He Was Headed Right for My Truck

[Texasmark]

Double ramp. Tried to be courteous and stay on my side. Trailer was in the water. Was in the seat starting the engine. Noticed another rig coming down the ramp.

Next thing you know it was headed right for the side of my truck (about a 30 degree angle from where it should have been).

Guy driving (gray headed like me) had no business launching a boat. Was unable to see behind himself due to physical difficulties (apparently cause I watched him wiggling in the seat trying to look over the back of it) and lack of rear view mirror use.

Had to stop what I was doing, leap to the front of the boat (still on my trailer) and scream at him to get him to stop before he hit me. Finally got his trailer in the water after 5 or 6 tries (he has my full attention now) and now it's headed for my boat/trailer at about the same angle. Had to holler at him again. Once he got his boat launched he just went about his business like I wasn't even there. Said absolutely nothing about his antics.

This was a Friday morning. Can't imagine what the weekends are like nowadays if this is any indication.

Mark

 

[Rudy Brown]

Re: He Was Headed Right for My Truck

I just sit at the ramp and watch. More entertainment than a night at the wrestling match.

 

[atticus3600s]

Re: He Was Headed Right for My Truck

Quality family entertainment, unless of course hes heading for you.....:devil:

 

[Silvertip]

Re: He Was Headed Right for My Truck

Holiday weekends are the most entertaining as it brings out the three or four time a year boaters. A few adult beverages and a lawn chair at the ramp will have you shaking your head in disbelief in matter of minutes. Best part is the entertainment is free. You get to see bad driving, bad manners, bad boating, maybe a fight or two, and perhaps the start of a divorce.

 

[Frugal Floater]

Re: He Was Headed Right for My Truck

It is very strange how some people, no matter how many times they back up a trailer, just can't figure it out...It is like they are missing a connector in their brain that tells them...Ok, if i turn the wheel right, the trailer goes left...Even when they crawl at .0005mph and can see the boat reaction to their steering, they still get confused. boggles my mind!

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: He Was Headed Right for My Truck

They walk among us. :%

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: He Was Headed Right for My Truck

i took the waverunner for a spin Tuesday. came back to the ramp. guy was unloading, 1st couldn't back straight, 2nd 12 foot bow line, 18 foot boat he had to wade, then didn't have enough rope to get to the dock. 3rd. left the plug out, motor tilted down, got stuck in the mud, boat wouldn't move, taking on water.

i finally pull up next to the boat, on the waverunner, turned on the bilge pump, tilted the motor up, and pushed the boat to the dock. all the while the plug is still out. he gets in fumbles over the transom and finally , get the plug in.

to top thing off, goes to start motor, battery to weak to turn the motor over.

in the mean time his truck and trailer is still sitting in the middle of a 2 boat ramp. 3 boats in line. with the waverunner, i help him manover the boat back to the trailer. then doesn't have enough winch line to get the boat on. i butted the nose on the waverunner to the transom, and push that sucker far enough to get the winch line on it.

when it was over i asked him if he had learned anything about being prepared. suggested the safeboating course.

this is a true occurance happen March 13 2006.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: He Was Headed Right for My Truck

So tasha's dad, what kind of response did you get from him? Usually this type has an attitude problem.

Hey Silver hear you on the:
Divorce pending....never hear her yelling at him always the other way around....course she doesn't realize it but she is his scapegoat for letting off steam.........course I never did that to my wife.........yeah right!

Love the guy that has to get on the ramp (and block it) to do his launch or load (both directions) rigging when the boats are lined up for half a mile to launch. Course he won't accept the idea of courtesy to others even though everyone else is ready before launching and moves off the ramp and to the side to prepare for the trip home.

I think one of the launching problems is that launching ramps are angled to the parking lot making the boat disappear for a time before the tow vehicle gets on the ramp. High mounted lights help but everyone doesn't have them, as does a tail gate......when you look backwards that is.

Tas, had a bass club friend who forgot his plug. He launched his boat, tied it to the pier where his bass buddies were standing and talking. Went and parked his truck. By the time he got back his boat was quasi submerged. Buddies did nothing but laughed at it flooding, tackle boxes floating and all. He said he got his boat back on the trailer, went home, and departed the company of the club. Sounded like a good idea.

Mark

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: He Was Headed Right for My Truck

he was a dumb a$$, even told him where to get the best battery at the best price. when i ask if he learned anything, he just looked totally dumb faced, and said , thanks for the help.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: He Was Headed Right for My Truck

Well, at least you got a thanks for your effort.

Haven't figured out yet why you have to have a drivers license to drive on public roads that have the vehicle movement somewhat controlled but a boat that can run all over the lake in any direction has nothing but an age restriction for the driver in some states.

Mark

 

[Rancherlee]

Re: He Was Headed Right for My Truck

I think the best I've ever seen is a boat/trailer on its side when I got to the landing. The guy was trying to back his boat in with a dock on his passenger side and back one tire down the dock and the other down the ramp and it flipped on it side. LUCKY for him that it was only a 14' bench seat aluminum boat that me and one other guy were able to help him get it righted again.

 

[imported_airxsteel]

Re: He Was Headed Right for My Truck

What kills me is the way people handle themselves at the ramp. If you know your not good at backing down a boat, that is fine. Let the other people in line go first. That way you got a pretty good chance of not destroying something or hurting someone. At least that is what I did starting out.

I have seen the same thing happen. An older gentleman, and I don't mean some guy in his 50's. This guy had to be over 75. He tried backing a small alum boat back and almost took out a courtesy dock, not once but 4 or 5 times. Could not get it right for nothing.

We even offered to back it down for him. He finally got it halfway straight in the water and launched this way , taking up at least 2 lanes. When he launched it, he didn't say one word to anyone. If it were me, I would have been apologizing to everyone, waving at them, and bowing. I just don't get it.

What is the difference of launching a boat and driving your car, with the same amount of courtesy? People just throw it out the window I guess. If you don't do it alot, it can be intimidating, but why be a jerk about it. If you are going to back a boat into a launch area, why not practice some so that you can do it fairly accurately?
I took my boat to an empty parking lot and practice there, and take it to the ramps to practice just getting it down, and pulling it up with no one around.

Bottom line, (and sorry for the long vent and post) is that people don't care!! Even after you help them, and show some direction and help, they could care less. That is what gets me, and crawls all over me.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: He Was Headed Right for My Truck

Air,

That's what got me too; and I even tried to help him get it right. Makes you wonder what they are thinking.

Mark

 

[Silver/Fish]

Re: He Was Headed Right for My Truck

:^:^:^...And not even an apology? Sad to say, it is a sign of the times...I have got to the point where I even try to avoid weekends. Sad, but true.

...Had one guy snag his bow line on the trailer as he pulled back up the ramp, thankfully no one was hurt.

...This was a few minutes after he fell off the dock trying to tie off the stern.