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Pet Peeve at boat launches....


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I agree with many of the posts that I have encountered. Here are my stories. Had a party launch ahead of me and they docked the boat in the path of the launch. They were waiting for the driver to get back to the boat. Here I was waiting to back in with my boat halfway down the ramp in the park position. They could've moved the boat to the other side of the dock.

Another incident happened in the fall involved a duck hunter. Double ramp, other ramp was being used. Some guy was in waders beside the 2nd ramp checking out his decoys. He wouldn't move so I proceeded to launch with only a few feet between me and the guy in the water. He could've gone to other side of the dock.

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This is turning into funny stories. Well heres mine a guy ahead of us once was putting a small runabout in. He had his boat down on the third attempt. Then five people with him waited for him to get out and unhook the boat. He did this then got back in the car rolled it down a little further. Then he got out. Then we couldn't figure out why a long time was passing and nothing appeared to be happening. A few guys in line got out to see what was up. There was a pretty good crowd now standing around his trailer.

Long story short he left the Chain on this tightend up and could not be pulled over the loop. Bad part was it shifted to the center of the loop and they could'nt get the strap back on it cause it now wouldn't fit in the loop. I walked down looked over the situation and said two options here. Pull the boat back out and try to work the boat back on the trailer on flat ground. Or pull the vehicle down further and float the boat back up the trailer. They were able to do the later. But there must have been 10 guys by now with know idea what to do. Hilarious.

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I have to agree with Dan T. - busy launches make great entertainment when you're just watching! Sometimes I'll stop by one of the metro river launches on a nice day & watch the chaos for 20-30 minutes.(35W or Hidden Falls) You'll see everything already mentioned & more. I just try to avoid those spots when I take my boat out on summer weekend day. I understand new boat owners having some issues & everybody has some problems now & then, but there's a lot of other stupidity that's inexcuseable. - Vern

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Fun thread! We all share these common experiences no? Many of us caused them at one time or another smile.gif

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What gets me is when you got a boat sitting right in the load zone while three of them hang on to the dock while waiting for someone to get done parking, or going to get, the car and trailor. Thus blocking the landing the whole time. There is no reason to even be useing the dock other than to pick up or drop off someone. Unless you are by yourself. Then you have no choice.

I have got a lot of paitiants for the guy or gal that just plain, dose not know any better. And for the 86 year old that will never change. But its the guy that does know better but plays stupid, just to get ahead of someone else that erks me. I am sure that we all have seen our fair share of these (you know whats)

Relax and laugh, Its a lot more fun that way!

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My father-in-law got his first boat 3 years ago and praticed launching it several times well before opener. He was very nervous about it and would often wait and let others go in front of him so he would avoid the chance of holding anyone up. And he has always been sure to have everything in the boat so we are on our way in a minute or two.

Well this spring he was pretty confident he had got the knack of it and not feeling so nervous anymore. The first time out, he backed it down the ramp into the water with several other boats waiting to unload behind him. I jumped onto the trailer, unlatched the front of the boat, hooked on the rope, and tied to shove it off. Nothing. I tried even harder. Nothing. He got out of the truck and noticed that he had forgot to unhook the back straps from the trailer. He looked back at the line of trailers waiting to unload and jumped right into the water in his jeans and tennis shoes to unhook it. Luckily he had extra clothes/shoes he always brings in case he has to get wet. As we were on her way, I turned to him and said "I guess we were just getting a little to cocky that we know what we're doing." It drew a big smile from him.

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I like the old story of the people that just unhooked the trailer from the vehicle. Leaving the boat winched up and strapped down on the trailer. That's a funny one.

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I agree with all of you. My biggest peeve is the un-packing or packing when the boat is on their trailer sitting in front of the water on the ramp.

While we may influence a handfull of "offenders" who visit this web site, the vast majority don't know or care about learning launch etiquette (sp). I think the only way to change their routine is to talk to them or help them at the ramp. Some don't know that they're holding up the line and many just don't give a hoot. It's all part of the weekend fishing process!

