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boldts
06-23-2002, 11:04 PM
Thought I'd tell you all about a incident that happened today while launching at our local pond.

We're ready to go, waiting in line to launch our Donzi. When out of the blue, the guy pulling an empty pontoon boat trailer in front of me comes back to my truck and asks me if I'd back the trailer into the water for him. He then says "I've never done this before!" I say "Sure, be glad to help."

I jump into a totally unfamiler truck with a trailer I've never backed up before and proceed to back it down the ramp for the pontoon boat owner. Needless to say, saving everyone involved a ton of time! I go back to my truck and proceed to launch our boat. Beth is uncomfortable with driving our boat in conjested areas, so I start the boat and drive it off the trailer and move it out of the way to a near-by dock. As I go back to now move the truck and trailer to a parking spot, a man watching from the shore tells me, "That was the most unselfish and professionally done trailer backing he had seen done by anyone. You got in a truck you didn't know and put the trailer right where it needed to be with-out doing any damage to it." I say "Thank-you, I've had a lot of practice over the last 17 years."

Now for the reason I'm posting this. Sitting out on the lake waiting to load his boat is a guy driving a Baha performance boat. This guy starts bitching at me because I'm listening to the words being said by the by-stander. I get in my truck and go park it. As I walk back to my Donzi, the words "Why don't you buy a REAL boat!" or "Next time if I see you waiting, I'll leave my boat at the launch ramp dock." are coming to my lips, but I refrain from saying anything to this jerk, because you see, it has been 15 minutes and this idiot is still trying to get his boat back on the trailer. I did more in 5 minutes than this guy could even think of his whole life!

I jumped into the Donzi and proceeded to take Beth and Allison out for a terrific day on the lake. Life is good! Many comments on our Classic. All favorable! It's just to bad some guys have NO RESPECT or TIME for their fellow men! :rolleyes:

Digger
06-24-2002, 06:52 AM
good on ya Scott.

launch ramps are very interesting places indeed. People act strangely at ramps for many reasons, one reason is because they are uncomfortable knowing they are being watched since they aren't proficient at backing a trailer. Impatience, hot tempers, obstinance, and a general disregard for courtesy between human beings...
but I digress.

Craig
06-24-2002, 07:02 AM
I've got it made at the launch ramp. My wife backs the boat/trailer into the water while I recline (much like the position in the small pic at left). Once the boat is off, I start engine and watch the heads in response to the thru transom exhaust. I like to read faces. Two types of facial responses to thru transom exhaust; one says "That is soooo cool" the other says "that is sooo obnoxious" Sometimes its hard to tell. Oh yea, back to the launch process... then the wife goes and parks the car, etc. etc. O.K. maybe its not always exactly like that, but close.

Bryan Tuvell 33ZX
06-24-2002, 10:14 AM
We too have had an interesting year so far, we always use the same ramp too. The boat that always joins me, well we have a system and he is very experienced, we never deviate. Launch the 26 and his 32 in less than 5 minutes.

Problem is, 2 ramps, berth for 3 on the L of one, people dock there and picnic, at a public ramp.
So you have to wait in a narrow shallow channel.

Yesterday we docked, Nancy and Jess walked the boat around the L as I got my truck, a guy in a truck and lake boat went around me (cut me off) to launch theirs before I could recover.
I was nice and allowed it just because I am nice after a great day on the water.
It is always a good thing that I have to be somewhat polite in front of my children, that is why we have a finger I guess.... for the exit from the parking lot.
The guy I run with from Jersy always talks of just shooting them, and at times I think he is serious...
Bryan

Rootsy
06-24-2002, 10:30 AM
what ever happened to the thing called manners, being considerate and being polite? people are in such an all fired hurry these days and engrossed in themselves... and RUDE, can't forget that... i think the words excuse me, please and thank-you can officially be removed from the dictionary...

case in point, yesterday i was towin the boat home, had been out on lake erie for a little jaunt. came to a passing lane on a 2 lane highway, moved over to let people pass and i was doin the speed limit... i came to the end and i signal to get over since the right lane was ending some woman in a minivan was right at the stern and she just kept coming on along instead of backing off 50 feet to let me get over... she saw my blinker she knew that my lane was ending... i had to get hard on the brakes to avoid goin off the road... and you know how quickly 9000 lbs of ford and donzi stop... some people just tick ya off...

Bryan Tuvell 33ZX
06-24-2002, 10:46 AM
Jamie I hear ya about the traffic.
We have a short drive but it is often stressfull at a merge point for us... When the diesel downshift I usually still out run a car.....
Again, at this point manners are out and the finger applies....

