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Courtesy at the ramp


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I understand that not all of us have been operating watercraft since they were old enough to see over the steering wheel but some things should be common sense. I am referring to a little common courtesy at the l aunching ramp. Yesterday at the North Arm ramp on Minnetonka, some guy held up one lane of the launch for at least twenty minutes. He launched his jet ski and instead of moving it around to the front of the retaining walls, he left it right on the ramp, much to the amazement of all of us waiting in line to launch or load. He then went and parked and came back only to proceed to put on his matching wetsuite bibs, jacket, watershoes, hat and, of course, goggles. It was quite a production. On Saturday, the boat ahead of me at Gray's Bay sat watching other boats launch for a least 10 minutes but it wasn't until they had backed down the ramp that they gave any consideration to taking off tiedowns, getting out ropes, loading stuff into the boat from the vehicle, etc. Come on people! It's not that hard to figure out. I know I am preaching to the choir to most of you but I just needed to vent.

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I feel your pain, I am sure 90% of the people know what there doing, but I always end up behind the 10% that just do not care.
But I still go as much as possible.

------------------
crazy about fishing

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Kab - Totally agree. I was at Gray's Bay Sat and it took some guy 20 minutes just to launch his Pontoon baot. I was not paying careful attention as I was 3rd in line, but it looked like he had all sorts of trouble just launching it???

Another guy finally helped him......Maybe if we can step in and help out, it would go quicker????

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I don't like jet ski's. I would probably had bigg enough brass ones to actually go down and push it away from shore and into the lake so that he would have had to go swimming for it.

Well, OK, I probably wouldn't actually do that, but would have definitely gone down there and asked if he wanted help moving it to the side or to the end of the dock so others could get their boats launched/docked.

However, launch courtesy and even on water courtesy is what keeps me off most metro lakes durring daylight hours. Everyone has the right to be on the lake, so I just choose to go somewhere else instead of getting worked up about it and possibly do some improper things grin.gif

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I understand fully!

I do have to apologize though this weekend. I was on the ramp, but my rollers must need some tuning up. For the life of me, I could get the boat off the trailer. I tried a few things (maybe 2-5 minutes). No avail, so I had to just back the boat down until it floated. My bad.....
For those guys that have experiences like me, we have our days.
For those guys that fiddle around with straps, ropes, etc. while on the launch, the heck with em' and forever get evil looks!

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Another thing that gets me going are newbies with new boats. I have learned that helping them out is best for everyone, and most folks are very happy for the assistance. smile.gif

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I hear ya all on the pain of waiting at the ramps and all. But like Kab said not everyone knows how to launch a boat what not. It takes practice and time, of course help as well. Which brings me to this past weekend my other half, the munckins and I went fishing in the Fairbo area, when we came to the landing a younger fellow college aged was having problems backing up his trailer and this went on for like 5 minutes. As i was finishing up loading the boat kids what not. When i looked down to see if he still needed help or not. My other half was backing his boat in the water for him. Then she got boat off the trailer in the water. Parked the kid's truck and trailer for him as well. The sad thing is everyone at the landing started making fun of him "a woman doing a mans thing what a geek." By now i was down their helping him get is boat a going and stood up for him. But any way we give the kid Travis our cell phone number to call us when/ if he needed help to leave, which he did. He may not be the best boat launcher he sure knows his fishing.He had a mess of panfish and bass.But please remember at one time or another we all like Travis have been a little unsure of launching a boat. Happy fishing to all.

Larski

Musky fishing is da bomb
Anything else is just bait

[This message has been edited by Larski07 (edited 06-08-2004).]

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What a mess!! Was anyone at the Bald Eagle ramp on Sunday evening? I pulled in about 6:00 pm and was instantly stuck with no way out. I was boat # 26 waiting to take out or put in. It took me 35 minutes to finally get out of the parking lot. At the time I left there was still 18 boats and trailers in front of me.

So much for a night of fishing with the family!

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I was in the line to put in but decided to leave when I got to the opening to exit. Went to WB (Mataska) and found no lines and a spot in the lot. Suprised the heck outa me.

What was the hold up at BE? I saw the weedcutter coming out. Maybe he backed everything up??

Dave

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I was at Bald eagle recently and noticed that people would pull their boat out and stop after not pulling too far up. There are a lot of spaces in the bald eagle parking lot to get packed up, the driveway to the boat landing is not one of them.

Ole

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Everyone on here has made good points so far and I just want to add my 2 cents - not that it matters, because like someone said, "We are probably preaching to the choir", but even if what I have to say makes sense to one person... it's worth it.

I am a new boat owner, and never had one as a kid - therefore I am not a wizz at getting my boat in and out of the water. Now, I am fairly sure that I am not as bad as some of the people on here (taking 20 min. or having someone elses' wife do if for me), but I know I have plenty of room for improvement. I usually go fishing by myself so that alone takes alittle more time, and if someone were to offer some assistance I would greatly appreciate it. When I go with a buddy it takes me about 2 min to have the boat in the water and be pulling off the ramp, but when alone, it takes about 7 min. by the time I have all the ties off, and the boat tied to the OTHER SIDE OF THE DOCK (so as not to clog a launch).

