Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

[JimS123]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

My ramp is the best in the state. Six lanes and never a tieup. However, the parking lot is too small. There is a picnic shelter nearby and people park their cars in the double tandem spots, clearly marked "cars with trailers only". I have often warned people in a friendly way that they cannot park there, only to receive a lot of lip back. Now I just keep my mouth shut. The police go by about every hour and the fine for parking there is $50. I just love the look on their face when they see the ticket.....LOL.

 

[jkust]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

people park their cars in the double tandem spots, clearly marked "cars with trailers only". .

This one is my biggest pet peeves. The people who show up to get on someone else's boat for the day and take up one of the few precious trailer spots. Most of our ramps are single lane ramps without even a second courtesy dock and parking lots that are way too small. Last year when the lake I was at ran out of spots, the guy parked his truck and trailer right in front of the ramp. Literally right in front blocking it for the day. Lots of nasty notes under his windshield.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Play it like you're doing them a favor, point to the sign, and tell them local LEO's are handing out $100 fines if they don't re-tie at the designated tie up docks.

Great advice, I've taken that approach a couple times lately and it works well.

A couple summers ago I nicely asked a guy who tied to the ramp if he'd move. He became belligerent so I got in my truck and backed down. He got the hint and moved real quick. I regret that now as it didn't accomplish anything besides saving me 10 minutes and allowing another 4 boats to launch before he finally got his stuff straight. (okay, I don't completely regret it) My grandpa has always been "that guy" at the ramp and I try to keep that in my mind as I bite my tongue and try to relax.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Waconia has a nice ramp on the south east side that seems to see very little action.

 

[Mason78]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Just remember those of us with special circumstances…….

My wife and I have younger children that need to be supervised so she can’t help me launch/load the boat, I am on my own.
My choices are;
1. Back the boat off the trailer, drive to the tie up dock about 50 yards away, tie up, then walk back to the ramp and move my truck.
2. Tie up at the ramp, move the truck, then get the boat out of the way.
Either way I am temporarily blocking the ramp with the truck or the boat. I usually chose option 1 by the way.

I always do all my prep work (straps, chains, plug, ect) away from the ramp in order to be as fast as possible. The whole process takes me 5 to 10 minutes but people still get mad.

I’m not going to let some angry people stop me from taking my family boating.

Ironically, I have timed some of the people who have complained to me. Many of them actually take longer than I do even though they have multiple people helping.

It’s just the fact that they see my truck sitting there, if they actually paid attention they would see that I am pretty fast considering.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Waconia has a nice ramp on the south east side that seems to see very little action.

Ski with the Muskies I live 5 miles from there and don't remember the last time we put the boat in that lake. Pretty tough to find a decent place to ski on that lake.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Just remember those of us with special circumstances…….

My wife and I have younger children that need to be supervised so she can’t help me launch/load the boat, I am on my own.
My choices are;
1. Back the boat off the trailer, drive to the tie up dock about 50 yards away, tie up, then walk back to the ramp and move my truck.
2. Tie up at the ramp, move the truck, then get the boat out of the way.
Either way I am temporarily blocking the ramp with the truck or the boat. I usually chose option 1 by the way.

I always do all my prep work (straps, chains, plug, ect) away from the ramp in order to be as fast as possible. The whole process takes me 5 to 10 minutes but people still get mad.

I’m not going to let some angry people stop me from taking my family boating.

Ironically, I have timed some of the people who have complained to me. Many of them actually take longer than I do even though they have multiple people helping.

It’s just the fact that they see my truck sitting there, if they actually paid attention they would see that I am pretty fast considering.

With all due respect - either leave kids in truck and have wife or you back boat off, or put kids in boat before splashing and do the same.

There is no reason to be tying up the ramp because you are not dividing responsibility

 

[jkust]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

I tend to just shut up at the ramps. I don't want some ahole vandalizing my truck or trailer while I'm in the middle of the woods. A few times teens will be blocking it fishing or swimming at the ramp and i'm much kinder about it than I want to be. I'd rather suck it up then come back to a keyed truck. Honestly one of the times I was most angry was when an older couple pulled up to the ramp just to use the outhouse. They blocked it and refused to move to the other side of the dock while we were at the end of a very long day on the water with a crabby family. It was a good 15 minutes while we all turned circles waiting to get our boats out.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

With all due respect - either leave kids in truck and have wife or you back boat off, or put kids in boat before splashing and do the same.

There is no reason to be tying up the ramp because you are not dividing responsibility

STRONGLY disagree... there is absolutely no reason he has to have a multiple person team to launch.... launch the boat and tie up in the correct place and then park the truck... nothing wrong with that whatsoever....after the truck is parked and the ramp is clear take as long as needed to load kids and depart

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

STRONGLY disagree... there is absolutely no reason he has to have a multiple person team to launch.... launch the boat and tie up in the correct place and then park the truck... nothing wrong with that whatsoever....after the truck is parked and the ramp is clear take as long as needed to load kids and depart

Then please don't use a launch on a busy day. If people were doing that at our launch there would be a line a mile long waiting to get in and out.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

I launch solo almost all the time and I am almost always faster than any of the team launchers....

BTW by "as long as needed" I didn't mean drag your feet... load em up and go but clear the ramp for the next guy first.

if you are prepared it doesn't take long at all to back off the trailer and tie up two lines.