I always go out of my way to help folks at the ramp, last weekend I yelled (nicely) to a guy to catch my bowline to help Nancy, he smirked and walked away!
Oh well....

I haven't heard from Sam in a bit, you guys been boating any together?
Bryan

Rootsy
06-24-2002, 11:15 AM
Bryan,

havn't boated with sam since AOTH... he writes now and again and hopefully we michigan folk can have some kinda get together here soon...

and i was gonna give that woman a "friendly" wave til i noticed a child in the passenger seat... bummer...

CrackerJack
06-24-2002, 04:25 PM
Scott,
The world is a better place, because of people like you. Hope I would have acted with the
same class as you.

Cuda
06-25-2002, 12:26 AM
Last Saturday, we launched our latest boat for the first run. We were fired up and ready to go. The guy on the dock next to me couldn't get his boat started. He asked me if he could get a jump off my boat. Since I had just purchased the boat, the last thing I wanted to do was swap gel coat with this fellow. He had wife, kids, and other passengers waiting for the day on the water. I told him I didn't think his cables would reach my batteries (pretty sure they would have), but I would pull my truck down, take the battery out, and use it to jump him. That's what I did. He said he didn't know you could jump one just with another battery :confused: . I didn't want him to dissapoint all his passengers. After he got it running, I asked where he was headed, so if I saw him broke down, I would give him a hand since he obviously didn't know much about boats. At least he was thankful, and graciously offered to lug my battery back to my truck. When I asked him where he was headed, he said out by the Skyway. I had just talked to a buddy of mine that was out there in a 25' Outlaw, and he said it was rough as hell. These guys at the dock were in about a 17 or 18 foot bowrider with six people in it. I strongly advised him not to take that boat out there today, it wouldn't be much short o2.95.23

Bryan Tuvell 33ZX
06-25-2002, 09:10 PM
POODLE, great story... thanks

TUNAFISH, you make me wonder! Bryan

fasttrucker
06-25-2002, 09:33 PM
one day about 10-15 years ago i was putting my boat in.as i was back by the trailer my car started to roll backwards! the cars muffler tail pipe was right by the water. i thought my car+trailer was gone for sure.i jumped to the trunk and started pushing and was able to stop it from rolling futher back,then these guys came up to look i said"hey could use a little help"they got behind the car and held it till i was able to pull car away,that was my close one! eek!

boldts
06-25-2002, 09:40 PM
Great stories all. :) It's amazing how a perfectly normal human being when all of a sudden in the vicinity of a launch ramp and water becomes a perfectly abnormal idiot to be nice. Got to tell you that the launch ramp in the Spring is some of the best entertainment in the whole world. You have the first time boat buyers who instead of trying this on a calmer week day evening have to try to launch for the first time ever on the weekend. Have any of you seen the face of a new boat owner with a roller trailer who just watched as his new pride and joy rolled off the trailer? Then as all the bystander’s jaws have hit the ground, he tries to blame the whole incident on his wife who is standing there wondering what she did. What, was she supposed to become Wonder Woman and reach out to stop the boat from rolling off the trailer? BTW, those of you who have a roller trailer, never undo the winch cable before getting the boat down to and in the water! How many of you have forgotten the old drain plug? I did it once, but never again so far. That was a very cold swim in early Spring of Ohio. :)

FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack
06-25-2002, 09:51 PM
Who's seen this one before? I pull up to a toll booth on the Garden State Parkway and in the booth to my right is a 21' Scarab sitting in the road. In front of it is a pickup truck and a roller trailer with........you guessed it, a broken winch rope!
Which of Newton's laws of motion was that again? The third?

Eric :rolleyes:

roadtrip se
06-25-2002, 11:55 PM
Okay I'll throw one in here.

Jill and I are finishing lunch on the porch of our favorite barbeque joint when we noticed that the local ramp looked pretty busy. Decided to stumble over and watch the happenings, so to speak.

Family unit shows up with a large deck boat, maybe 28 feet towed by an Escalade with temporary tags.

They back it up, he in the boat and she in the SUV. Trailer wheels are barely in the water and they think it is going to float off, no motor started. We watch this for ten or so minutes, until it appears like a weekend is about to be ruined. Jill and I walk over to offer help.

Quick lesson and the suggestion to start the motor while on the trailer and we are ready to go.
He starts the motor and starts reving the drive with the trailer still barely in the water. Finally, Jill walks up to the driver window and says, "Excuse me mam, but I need for you to get out of the vehicle!" Amazingly, she gets out, Jill hops in, and launches the boat to cheers from all watching. We weren't around for the de-launch.....