The point here is to remember we are not all Al Linder, especially when someone is doing it alone. Lets remember that everybody on the launch just wants to enjoy a beautiful day on the water and catch some fish. If we see someone struggling a little just be patient, offer them some assisstance, and remember we're all fishermen out there.

NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO RUIN SOMEONE ELSE'S DAY OF FISHING!!!!!

Sorry this got so long, but thanks for your time.

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FLOAT YOUR TRAILER!! It never ceases to amazae me the way people are afraid to back the **** trailer into the lake to let the boat float right off. You don't have to start your motor to back off, GRAVITY DOES THE JOB. Also, please don't train your wife, son, daughter etc.,. how to unload and load on the WEEKEND!

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Ebhweibold, doesn't everybody do that (let gravity do the work)??

I have yet to see anyone try to actually drive their boat off the trailer versus just backing it in the water far enough.

Ok, enough about launching a boat... lets talk about how to catch fish!!!!

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No kidding here boys!!!!
last wednesday I was on minnetonka and saw a friend who said that he had just witnessed 2 guys try to look professional and do a speedy boat drop at the grays bay ramp with a brand new 521 ranger. He said they backed up and as soon as the boat started to float the guy in the truck took off. Yep! they forgot the main strap--Drug that ranger completely up the concrete until the motor was out of the water.
On thursday I watched at maxwell bay as someone jacknifed their trailer and boat into the pier.
On friday on sarah I watched a guy in a skeeter bass boat forget to trim his motor up after loading and proceeded up the ramp with the skeg and prop dragging and bouncing on the concrete. (ka thump ka thump ka thump)
and finally on saturday I watched a guy on Waconia miss the ramp, hang one tire in the sand, and then in trying to get out of the mess ended up trying to get the boat off the roller trailer and dropped it in water to shallow to float thus sticking it on the concrete. Six guys finally pushed it into the water.
We all have bad days at the ramp especially when your new to boating, but wow!

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I'll let you know what I did when I first got a boat, mainly because I didn't want to be embarrassed at a busy launch.

I went to a local lake, weekdays, in early spring, and practiced launching and landing my boat...many times!

Granted, this was not "productive" fishing time, but it sure helped out in the long run.

Now I can launch or land, by myself (as I usually fish) in less than 2 minutes flat, either direction. Saves the precious time for being on the water.

Now, I make a point of providing help to anyone at a launch who looks like they either need it, or they are by themselves and could use it even though they know what they're doing. Simple common courtesy makes it better for all of us. I NEVER could understand a bunch of guys "waiting in line" for a launch and just standing there watching and complaining about it when they could be assisting the person needing help. I guess they just like to tell stories about it afterward.

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Interesting subject! Someone should have asked the guy with the jet ski to move it along. maybe he was excited about what he was doing and was'nt thinking. You would'nt have to fist fight the guy, just politely ask him to get going. Probably would have said "sorry" and got out of the way, (If not, THEN you could fist fight him!) As far as launching, or loading the boat, there are those that can launch a 41 foot pontoon in 30 seconds and load it up in the same amount of time, but not everyone is a cowboy and not everyone is going to get it right every time. We all know how to walk, but we still stub our toes once in awhile! Like in some of the other posts, relax, if it is obvious that someone needs a hand, why not help em? It is certainly better then standing around steaming, making your heart work overtime and ruining your day on the water. If someone is intentionally being a weeny, team up with some of the other steamers and give him a major league wedgie!

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Yep- for the most part you are all good at the ramps! I plan to stick to weekdays only.. since the ramps won't be busy. I try my hardest to be fast... getting the boat ready BEFORE I back up. I too have had a holdup for a slow boat... but I will be helping anyone I see who seems to be pokey... and will not be afraid to hurry them on if they are too slow. I will not stand for some of the examples above.

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for the most part i don't have a problem waiting for the inexperience boater to get his boat launched or picked up. i'll even offer to help. what bothers me is the people that won't pull out of the way after picking up thier boat so others can launch. they just pull up a few feet and start unloading and tieing down thier boat. you can tell the ones that don't care they are the ones that tell ya to get lost when you ask nicely if they could pull up and out of the way. the ones that are new don't seem to have a problem learning ramp etiquet they just need to be educated. it's the ones that don't give a **** that bother me.

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Just realize this...we were all inexperienced at one time or another...
I'm sure we can all relate to the times when things just weren't going right... you could feel the tension in the air, the harder you tried, the worse it got!

But, we can all tell the guys who are experienced yet knowingly cause a delay at the launch...from the ones who need a little help. It's the arrogant ones that really irritate me (us!) --AK

------------------
"Shhh...I'm fishing"

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Yep, I see these kind of people that have no courtesy for others almost everytime I'm out on the water. Most of those people leave their boat on the launch side of the dock and in the way.

I will not and am not going to ask if they need help unless they ask. Last time I offered a helping hand they told me to F*** off and get away from their boat.

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