 

[jkust]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Then please don't use a launch on a busy day. If people were doing that at our launch there would be a line a mile long waiting to get in and out.

Right or wrong, at a busy ramp while we are in line and prepping to launch, I'll have the kids jump in the boat back it in have the wife hold it while I park the truck and I run back to the boat jump in and go. We've tried having her park the truck/trailer with a bad outcomes. We have several variations of the process depending on the ramp situation.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Right or wrong, at a busy ramp while we are in line and prepping to launch, I'll have the kids jump in the boat back it in have the wife hold it while I park the truck and I run back to the boat jump in and go. We've tried having her park the truck/trailer with a bad outcomes. We have several variations of the process depending on the ramp situation.

Can't your wife drive the boat? That is a safety issue if the answer is no.

 

[Natesms]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Just remember those of us with special circumstances??.

My wife and I have younger children that need to be supervised so she can?t help me launch/load the boat, I am on my own.
My choices are;
1. Back the boat off the trailer, drive to the tie up dock about 50 yards away, tie up, then walk back to the ramp and move my truck.
2. Tie up at the ramp, move the truck, then get the boat out of the way.
Either way I am temporarily blocking the ramp with the truck or the boat. I usually chose option 1 by the way.

I always do all my prep work (straps, chains, plug, ect) away from the ramp in order to be as fast as possible. The whole process takes me 5 to 10 minutes but people still get mad.

I?m not going to let some angry people stop me from taking my family boating.

Ironically, I have timed some of the people who have complained to me. Many of them actually take longer than I do even though they have multiple people helping.

It?s just the fact that they see my truck sitting there, if they actually paid attention they would see that I am pretty fast considering.

It sounds like you are doing it just right. I launch and load all the time on my own even if I have others with me. I take whichever option gets me clear of the quickest and do hurry when it's busy.

I have nieces and nephews that come out on the boat, some of them very small. Our routine is they are out of anything that moves (boat or truck) and stay off to the side with Grandma to get suited up with vests etc. Then when the boat is launched and tied to the dock we load the kids. This is where I'll "abuse" the ramp a bit and take as much time as I need to load everyone up. I double check vests (make sure the 3 year old is wearing the vest, hasn't tied up grandma, still has on his swim suit, whatever else he manages to do in the 20 yard walk down to the dock), make sure they are all seated etc.

Those kids make everything trickier. As long as you have "prepped" the best you can, take the time you need.

 

[jkust]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Can't your wife drive the boat? That is a safety issue if the answer is no.

While she could drive it out in the open water, having her put the drive down to the appropriate level, warm it up, back out and not cause some damage in say windy conditions would be a challenge. One lake in particular that we used to go to a lot virtually guarantees you will hit bottom if you don't quickly jog over while backing up. I wish she could and I've tried showing her. I'm a bit hamstrung with her relative unwillingness to do it. After all these years nothings changed with her abilities. At least now I will only need to teach her how to get into a boatlift.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

I launch solo almost all the time and I am almost always faster than any of the team launchers....

^^^ Agree..

I'm either solo launching or with the kids so I have to tie to the dock and then park, but I'm usually faster than other people launching/retrieving around these parts. Mainly because they are farting around and don't care about inconveniencing others.

I do agree with the OP about people tying up the dock,,, or launch ramp, one of my pet peeves.....

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Then please don't use a launch on a busy day. If people were doing that at our launch there would be a line a mile long waiting to get in and out.

I launch solo even if there's someone with me... and if someone doesn't like it, it's too bad for them.

If anything goes wrong with the boat launch or parking the truck I only have myself to blame. I don't care if the line is 2 miles long.

 

[kungpaoshizi]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

I launch solo even if there's someone with me... and if someone doesn't like it, it's too bad for them.

If anything goes wrong with the boat launch or parking the truck I only have myself to blame. I don't care if the line is 2 miles long.

^The reason I don't mind my g/f not doing stuff lol



I always have whoever is with me get all geared up and sit in the boat, then I go down the ramp at 10mph and slam on the brakes!
J/k lol.. I agree with smoke n dan, something about inconveniencing others I guess taking more than 3-5 minutes.. The majority of my time is waiting on my Tower to warm up. I do find though it works real well tying up a rope bow and stern and having my g/f walk it down so I can just back down the ramp, she'll unhook the boat, already has the rope, I pull away, she ties it up.

I'll say though for some reason actually driving/operating the boat hasn't "clicked" fully for her yet, which kinda sucks, so I completely understand when there's a group of people and just the boat owner doing everything.
As long as people get everything in the boat and prepared before the ramp, to just shove off once in the water, I try to just double check everything on my boat while I wait.

 

[888]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

I hate to inconvenience anyone. The only thing the wife does is park the truck and trailer,which im fine with

 

[sphelps]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

I put in mostly at a single lane shallow draft ramp. Most of the boaters that use it have a good bit of expereance . Moves pretty quick. Our problem is people fishing from the one very skinny dock. The other day there was a family of 5 set up with chairs coolers and tackle boxes. We nose up to the ladder and I climb up with one guy standing right in front of it. He said 'can ya make it" ? I replied "I sure would like to" as I step over his tackle box !