Boat Ramp Etiquette

[H82bogey]

With the river running wide open, and lots of boats on the water, it amazes me how people are just ridiculous when it comes to loaded/unloading a boat.

Yesterday I was loading a boat. My parents were with, mom is deathly afraid to load a boat in the river and my dad is recovering from a stroke, so can't drive. I backed the trailer down, mom swung back by the dock to pick me up so I could load.

My 1st attempt I was cut off by a boat dropping someone at the dock. I was no more than 40' from my trailer. The guy took forever, current pushed me down stream so I had to get lined up again. In the middle of my second run, another boat cut me off again. Now there are about 5 boats waiting to drop someone off and load, but some how I kept my cool and only shrugged my shoulders, however my mother didn't. I don't think the guy heard her, but thanks for the laugh. In my 33 years, I've never heard my mom call some body the names she called you. Fortunately on my 3rd attempt, nobody cut me off and I was able to get loaded.

Sorry for the vent/rant, but anybody that has loaded or unloaded a boat on the river by themselves knows it comes with challenges. To the titty sprinkle guy that cut me off the 2nd time, maybe you were out of patience, but if you feel like I wasted 30 seconds of your life, come join me in the boat some time and spend a day fishing with my dad recovering from a stroke. I love the man to death, but if you have ever had to deal with someone with major mental illness you would understand, if not, you can go titty sprinkle yourself.

 

[DirtyMike]

I tend to have to launch by myself quite a bit. I take more time than the average guy doing that. Guy behind me in line was by himself on sunday morning so I pulled his pickup back up to the parking lot. Padded my karma for a bit as he was the one who towed me back in. Being patient at the ramp is necessary right now. I slid about 5 feet of it. That'll get you to pucker up a bit.

 

[Mort]

Sounds like idiots down there, they think of nobody but themselves, asswipes I say.

 

[SDMF]

Know, understand, and live by the term "Expedient". Those doing the best they can with what/who they got and I'll zip my lip unless I can be of help. Those engaging in "Lolly-gagging" make me madder than the coach from Bull Durham and may or may not earn a sarcasm-laden snide remark.

 

[Account Deleted]

I find the blue bathtub is difficult to load in current. It may be me I guess but I don't have problems with boats that aren't a tri-hull.

 

[Wild and Free]

I have posted this numerous times but well worth doing so again.

 

[johnr]

haha, I cant even imaging the old Jackson 5 shovel to the back of the melon..haha

 

[Reprobait]

Also, if temps are below freezing allow the trailer to drain in the water for 30 secs or so before driving away. It will help keep ice from forming on the ramp and help prevent injuries/accidents.

 

[tikkalover]

Ha ha, speak softly and carry a big shovel!!;:;rofl ;:;boozerThis last summer while camping at Fort Stevenson, when you put in at the ass crack of dawn, you get to park right by the ramp. I came back in after fishing, and there is another boat at the dock with a lady standing there holding it, I tie up my boat, leaving it idle, run up jump in the pickup, and backup right down the ramp, jump in the boat, run it up on the trailer, and leave it in gear and jump out and hook up the safety chain, and winch strap, jump back in the boat shut it off, trim up the motor, get out to get in the pickup, as she is still standing there waiting for her husband to back the trailer in. She looks at me and said, holy that didn't take you long, I said practice makes you perfect!!

- - - Updated - - -

Also, if temps are below freezing allow the trailer to drain in the water for 30 secs or so before driving away. It will help keep ice from forming on the ramp and help prevent injuries/accidents.

I work at the local agronomy in town, if I think the ramp is going to be icy when I go, I put a 5 gallon bucket of potassium chloride (potash) in the pickup, and sprinkle it on the ramp. It works great!!

 

[Wild and Free]

My wife can make most professional truckers look like beginners at the ramp, she gets many cudos every year and has taken control of many situations and just backed in many others rigs as well to clear the congestion at the ramps when there are one or two who have never backed anything up before and everyone else is pissed and the frustrations of ones other half are screaming at them making things worse. She has probably saved many marriages @ the boat ramps lol.

 

[shorthairsrus]

spring overrated --- I have seen so much bs -- I just take it. This thread could get long with what happens at the boat ramp:

one thing I have noticed most are baby boomers that push and shove.

