get pulled out.
3. For whatever reason there's always a boat parked in the number 2 or 3 spot that isn't pulling. Why no one tells them to use the other side of the dock or the end of the dock to park their ass I have no idea. So now my child can't pull my boat down the dock, and while boats are getting pulled and I'm getting my trailer, other boats are pulling into the number 1 and 2 spots!
4. Now after I put my trailer down the ramp and my boat is not in the 1 spot I have to walk down the dock, start my boat, cram around the parked boats and float it hopefully somewhere within 10' of my winch, hop off, hook up.


If there was any order at some of these ramps there'd be less stress and there would be smaller lines.
I haven't had a problem at Town Docks.
DC

Although it is not my wife's favorite activity (especially on a windy/breezy day) I am SO GLAD that she's able to handle the boat & 90% of the time line it up on the trailer first shot.

Backing the trailer down the ramp is NOT an option for her -- she has ONE direction when the trailer is attached to the truck -- Forward ! :D


.

I am glad you are not power loading. I can't beleive how many people power load their boat just to save 15 seconds of cranking the winch.

We launch at Sheps too and most of the time we go right in without a major wait. A few times a year we get to watch people struggle though. Unfortunatly it's not something you can really offer help on...

Who needs a trailer?
 

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_Mm2DxCVrGU?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It wouldn't be so funny if it was not so stupid

Two ramp stories
 

I observed this firsthand in Florida. A guy with a diesel dually 4WD truck is trying to pull his boat and trailer out at Miami Marine Stadium. He backs in too far and drops off the ramp. His solution, given the traction and torque of his tow vehicle, is to drop the transfer case to 4 low, back up a couple more feet, and give it a good rush. The trailer comes out, finally, but without its axles.

I read this on a forum. Wife is attempting to back the trailer down the ramp to load the boat while husband is in the boat, yelling at wife's unsuccessful attempts to get it straight. Husband's volume increases as name calling begins. Eventually wife stops, looks at him with a cold gaze, puts the vehicle in forward and drives away (home?) leaving husband to float alone, wondering what to do.

That jet skier got what he deserved for harassing the loon.

When I go to Sheps b/t Memorial Day and labor day, I always bring a bicycle. After I drop the boat, I take my tow vehicle with trailer (and bike in back of tow vehicle) up the dreaded hill and have a very fast bike ride back down (fun!). I chain my bike to the telephone pole next to the ramp and when I return I ride the bike back up the hill...not as much fun but much much faster and easier than walking.

I do the same at the 19 Mile Bay launch.

In this case I would have suggested to unbuckle the boat before driving in.

Oh threads like this are always a good read.....

I have had boats on trailers my entire life. I have used and been at many ramps, with stories that will curl your hair....

One of the issues with ramp etiquette when you look at paddlers getting in the way, is that most canoists, and Kayakers, aren't necessarily schooled in this arena. Thus they don't understand backing up a boat on a trailer, nor do they understand that the ramp is the only way you're getting in.

I watched several conversations this summer at the Center Harbor ramp. The story was always that same... Newcomers, not familiar with the area, and the only place they saw to launch was the ramp. Now some were very polite, and other where not when the ramp attendant spoke to them. That just the problem when you deal with the public.

I always take the educational approach, I never simply state to get out of my way.... I generally tell them that there is another area, that they should be using and point it out.

As for other boaters, when someone is taking their time, I have found that going over and simply asking them if they need help seems to speed things up. Either they really need help, (more then once I have backed someone else's boat down the ramp), or they are ignorant about the fact that someone is waiting, and as soon as it is pointed out to them the get a move on.....

Now when all this fails, and I do get pissed, I just get back in my car, and start to think of all the hypothetical things I could do to ruin their day.... my favorites are:

- finding them anchored, and scubaing over and cutting the line
- finding their boat at a public dock, and tripping with a drink in my hand that spills in their boat
- letting the air out of their trailer tires....

anyways enough of that, revenge is easy to think off.... The bottom line is life is to short to worry about this stuff.... sometimes ramps are just busy, and some people are just inconsiderate.... if the world was perfect, we couldn't have fun dream about getting even, nor would we have something to complain about, and start these threads.

Dave R, great post. What is the name of your training school? I see your students every weekend and they have been following your training exactly as described.

Always remember.......the best revenge is living well.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Happy Friday! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/boatingmistakes?src=hash">#boatingmistakes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/funny?src=hash">#funny</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/beprepared?src=hash">#beprepared</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lakelife?src=hash">#lakelife</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MistakesBoysMake?src=hash">#MistakesBoysMake</a> <a href="http://t.co/XOYcWsEo7M">pic.twitter.com/XOYcWsEo7M</a></p>&mdash; Irwin Marine (@IrwinMarine) <a href="https://twitter.com/IrwinMarine/status/530713172110761984">November 7, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Maybe the truck is going to tow the boat around the lake!!! :laugh::laugh: