Boat Launch Etiquette

[midcarolina]

people have become more and more selfish and just do not give a hoot how their actions ....or lack of actions affect others. It's certainly not localized just at the boat ramp.......how many times have you been in walmart and a small group is chatting in the middle of the aisle they look at you and keep chatting blocking the aisle......
Or next time you go to any store and you have the oppurtunity hold the door open for an elderly lady.........the reaction is total surprise ! they are just not used to descent behavior any more.

when I can choose I go to places I can avoid the social dunder heads......I frequent a private marina that has a guy that works on tips working the landing, he really keeps things moving.........it's worth the four bucks it costs and the few more I tip the guy.

 

[Captain Ollie West]

Take a deep breath. I used to offer to help and ask folks if they need a hand. Just being polite. Some take a hint and others don't. I've learned you just have to be patient and know that not everyone understands launch etiquette. Even when I have run into someone a little slower at the ramp, it hasn't been for very long and doesn't significantly impact my time on the water.

I too don't get too upset over the obviously cluesless people. I was cominng in from a short boating trip with my 6 year son. The ramp was a primative dirt launch with a day use area. Of course the water was high and the place was packed with day users and parked trailers. There was a young couple trying to back their 14-16 ft aluminum boat in. The guy was in the boat and his girlfriend was attempting to back in the trailer. After several attempts, he gets frustrated and takes over. He back in the trailer with no problem and pushes the boat off the trailer. The only problem is he did not attatch a bow line. I volunteered to motor him out to his now adrift craft. While this is happening his girlfriend starts to pull the trailer form the water. I kid you not, the whole axel breaks free and the tire falls off of the trailer. After a few more minutes of helping them get their hobbled trailer off the ramp, it was finaly my turn, The young man was very apologetic abd thankfull for my assistance.

 

[san dimas]

I launch alone most of the time and it might take me 5-10 minutes to dock the boat and park the car. People don't seem to have a problem with it. In fact, I'm probably faster then most.

 

[Stumpalump]

I use a launch that only has a few trailer parking spots near the launch. Once it's full you must drive to BFE to park a trailer. Guess who hogs the parking spots? Cars and trucks without a trailer. I asked one guy that just pulled in the last spot where his trailer was. He lied and said his freind was pulling up with it. 4 hours later as I left that truck was still hogging one of the 10 spots. Dickhead.

 

[Maclin]

No Title

I think the time it takes to launch and retrieve solo is dependent to a large degree upon the ramp and dock configuration, and the location of the parking area of course. The ideal in my opinion is a pier/dock that runs parallel to the ramp and out a ways, and the parking area is just adjacet to the ramp(s). That way I can back in, get out and pull the boat off the trailer and tie it off, then go park the truck. Sometimes I hop in the boat and make sure it starts before I go park the truck. Whole circus takes 5 minutes tops.

Here (hopefully) is a pic of the current launch area I use...:

 

[Maclin]

Ok, Here is the pic...:

 

[Maclin]

Wider view...:

 

[bonz_d]

Most people just have no way of knowing about it until they are told. Sometimes a simple sign posted somewhere before they get to the tie-down area or ramp area is sufficient for them to see the "rules". Most ramps don't have that type of signage, so they get all types of people doing things there own way.

Still won't work. Our local lake has 3 ramps and at each ramp are BIG signs that state "No Wake Until 9:30 AM". Yet on any day you can part outside the ramp area and see them at 7am launch, pull away from the pier and then wide open across the lake. The Village has 2 police boats but you don't see then out of the parking lot very often. Especially at 6am.

 

[haulnazz15]

Still won't work. Our local lake has 3 ramps and at each ramp are BIG signs that state "No Wake Until 9:30 AM". Yet on any day you can part outside the ramp area and see them at 7am launch, pull away from the pier and then wide open across the lake. The Village has 2 police boats but you don't see then out of the parking lot very often. Especially at 6am.

My comment was directed at providing education about ramp etiquette, not law enforcement. If people don't have a way ti learn the "etiquette", there's little chance of changing anything. At least if a sign is present which clearly dictates the way things should be done, it'll be better than nothing. Very rarely are ramp rules and enforceable law, they are general rules to help keep everything operating efficiently.

i.e., if it's 7am on a Wednesday and you're the only one at the ramp, who cares what you do in regards to ramp etiquette as there's no one there you will be interfering with.

 

[greenbush future]

I stopped getting upset and now kill these people with kindness. I offer to help, I make them efficient and everyone get's the message really quick. It works if you have to deal with the public in just about any type of instance, the boat ramp is just one example of how most of America has lost it's moral compass, and thinks the world evolves around them.
My biggest pet peeve is waiting for others, it matters not, who you are, making others wait for you is just plain selfish. So I find the best way to fix the mess is to offer help. Folks are just blown away because it is quite rare to actually have this happen. You do have to be very careful though, don't touch or use anything that doesn't belong to you, w/o permission or you will get sued.
I also refuse to use the boat launch during peak hours when it's busy, to me, I boat to relax,, not get wound up.