For example --- spirit lake marina --- slow speed after entering the marina ----I was making my way to the dock and in comes a @sshole - he sees the right side open --- opens up his boat to pass. I just looked at him like FK u ---- I kept my hand off the throttle and said lets see how fast this baby boomer is. I pull up to the dock -- my wife grabs the dock as she wont back down. she pushes away -meanwhile the guy ahead of us is taking his time -- no biggy. My lane finally emptys and I back down the boat - wife comes up and lets me load it. I power onto my rollers - hook and hop out of the boat driving up the lane. The 620 @sshole is still trying to get his boat on straight. We both meet in the lot for final check and call. I am taking everything in as I have the 180 mile trip. Snap snap --- I climb back in the truck -- and I look in my rear view and here he is finally ready ---- i go up to the stop sign and long line of traffic coming from ft totten. the 620 a is just furious and trys to pull around me on the highway while I am parked trying to go north. 3.5 turbs kick in and don't allow that and then the oncoming traffic was bad --- I see him in my rear trying to pull out and pass. He cant -- as traffic is bad oncoming. I like it - I luv it.

 

[johnr]

Nothing brings out the worst in people more so than a busy ramp, other than guys who drive in the passing lane, and aren't passing

 

[Sum1]

I definately feel the pain of the OP. The wort ramps are the ones that don,t have a seperate courtesy dock to pick up and drop people off away from the ramp. Thats when things get ugly. Hazelton needs one badly, Audobon in the worst way.

 

[Tommyboy]

guys who drive in the passing lane, and aren't passing

This pisses me off more than anything else in this world.

 

[620ranger]

I hate it when people get rangers and become inconsiderate a-holes just because they have a nice boat, maybe they should settle down and respect other people on the water and at the ramp the world does not revolve around them. I myself will try to help anyone out at the ramp that I can see is having problems in hopes that they would do the same for me if I was struggling

 

[huffranger]

I hate it when people get rangers and become inconsiderate a-holes just because they have a nice boat, maybe they should settle down and respect other people on the water and at the ramp the world does not revolve around them. I myself will try to help anyone out at the ramp that I can see is having problems in hopes that they would do the same for me if I was struggling

It only takes a couple asshats to ruin it for everybody else

 

[svnmag]

I believe there would be far more consideration and politeness with numerous coach guns and rock salt at the boat ramp.

I'm thinking some sort of odor device for the left lane riding. side view mirror blinding tools who won't maintain a steady speed. I haven't thought out the solution for the Minot HWY 83 bypass puller outer/49mph driver. All I got now is winning the lottery and railroad tie bumpers. The scent dispersion option is "iffy" as they go 65+ in the limited passing zones. They know I won't pull along on the shoulder and coach gun a tire. It's a concept in progress. Any viable suggestions are welcome.

 

[Enslow]

So many things occur at boat ramps... All i can say is it is really easy to get mad but that kind of behavior is bad luck for catching fish. My biggest concern at the ramp is getting that edump out of the way before getting on the water.

 

[wildeyes]

Boat ramps are not the only thing that people are stupid at even on the river people do stupid S**t (ie) flying by someone floating on the river less then 100 ft could get you a fine of $150.00 you look at the regs for a boat and you find out there is a lot of violations you don't even know you are doing. I hate it when joe S**thead comes flying into a spot doing mach 10 and kills the motor and sits in your lap to fish. don't get me wrong I like competition always like to show up people like that. the part I hate is they scare the fish off. With that amount of boats on the river it amazes me that nobody killed anybody yet.

 

[KDM]

Boat ramps are not the only thing that people are stupid at even on the river people do stupid S**t (ie) flying by someone floating on the river less then 100 ft could get you a fine of $150.00 you look at the regs for a boat and you find out there is a lot of violations you don't even know you are doing. I hate it when joe S**thead comes flying into a spot doing mach 10 and kills the motor and sits in your lap to fish. don't get me wrong I like competition always like to show up people like that. the part I hate is they scare the fish off. With that amount of boats on the river it amazes me that nobody killed anybody yet.

This will get you an earfull from me. My tolerance for this has pretty much VANISHED!!! I've learned that a continuous barrage of questions regarding their parents, their upbringing, their fish finding ability, legal issues, rudeness, lack of any kind of thought process, bouncing jigs off their boat, and calls to the game wardens with boat descriptions and numbers while they are watching and talking on the phone real loud seem to encourage the offending individuals to move on.