Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

[smokeonthewater]

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.

So I guess since I'm not married and usually go out alone or with people who can't confidently operate a 30' twin engine boat that I'm a safety issue and should stay on dry land?

One captain is all a boat needs small pleasure craft generally do not require a multi person crew.

While I agree that redundancy is a good thing, not having multiple people launching and operating the boat is a far cry from a safety issue

 

[coolbri70]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

I solo launch too, push the boat off the trailer with my bow line in hand, walk 20 feet or so away from the ramp, then pull boat to the bank, tie to a tree, hop in my truck and go park, out of the way in 5 minutes. I pick up my passengers at the dock when its available. on a slow day I get in the boat and drive it to the dock and tie up before parking the truck. I rarely go out on weekends, sometimes on Mondays I have the place to myself

 

[Chris_94_Sprint_TX]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

I'm a relatively new boater and maybe its just me or I actually use common sense. But I back my trailer carefully, start the boat, get the kids jackets on and pull out while the wife parks the truck. 5-10 min tops. It seems some people just need that education and no I don't think you were pushy either. The chill pil comment to me would've definitely brought out a side she wouldn't have liked. But then again sometimes the soldier side comes out too fast.

Chris

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

get the jackets on the kids before launching... unless you have limitations we don't know about, as you gain experience and get better you can likely get that time closer to 5 minutes.. on days that I have someone to drive the truck n unhook me My 30'er can be launched and the ramp clear in under 2 minutes and by myself I'm rarely much over 5 minutes

 

[Mason78]

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

Launching solo I only take 5 to 10 minutes and its closer to 5 than 10. I watch plenty of husband/wife teams that tie up ramps for 20 minutes. I am not the guy who is causing a logjam.

I'm no different than the multitude of fishermen who boat solo. As smokeonthewater mentioned; It does not take 2 people to launch a boat.

 

[Mason78]

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.

We all have strengths and weaknesses. My wife's weakness is anything with a steering wheel. She has difficulty parking her CRV!

So yes, she could drive the boat if needed, but its better for the entire boating community if she does not.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

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.

I prefer not skiing with musky around, since a friend caught a 50 1/2 on Minnetonka and a 51 on Independence I've taken those off my list! I haven't been on Waconia in years but there have been times when I swore I was alone out there.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

so yes, she could drive the boat if needed, but its better for the entire boating community if she does not.

rofl

 

[roscoe]

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.

And what about those of us that launch and boat solo?

I'm not allowed to go boating on a "busy day", because I might inconvenience you?

I think NOT !!

I pay my taxes, registration, launch fees, and parking fees just like you.

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

And not every person in a boat needs to be able to drive the boat.
Have you never taken a non boater friend on your boat?
Or did you give him an 8 hour instructional and safety course before you left the dock?

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

And what about those of us that launch and boat solo?

I'm not allowed to go boating on a "busy day", because I might inconvenience you?

I think NOT !!

I pay my taxes, registration, launch fees, and parking fees just like you.

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

And not every person in a boat needs to be able to drive the boat.
Have you never taken a non boater friend on your boat?
Or did you give him an 8 hour instructional and safety course before you left the dock?

If you are alone then you need to launch alone, no way around that. Although I can't say that I ever see anyone launching alone - fishermen tend to be out in the wee hours of the morning.

If you have a wife who is always in the boat, then they need to learn to drive the boat and get it on and off the trailer.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

launching alone is one thing, and the extra time it takes can't be helped, but it is wrong in so many ways to have able-bodied people with you and they not help the process (when it's crowded).

Teenagers can do about anything and need to be taught to help as well as how to help.

The wife/girllfriend needs to know how to operate all aspects of the boat process even if you all typically have her do very little. This is for safety No. 1 and common courtesy to others No. 2.

And babysitting is not helping the process on a busy day if it leaves you solo. You have two options for the children: train them or restrain them. Then the wife can help.

I'm not talking about adult guests who are truly non-boaters and so oblivious they can't help (and I know lots of them, even related to some!) or a wife/gf who has only been out a couple of times. If your wife/gf is a regular she needs to be competent and useful.

New boaters would be wise to get their females invested in the process from the start, so you don't end up like the inconsiderate ones being criticized here and at the ramp.

 

[Brian 26]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Thanks all for the comments, after reading all of this and thinking about it I'm just going to keep my mouth shut. Maybe I was doing a tiny bit of good by letting people know they couldn't tie up there but the change that somebody is going to snap at me and start off my boating day on a negative note isn't worth it - so screw it I'll just keep my mouth shut.

A couple people mentioned try a different ramp or lake or time, I have. We go early on the weekends and sometimes on the weekdays. This ramp is 4 miles from my house, there are other ramps and lakes close but they all have this same problem. At least with this ramp there are 3 lanes so the line can move when 1 is blocked.

I read a couple times in here people said it "only" takes 5-10 minutes. I think if you go in with a plan and teach your wife/girlfriend/friend how to drive the truck you can get that to about 2 minutes. My wife didn't like the idea of backing up a trailer but I taught her and now she is an expert. We also have a 3 and 5 year old and can get on the ramp and clear of it in under 2 minutes (I've actually timed us HA!). Not trying to brag just trying to help.