 

[kjsAZ]

The ones I like the most are the non-boaters who park their sedans in the staging area of the ramp. Followed by those parking them in the trailer parking lot. There's a public parking just next to it but no, they have to be as close to the dock/ramp as possible. Fortunately I have seen several of them locked in by rigs with small enough trailers to park in front of them.

 

[keith2k455]

Heres some food for thought. I try to be as efficient at the ramp as possible. When I had my jetskis, I'd unstrap, prime, get first fire, change shoes, put on life jacket and get as ready as possible before even getting close to the ramp and backing in. Unfortunately I had to back the rig and unload both skis (as well as load) because my wife couldn't do it safely. Long story short, one guy said something to me one day and he's lucky I didn't pull in front of him after getting away from the ramp and leave my truck parked there until the sun went down.

I guess I think that if there are truly novice people with poor etiquette that are actually considerate and don't know better, they'll figure it out with a little patience from those around them. If you harass these genuinely nice, but novice, people you may turn them into someone who is a jerk to everyone else. If it's someone being a jerk just to waste everyone elses time, saying something won't help. It's just like mom said, If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. I know that I'm never in that big of a hurry, and if I am maybe I should think twice about going out that day.

 

[keith2k455]

delete duplicate

 

[Expidia]

I used to get upset with the ramp hogs until I realized something. Most have some sort of physical disability, but they are a friendly lot. Why else do they wave at the person who nicely suggested moving off the ramp. I know they are disabled because during the wave, they can only extend one finger.

Now that there is funny

 

[bonz_d]

My comment was directed at providing education about ramp etiquette, not law enforcement. If people don't have a way ti learn the "etiquette", there's little chance of changing anything. At least if a sign is present which clearly dictates the way things should be done, it'll be better than nothing. Very rarely are ramp rules and enforceable law, they are general rules to help keep everything operating efficiently.

i.e., if it's 7am on a Wednesday and you're the only one at the ramp, who cares what you do in regards to ramp etiquette as there's no one there you will be interfering with.

My point was that the signage is there and it is still ignored! There is a whole 4'X8' Public Notice board at each ramp and I doubt anyone reads them.

 

[Maclin]

To bonz's post, there is that mindset out there that those RULES are for everybody else and not me because rule followers are weak. People with this mindset see these only as RULES and cannot understand them as guidelines (just with teeth) on how to get along in the boat ramp society with everybody else. They just do not realize their "rights" end where everybody else's begins. Type A personalities, or whatever, they will never think THEY have to wait in line anywhere, will stare you down from a stop sign or parking lot exit as they try to creep in ahead of you and make you stop, all that.

 

[redneck joe]

I stopped getting upset and now kill these people with kindness. I offer to help, I make them efficient and everyone get's the message really quick. It works if you have to deal with the public in just about any type of instance, the boat ramp is just one example of how most of America has lost it's moral compass, and thinks the world evolves around them.
My biggest pet peeve is waiting for others, it matters not, who you are, making others wait for you is just plain selfish. So I find the best way to fix the mess is to offer help. Folks are just blown away because it is quite rare to actually have this happen. You do have to be very careful though, don't touch or use anything that doesn't belong to you, w/o permission or you will get sued.
I also refuse to use the boat launch during peak hours when it's busy, to me, I boat to relax,, not get wound up.

Best advice, especially when you can tell they are newbies. We will always have the a..holes that are clueless to others but the new kids can be saved.


My plan:

• get there in between the bass fishermen and the family crowd (about 8-9 am)
• load most at home (wife carries 1-2 bags down after she parks truck)
• pull off before the ramp and remove stern straps, bow strap (safety chain still on) plug check, etc
• get in line
• watch, relax, know I cannot change stupid
• offer help as needed
• launch
• wife parks
• if busy hang back away from dock until she comes down
• enjoy our day

Reverse order when leaving.

 

[midcarolina]

Best advice, especially when you can tell they are newbies. We will always have the a..holes that are clueless to others but the new kids can be saved.


My plan:
[*]watch, relax, know I cannot change stupid

Amen brother..................

 

[Captain Ollie West]

[*]get there in between the bass fishermen and the family crown (about 8-9 am)

Great plan!

 

[kjsAZ]

[*]pull off before the ramp and remove stern straps, bow strap (safety chain still on) plug check, etc

That'll make for the longest launch time at the ramp I use. You will have to attach the winch strap again to pull the boat far enough forward so you can get the safety chain hook out again..... I've seen several boats on the ramp as they took both off so having the safety chain hooked up will hopefully keep the boat only a bit to far backwards.