Todd

CnV & Family
06-26-2002, 07:12 AM
Some great stories...

Never seen anything to speak of, but I know when we launch it's usually when there are few to none around. I don't mind launching in a big crowd, but when we do I have to slow myself down, take a deep breath, and re-run over my mental checklist. I tend to rush myself where crowds are, but I do know better. Usually everything runs smooth though.

-C

Donzi Blackhawk
06-26-2002, 08:58 AM
Great stories. I have always dreamed of how I want to spend some of my time when I retire. (which is still a long way off.) Imagine a bar next to a popular launch ramp, now imagine this launch ramp with a closed circuit camera wired to a big screen tv inside the bar. Do you see how much fun everyone in the bar will have. Now, imagine the entire daily event set up as a live web site. The most unbelieveable launch ramp I have ever seen was the chain of lakes state park in Illinois. A lot of nice people, no question, but a vast majority incapable of launching or loading a boat. One day I saw a guy do a power launch. He backed up to the water, his buddy was behind the helm, the boat was unhooked from the trailer. The trailer was a roller to help make launching easy. As he backed up, he slammed on the brakes, you guessed it, the boat launched onto the concrete. Everyone at the ramp heard the crash, then fell to the ground in laughter. Now who wouldn't want to see that while enjoying an ice cold beer in my bar?

Boat_Mon
06-26-2002, 12:19 PM
You guys crack me up!! What a great bunch of stories. I'm pretty fortunate to live on an inland lake in Michigan so I'm not nearly as well versed and experienced in all the typical launch ramp adventures..I definitley made some great mental notes for future launches though. Thanks.

RH
06-26-2002, 03:07 PM
Here's my story, a few summers ago, I pulled up to the dock at the ramp with a lady holding on to her boat in strong winds. The boat got looose, I jumped in it and pulled it back to the dock after she asked me to help retrieve it as it was drifting into the sea wall. About that time her inebriated husband/boyfriend/lover/ who knows what drives down the ramp and proceeds to come unglued that I am in his 1979 Crestliner and that I have no business running his boat! The lady absolutely comes hysterical as she starts to explain that I saved his boat from some nice damage. I don't think that he got any lovin' when they got home! He eventually apologized after he calmed down, but I thought he was going to shoot me!
RH

Bryan Tuvell 33ZX
06-26-2002, 04:11 PM
Lets not forget the ones who:
1. Want to pull the plug, put on straps and drain the bildge on the ramp.

2. The family's who need to unload everything from the boat (on the ramp) to the vehicle so it will go in their residence easier.

3. The wrong trailer set-up guys who ALWAYS drive it on crooked, pull up and THEN realize it, resink it etc etc etc...

4. The POWER WINCH guys with 30 feet of cable out, don't want to sink their trailer, oh and might I add a weak battery for the POWER WINCH.

5. Or the ones who do not tie up well, walk away and their boat has one end to sea.

6. Let us also love the REV's of an engine when the brake is on while going up the ramp!

7. Damn boat won't start, now what honey? They can wait, no big deal!

I could go on but won't.... I have had several bad moments at the "dock" my self, but never on the ramp.... My FAVORITE sign is

"DON'T DO AT THE RAMP WHAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME OR IN THE PARKING LOT."

As I said above, NOTHING beats a guy who ties up at a launch and has a picnic! :mad:
Bryan

Dalelama
06-27-2002, 09:25 AM
As the BadPoodle sez,,, BLACKPOINT MARINA!

They actually set up bleachers during holidays and the Columbus Day Regatta... picture hundreds (I mean HUNDREDS) of drunk idiots trying to launch/retrieve every type of floating vessel known to man. Families show up with picnic baskets and make a day of it... no s%#t!

Matheson Hammock comes n a close 2nd... but NO bleachers...

Baxter & I can launch 2 Donzi's (Or any boat for that matter) park the trailer, and be 1/2 way out the channel before most idiots figure out which slip they wanna back into...

Again, like Bolts sez... YEARS of experiance!

FINALLY BACK IN RAINY SOUTH FLORIDA!

Sean
06-27-2002, 05:21 PM
There should be a contest for the best story of boat ramp rage and inexperience. I've seen more than my share of boat ramp experiences. I have learned to hold my temper when launching and trailering. If all goes as planned, this should be the quickest part of the day. Leave it behind and get on with enjoying the sun, family, and water.