In the spirit of this turning into a boat ramp story thread, I once saw a guy putting his registration on, on the ramp. Another time I saw a pontoon tied up blocking the ramp. They had bumpers out, people coming and going, people drinking beer (this was 10am) so I gave them my polite (as polite as you can be when telling a stranger what to do) "just so you know for next time you're not supposed to leave your boat there". The wife snaps "it won't start, we would love to move it but we can't!" The husbands chimes in, "yeah because SOMEONE left the radio on last night." I felt like replying "uh maybe you should make sure it starts before you take it off the trailer....or move it out of the way by hand" (which they could have easily done). But I didn't, I just bit my tongue and called my wife to grab the jumper cables out of our truck.

Thanks all, keep the boat ramp stories coming. And here are a couple pictures that are worth 1,000 words:

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

BS... if you NEED help launching a small boat you either have extenuating circumstances or physical limitations OR you just aren't very competent yourself.... MAYBE some people DO need a multi person team but to declare that it's inherently wrong to have someone who is regularly just a passenger is ridiculous.

Don't get me wrong, in a perfect world it would be great if kids behaved and were safe without being closely watched and it would be great if everyone was good at controlling them so that they behaved in the back seat while launching the boat... it would be GREAT if we all could have a spouse that was proficient at backing in a trailer and etc but in the real world these things don't always happen

A more reasonable statement would be:

If you are in such a hurry that you can't wait on those that take 4-6 minutes to launch solo regardless of number of passengers then don't launch on a busy ramp....

EDIT Brian, we were typing at the same time... I wasn't saying BS to you

 

[lrak]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

How about the golden rule? If you have three people infront of you in line would you rather be behind.

a) Three people that take 10 minutes to solo launch and then start to load the family aboard.

b) Three people that load their families into the boat while the other family is loading/unloading, back down the ramp, have the spouse idle the engine idle for 30 seconds, back up another 2', pull out, go park, and meet off to the side of the ramp.

Hint: You'll be boating half an hour sooner behind the 2nd type of family.

 

[Mason78]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

And babysitting is not helping the process on a busy day if it leaves you solo. You have two options for the children: train them or restrain them.
.

What do you suggest? Should I tie them to the bumper or would a straight jacket be adequate?!!!

My youngest is barely out of diapers and you want me to train him on launching procedures?

At their young ages my children are thoroughly familiar with boat safety rules. That is enough for now. As they get older they will be taught more.

My wife is not "babysitting" we are taking our family boating! We are making memories for our children and teaching them how to ski. One day maybe they will take their families boating as well.

I'm not going to stay home just because my kids are little and my wife cant drive.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Bah... In my experience, the ones causing problems on the ramp are NOT those that launch solo but ARE those that tie up the ramp with loading people, removing or replacing straps, and all sorts of other things that should be done in the staging area.... Keep in mind, those of us who launch solo ALSO wait in line if there is one.

 

[lrak]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

My youngest is barely out of diapers and you want me to train him on launching procedures?

My youngest is still in diapers.

Do you let your kids run around the boat while it is on plane? My son needs to stay in the seat while on plane and while my wife is driving the boat on/off the trailer. He's understood for quite a while that if he wants to go boating often he needs to keep his butt on the seat until dad gets in the boat.

 

[brodie123]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

I've always tried to more ignore than anything, but am polite when I need to get someone out of the way. Especially when they are blocking the ramp and all they need to do is move the boat down the dock so others can get it. Our ramp has a dog-leg so it's easy to allow others to launch and yet many times people just look at you without a thought.

My question here is about the jet-skis. These are the guys I've been more stern with for boating all around the docks instead of taking it out on the lake. These guys, to me, deserve it especially when they are throwing wake right by the launch. Is that too pushy?

 

[moosehead]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Imagine you are in a Crowded Boat Ramp, filled with Iboat Forum Members in this Thread (cue "The Twilight Zone" background music):

1) Individuals fight with those with families cause their wives aren't doing it right, they don't know how to raise their kids, and the individual's time is more important than the family guy's time, and

2) Guys are timing their launches and an Augusta-Like Scoreboard posts results at the ramp entrance, pit crews compete with sole proprietor's for launch times, and the crowd goes wild in the process, and

3) Unwilling and unable spouses are forced to either pilot the boat around a crowded boat ramp, with kids duct taped to their seats, or drag a tow vehicle and trailer through a crowded parking lot causing death and destriction, and

4) Defibrillator's are needed to save those who might keep their traps shut but boil over internally and have cardiac arrest over the above hullabaloo

5) Two refugee camps develop and grow at the already crowded ramp: (a) guests, spouses, kids who are noobs and therefore banished aboard, and (b) captains who got their arses kicked by someone else's spouse for suggesting they aren't allowed aboard unless trained properly

You have now entered the Iboats Twilight Zone: A boat ramp full of noobs is looking rather appealing.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Brodie,
generally they just don't have a clue but it is hard to explain things without getting in a confrontation... I have 3 skis and I find that when I take friends out who SHOULD know better, I launch them and then launch mine and tie it to the dock... I go park the tow vehicle and when I get back to the dock my ski is banging against the dock because they are making wakes right by the dock on MY other skis.... annoying as heck.... people as a whole are morons... even the smart ones

Moosehead,
ROFLMAO