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Yup - it's usually the 'pretty' boats that tie it up. Those of us with alumibeaters aren't afraid to beach it, bang it, scratch it, hang it...whatever it takes to get it out onna water!

I know a couple of folks who have a hell of a time at ramps due to lack of organizational skills.. fer real! They can't help it - they just get nervous and can't remember what comes first, 2nd, etc. and all the while the last thing their heads have room for is economy of time.

When I see a struggler - I jump in and help out.

MY peeve is rude boaters. The yellers, the parking lot pigs, etc. The worst ramp I've been to is the Big Lake municipal ramp. Nasty, nasty folks.

I solve it by using water less travelled.

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In defence of the ones with (pretty boats). I had one and it would take me and my wife about 30 seconds from the time we made the turn till the truck and trailor off the ramp ready for the next guy. The same amount of time loading too.

I am not blowing my own horn but to simply point out that it is just (simple knowledge) that gets er done! Pretty or not!

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My worst is the "in-the-way-organizers", like a lot of people have mentioned above. My all time worst experience was on a tiny lake up in Northern MN that usually have two or three boats max. This day the road was lined on both sides with empty trailers and there was a line of 4 boats to get in. Everything was going very smoothly and then all of a sudden a 75 year old couple with a pickup with a camper on it loads up their boat and pulls out about ten feet from the water and stops. The wife gets out and proceeds to make her dog "relieve" itself. That dog must have been constipated because it took at least 5 minutes of sniffing around before it could do its business. All of a sudden theystart to take take off and give this suprised look, like "I didn't know all these people where waiting for me." That was truly a stressful few moments in my life.

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I agree Holehopper. I know that another person (that knows what they're doing) and I can land any boat manufactured in around that time. The problem is, there are plenty of people that aren't very experienced and can't. Isn't a race, but it does get frustrating at times. confused.gif

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A couple years ago I was at a smaller lake but for some reason the launch got busy. One guy launched his small aluminum boat and took off to clear the launch. He got about 50 feet before some guys got him stopped. It seams the anchor rope got hung up on the trailer and the boat was dragging along up the ramp. Several guys just unhooked it and carried it back to the water.

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I also hate it when guys pull there boats out of the lake and then pull up like 20 ft and start to tie-down their boat. They are sometimes so close to the landing that I can't even get around them to pull up into the main parking lot. I think some guys don't think about what they are doing when there on the landing, its like they are on a different planet or something. Or when you get sharpies with these big exspensive speed boats or fishing boats for that matter that think just cause they spent 30K on boat that they own the boat landing. I could go on and on.

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I hate it when there is one parking spot left for trailers and the guy waiting in line behind you makes his wife go stand in that 1 parking spot to "save" it for him.

Almost had to run the woman over before she would move out of the parking spot.

Muskieguy........

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I have plenty of "circus like" experiences at the ramps due to other people. But, the best one that comes to memory was my own fault. My fishing buddy and myself were in the typical "hurry up" mode getting the boat ready to put in the water. We backed the boat in and were having trouble getting it off the trailer. So, we backed it in a little further, then a little further, by now it feels like the boat is floating off the trailer. We are completely stumped. Then a 13-14 year boy on the dock tells us one of the tie straps is still attached. blush.gif We sure felt like a couple 30 something fools. At least the ramp wasn't too busy at the time.

Sandbar

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All I have to say is that I would much rather deal with some one who is backing up for the first time than some meat head that thinks he is gods gift to the lake… Personally I see a lot of situations as the rest of you but I just try to remember that they are trying to enjoy the same thing as myself and just because we go about it differently, it doesn't give me the right to ream them a new one… My motto is "practice patience" and that goes for more than just the boat ramp... Good Luck...

