Just dont understand

[sasto]

Re: Just dont understand

Famous last words....."It worked the last time I took her out".

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Just dont understand

While running on the muffs may not totally simulate running on the water, at the very least it can point out obvious things like a dead battery. Eliminating those nussiance "oopsie" moments would help the public launch mess quite a bit.

takes far less time to glance at a volt gauge

don't get me wrong..... I'm not knocking anyone for running their boat at home.... The thing that gets me is the suggestion that anyone who doesn't is a fool and that if there is ever a problem it's because someone didn't.... I personally will never have an electric start boat with less than 2 batts.... I also keep my boats plugged in with a batt maintainer so no dead batts to worry with.

 

[emoney]

Re: Just dont understand

I think that one of the benefits of being a "diy-er" is that you should know your motor. If she was acting up the last time you put her on the trailer, then it needs looked in to. Also, keep an automatic charger on the battery, and you've pretty much eliminated a lot of the "snafu's" that can occur. Now, as it comes to "break downs", there's not a whole lot that running it on the muffs the night before can help with, because like someone made mention of; the 3 hour ride to the lake can reek it's own havoc. The main point is simple and has been hashed out for eons: don't be a you-know-what, when it comes to launching your boat. Everything else will work itself out.

 

[scipper77]

Re: Just dont understand

I start at home and then charge the battery every time. One time I got to the launch and even though the boat started fine at home and the battery was fully charged, I couldn't start at the ramp. And I always am wondering why these people at the launch don't start at home.

The bottom line is that I spent a lot of time getting ready for the trip, and had my brother meet me at the launch all for nothing. Even though the starting in the driveway didn't prevent this, if I am going to have a starting issue at the launch I like it to be despite my efforts and not because of a lack of effort.

P.S. After the no start, I did points, dwell, timing, and a new battery. Starting problem went away.

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: Just dont understand

I'm a muff type of guy. And always check a long list of prep. before leaving the house.
The problem is the odds, YOU will be "THAT GUY" at the ramp at some point.
So try and keep your cool when you/others are having one of those days.

Not even the admiral can get me more upset than a bad day at the ramp, but odds are odds and you WILL have to pay.:facepalm:

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Just dont understand

greg you pointed out one of the major causes of delays: guys who won't teach their wives/GF/children/regular guests to operate either the boat or vehicle.
A party of six standing there watching a solo launch or retrieve is inexcusable. I assign it to an inflated male ego with control issues (only I can do it) and anal retentive tendancies (only I can do it exactly right). It is both selfish and irresponsible not to have every family member who is at least a teenager, regardless of gender, qualified to operate all the equipment.

 

[lcmains1]

Re: Just dont understand

greg you pointed out one of the major causes of delays: guys who won't teach their wives/GF/children/regular guests to operate either the boat or vehicle.
A party of six standing there watching a solo launch or retrieve is inexcusable. I assign it to an inflated male ego with control issues (only I can do it) and anal retentive tendancies (only I can do it exactly right). It is both selfish and irresponsible not to have every family member who is at least a teenager, regardless of gender, qualified to operate all the equipment.

Completley agree!!! Yesterday, while waiting to getoff the water I noticed 4 people doing this..... Guy was off getting the trailer and bcaking into the water while the boat was tied up at the dock. He would back the boat down, and then push it over to the trailer and winch it up.... All the time his wife and family was in the boat waiting for him.

I drop my wife off at the dock, she goes and gets the trailer and backs it down the ramp.... how you ask?? We took the time and taught her!!!!!!

 

[GregMcQ]

Re: Just dont understand

I am in the middle of teaching my wife to back and the "tricks" to loading up. It just makes sense. This is my forth boat, but her first. So when launching, I make sure everything is good to go before its my turn, and only have the bow winch attached. I back it down until the wheels touch the water, hop out, hop in the boat, she hops in driver seat, I fire boat up (which I had already did before it was my turn), she backs up as needed, I launch, shes out of the way.

Loading, she circles with the boat out away from the ramp. When I hit the ramp, I get the trailor where it needs to be, shes knows to already be easing in, sticks the bow, then I hop in, and pop it on up, she jumps out while im securing the bow, and pulls us off the ramp.

Plus, just to not be a complete meanie, I have more than once offered to back a trailor in when I see the situation...... and rarely does anyone take me up on it. lol But hey, I do offer.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Just dont understand

I drop my wife off at the dock, she goes and gets the trailer and backs it down the ramp.... how you ask?? We took the time and taught her!!!!!!

While my wife can drive the boat, she has no interest in driving my crewcab with or without a trailer attached to it

The launch we use at Minnetonka has a pretty good dock system, so you can tie up without being in the launch/load lanes. We just tie up the boat leaving it running then I get to take the jog up the huge hill to where the parking area is, drive the truck down, back it in and I'll normally just run over to the boat and load it myself. Wouldn't be much if any faster if someone else drove the boat on and my wife gets nervous when the water is not still.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Just dont understand

Ok Im not putting down People that have engine problems at the ramp. Yes things can happen even if you ran the Motor the night before. I cannot offer any help with people that are having motor problems other then a dead battery or something simple. When they have tools and socket wrenches out, I know something major is going on. Blocking a busy boat ramp and docks trying to start the motor for 30 minutes or so is the problem.