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Looks like I'm a lucky one. I drag my boat out of the back of the pickup, and toss er in the water. No waiting at the ramp for me. grin.gif

On a somewhat different note. I was at the Cedar Lake racetrack not too long ago in my little RV. I pull in, put er in park, get out, sit down and crack a cold one. The rest of the day was spent watching others park RV's. Now THAT is good humor. Back and forth, oops need to be 2 inches to the left, went too far, back and forth some more. It kills me. grin.gif

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Two interesting stories...

same launch (a small one; one dock, one ramp)...

2 days apart.

#1. 7:30 am sunday. Already fished 2 hours and ready to load my boat. I pull up to the dock. People are fishing all over the dock, which is not a fishing dock. then two rigs pull up, wanting to launch their boats. I back my truck into the water, and the guy who is in line to launch first comes up to me and tells me, "I'll help you load your boat". to which I reply, "No thanks, I can load the boat by myself." (understand I have a solid system down, and am very efficient at loading and loading my boat). Then I hook up the strap, and was just about to get ready to crank when he comes up AGAIN and says, "I'll help you crank", and again my reply is "No, I can crank it myself", so I crank it up, and he is watching me intently with this really puzzled look on his face like he couldn't believe I didn't want his help. My question for that guy is this, Do you REALLY think you are going to get your boat in the water any faster by helping me? How exactly was he going to "help" me anyway? And obviously, he never cranked my boat onto the bunks; he'd probably break his back!

#2 Same launch, but this time I have my 5 year old boy Lucas with me. There is a kind of creepy looking guy hanging out by the port-a-potty, watching everything I do. I just unloaded my boat into the lake, and I have to park my rig up on top away from the view below where this man was. Lucas tells me he has to go potty so I tell him to go and I would wait for him before I parked the rig. I am waiting besides my rig, and Lucas walks up the the potty. Then the creepy looking guy yells out to me, "It's alright, I'll watch him (Lucas)", to which I just ignored him because I didn't think I looked that stupid!

Bottom line?

I don't want these strange, out-of-touch people helping me load my boat or watching my kid.

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Brand new boat last year-third time out by myself. I pull into the Turtle Lake launch and see one available parking spot and nobody waiting. Perfect. I back up to the edge of the water and hop out to remove the straps and put the plug in. A guy and his wife come racing down and see that I am alone. They decide they can beat me to the parking spot. He cranks it in reverse and his wife jumps out and starts releasing the straps on the fly. I decide no way I can beat them so I calmly walk up to him and tell him common courtesy says its my spot because I arrived first. He says, "F-you, I don't see your name on the spot" and continues to take my spot. I had to leave the lake.

If I had a knife I would have slashed every one of his tires including the trailer. It was simply amazing behavior.

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I've done a few stupid things at the boat ramp in the last few years, usually when we are in a hurry and there are other people around, we load it up just fine and pull out of the way to finish the job, but when we have the launch to ourselves it seems to cause us problems. One time the winch rope broke, boat fell off trailer, to shallow to drive up, so i got to the back of the boat and we heave hoed till she went up. Another time I could not for the life of me get the boat to go on the trailer straight, 4 times in and out of the water, finally gave up and went back out fishing for another hour then gave it another try.

The people who i have found to bother me the most are the ones who do nothing but complain at the landings, opener was busy, but people were being nice to each other and helping out at the landing, one guy decided that even though both docks have one boat loading and one boat waiting on the end, that he needs the space because he has his big ol'Bayliner and everyone else was in a real fishing boat, so he eases up to the dock and then yells at me when i try to grab his boat and miss. Now I haddn't slept since friday morning and this was noon saterday, lets just say he got some choice words, then we pulled way out of the way and loaded up out boat and put on the cover, 2 other trailers backed into the water right by us, no problem, but then he feels a need to just freak out and say something about kids being so @*(#$ ^&)#@@ stupid these days and having no F#$@in common sence, I just asked him how many fish he caught and proceeded to then feel a need to transfer out catch to the cooler.............

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Ok, I will put in my .02 cents of problems in my area.

This is the rednecks that decided that the boat landings

are the local swimming hole. They park down by the water,

let their snot-nose kids swim at the access. Then leave

garbage all over the place.

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Nice thread, I can't help put post.

I was once one of those guys, with a new boat ( to me ) I am going to launch her by myself. Now I can back up a trailer with the best of them, so I get her down to the lake, unhook the safety chain and proceed to back it in futher and stop suddenly to release the boat. I've seen my dad do it a hundred times. One thing I forgot..... to tie up the rope. So now I'm standing on shore watching my boat free floating away from the ramp. Luckily for me the wind was blowing into the ramp and shortly the boat floated back. I still laugh about it.

I've seen some pretty inconciderate people at the launches, at one in particular the was a bunch of high school girls taking someones boat out for a cruise. I watch them launch it and think no problem, nice job. They then proceed to run back and forth to the truck for misc. items, all the while blocking the launch for others to get in or out. More thoughtless people than I care to see. 9 times out of 10 I fish alone, I can launch my boat and get it out of the way in about 2 minutes. I just don't understand how some people can be so oblivious to others. It's not even worth saying anything to them because you get the same response.... go f youself. PpffT.

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My pet peeve is all boat owners, fancy or not, that think they own the landing when I am trying to fish off the dock. I may not have a boat, but I still pay taxes and license fees and have a right to be there the same as them. Don't worry, just kidding. Just trying to lighten it up a little and let everyone breath. Not using common sense is a pain, but my experience has been that sharing choice words with them only distracts them from loading/unloading and further slows them down.

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We were out at Coon Lake a couple years ago and we were waiting for a guy to load his obviously brand new fiberglass rig...nice boat, can't exactly remember what kind?

The guy had his dad with him, at least I figured the older fella was his dad. The duo fought the large new boat onto the trailer, looked like they were satisified with their accomplishments, junior jumps into the SUV, the old man gives the signal and junior pulls the trailer out of the water.

Well, they obviously did'nt hook something up right, because when he pulled out, the back portion of the new boat was dragging on the lot and the old man was jigging up and down, not know which way to turn, as sonny pulled away and ground the stern off the new boat!

I felt for the guy, but the damage was done before he even realized it had started!

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Here a solution that might waste a little tax payer money... But what about a flyer with some quick etiquette does and dont on it they get in the mail when they need to regestiter the boat... Or maybe a sign at the launch next to the other signs... Might help just a little but please dont let some one from the state see this or they may pass another stupid law....

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I saw one roll off backing down one time. I knew the guy who did it and he unhooked the saftey chain to the boat figuring he could just back away when in the water. Well the person backing the vehicle down stopped quickley and the boat rolled right off onto the ramp. Baaaad Day!

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Ha, that happened to us one time. We pull up to the lake and there are 3 good looking girls fishing at the landing, so we pull up and start up a conversation and asked if they wanted to come wakeboarding\skiing. They said they wanted to see the inside of the boat first, I guess they didnt feel safe by just the looks of us alone. So my buddy pulls the truck around to the landing and another buddy starts prepping the boat to be put in the water (there was no one else there), takes the strap off, makes sure the plug is in, unhooks the saftey chain AND the winch strap. "Ok, back her in" he yells. Keep in mind now that we have 3 good looking girls watching us to make sure we know what we are doing. So he starts to back in and the guy who prepped the boat realized what he did and yells "STOP!". As soon as the guy driving stops, the boat rolls back and ends up tipped up against the trailer with the very back of the boat 2 feet from the edge of the water. Now this boat is in rough shape already and it's not worth much anyway. I looked at the boat, then my buddy, then started laughing my arse off. I walked up and hooked the winch strap back up to the front of the boat and winched it all the way back on the trailer, all the while the driver is chewing us all out as were laughing at the situation. We are all thinking there is no way these girls are comming with but they did. Nice girls.

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Saw one do it a few years ago at the Wisc Back channel at pool 4. We backed down and it's steep and had a little trouble holding the boat while unhooking the chains. Took 2 guys to do it. The next guy thought he had it figured out and unhooked his strap before backing down......woops brand new big Crestliner on the pavement. laugh.gif

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