MY motor is not a POS by any means. I'm a private Pilot and I know the meaning of Preflight and checklist. The difference is, an airplane may kill me and my family if the engine fails.
I rather spend the extra time checking everything possible before launch, to make sure that everything is in working order before going to the ramp. I think this helps my odds for Successful boating day.
I would feel like crap if we drove to the lake and we cannot go boating, because I didn't check everything on the boat before making the 30-60 minute drive. Wife, Kids and Dog would be very disappointed.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Just dont understand

takes far less time to glance at a volt gauge

No argument there. However, I know a few boats without that particular feature.

 

[produceguy]

Re: Just dont understand

0 Right on AZBD.

 

[laserbrn]

Re: Just dont understand

I don't sweat it that much. I'm a noobie boater, but I figured it's pretty simple. I say you have 15 minutes at the ramp, bottom line. It generally takes me two, but if I'm having trouble starting my boat or if I have some other issue I pull it back up the ramp and start all over. I'm not saying I'll quit in five, but I'm a pretty good judge of what problems need to be addressed back in the prep areas and what can be done during the launch.

I don't let anyone else launch my boat or drive my truck because if they should *accidentally put it in reverse instead of drive say and sink my truck who am I going to be mad at? A) The person I had help me in an unfamiliar situation with an unfamiliar vehicle? B) Myself for having someone else help me instead of spending the extra 2 min. it takes to be responsible for my own property and to not pass that kind of liability onto someone else or C) the people on iBoats for suggesting it's moronic to take care of it yourself?

I think the real problem is that everyone waits until Memorial Day weekend to get their boats out and then uses them 4x per year. THOSE are the people at the launch having the problems. When I bought my boat and launched it for the first time do you think it was Memorial Day or even a Saturday? Do you think I got there at 7:00am when everyone else wanted to launch their boats? No, it was a Wed. in April and I was able to work everything out, work on launching/retrieving when the ramps weren't busy. I also take the boat out alot to fish, so I've become pretty accustomed to it with about 30-40 launches under my belt in a short period.

But man, come summertime I just see these guys in the line in the morning and they are NOT ready to launch their boats. They haven't done it in a year, they haven't made sure everything is working, they forget drain plugs, they leave straps on, it's hysterical.

 

[kcfromohio]

Re: Just dont understand

@Greg... I totally understand. I cant stand the guy that wont let anyone operate his boat or his truck. Then there are some people that won't do anything but stand there and get in the way. When I go boating, I'm a Captian! I spout out orders and give people assignments! They usually don't want to go out with me again!

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Just dont understand

First 6 months of being a new boat owner I launched during the off days to get experience under my belt. Now my wife and kids all have a routine down pat and they all play a part in the
Pre Launch, Launch and retrieval. We can launch our boat under 5 minutes. Next I need to have them swap roles.

 

[laserbrn]

Re: Just dont understand

I don't have a wife or kids and change the routine about who I am fishing with all of the time. I fish with friends, family, strangers, damn near anyone who wants to go kill some stripers! So for me, it may look as though I could have others in my group helping, but believe me, it's faster if I just do it myself. My boat, my truck, any mistakes are also mine.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Just dont understand

The difference is, an airplane may kill me and my family if the engine fails.

If you don't believe an engine failure on the water can't kill you, think again. Two deaths, and three near deaths in less than a week because of engine failures.

The first, two died when they lost power which resulted in them taking on water and sinking 100 yards from the shore. A third guy, the son of one of fatalities, was able to swim to shore and survived. His father and uncle where not so lucky.

A couple of days earlier, three guys where taken to the local emergency room suffering from exposure when they too had engine problems which resulted in the boat taking on water and sinking. Fortunate for them, a charter boat was nearby and was able to pull them from the water and transport back to Port where they were picked up and transported to the local hospital.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Just dont understand

OK I stand corrected.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Just dont understand

I think we are ALL on the same page with being prepared and responsible.... There is no excuse for being on the ramp more than just a few minutes if others are waiting..... If the place is deserted then it's a different story.... Heck I spent over an hour there a couple weeks ago running engines and the genny but then I spent half an hour removing flood debris and shoveling mud first so I could get down the ramp and there were rootballs and logs floating by at 15 mph the size of VW's lol.... nobody else was there.

On a busy weekend..... If you can't be launched and out of the way in 5 minutes you need to pull out and go back to the back of the line.

 

[skargo]

Re: Just dont understand

I start mine up when I leave home, it idles the 20 minutes to the ramp and when I drop it in it is all warmed up.