DON N.
06-27-2002, 06:13 PM
THIS HAPPENED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO , THIS GUY BUYS A USED TRIHULL ON UPPER HUDSON GETS DRINKING AND IS GOING TO RUN A BUOY OVER WELL HE HITS ONE DEAD CENTER AND THE BUOY RIPS THE OUTDRIVE OFF THE BOAT , ANOTHER BOATER TOWS HIM BACK TO THE MARINA NEXT DOOR HE PAYS HIM $20.00 ,THE BOAT CAME WITH A TRAILER BUT HE HAS NO HITCH SO HE OFFERS $20.00 TO A CUSTOMER THAT HAVING SOME COCKTAILS WITH HIS BOSSES TRUCK ( A ROAD SERVICE UTILITY POWER WAGON FOR A TRUCKING FIRM ) I DON'T KNOW IF THE PARKING BRAKED WORKED BUT THEY BLOCKED THE REAR TIRE WITH A 2 X 4 AND WINCHING THE BOAT ON THE TRAILER THE TRUCK WENT OVER THE BOARD , FLOATED THEN SUNK UNDER THE DOCKS WITH THE HEAD LIGHTS ON . ENCON GOT INVOLVED BECAUSE OF CHEMICALS IN THE TRUCK AND BOSSES NEW CELL PHONE . YEAH THE KID GOT FIRED. THE MARINA HAD TO HIRE A HOUSE MOVING COMPANY TO REMOVE THE POWER WAGON.

harbormaster
06-27-2002, 06:14 PM
I am dreading any screwups I might make at the boat ramp with my new boat. I am a boater accustomed to going to the marina and untying the boat and backing out of the slip. Don't get me wrong, I have done boat ramps before but you guys are givin' me the willies!

Sweet little 16
06-27-2002, 09:28 PM
Harbor,
don't worry, I'm like you don't launch and retrieve that often , just take your time,( not your sweet A!@ time wink ) and you'll be fine
just remeber
plug
straps
you'll be fine
good luck with the new ride

Matt

mattyboy
06-27-2002, 09:36 PM
now things have gone too far!
the little lady wanted to get involved and now I gotta look who's logged in or not , got on the puter after she left and I was logged on as her

Matt

Donzi Blackhawk
06-27-2002, 09:44 PM
Here is one that turned out well. At one time I owned a 1955 wooden runabout. The boat was beautiful. I came up to the launch and as always my wife Kathleen was there to assist me. Well as usual the boat started to draw attention. Before we knew it we had people wanting to help in any way they could. After the boat was launched, one guy actually helped hold the boat off of the dock while I parked the car. Later when it was back on the trailer, someone else helped me put the trailering cover on. Sometimes nice people are at the launch ramp.

Here is a quick funny story. One day I was walking along the dock to get to my boat. What caught my attention was a family sitting very stoic in their boat. All were quiet and not looking at eachother. Boy, that's wierd I thought to myself. A few seconds later I heard a big woosh and watched the dad dressed in street clothes climb out of the water back over the side into the boat. I smiled and turned away betting that he will never forget the drain plug again!

Hey Scot, don't frett about launching. You own a Donzi, you already look cool, so just be cool. Oh, um, don't forget your drain plug.

Digger
06-28-2002, 07:35 AM
Scot, just a suggestion, write out a checklist and put it in your truck. When you arrive at the ramp, review the checklist then get out and do it. Do it the same way every time.
I used to sweat the ramp a little, and to be honest, I still get focused, because the day I become complacent is the day I'll screw it up. I routinely launch and retrieve my boat single handed, (as long as there is a dock with the ramp. no dock, I need two people) for the heck of it I'll relate my technique.

Get to the launch "prep" area, well clear of the actual ramp.
--Install drain plug first
--Remove tie down straps (two at stern, one on bow eye)
--disconnect trailer lights
--put all the crap I will need in the boat in the boat if it isn't there already
--attach bow and stern line, oriented to the side of the boat that will be next to the dock when I back her down
--keys in boat ignition
--turn the blower on
--ensure drives trimmed full up

Pull to the ramp, and back her down, next to the dock, back her down until she is "light" on the bunks, light enough to float off. Set the parking brake. Get out of the truck, get in the boat and start her up. get out of the boat, go to the winch, and disconnect. get back on the dock, grabbing bow and stern line that are at the ready, and walk the boat aft off the trailer. Tie the boat up. get back in the truck (release the parking brake) park the rig (if you have a roller trailer this is a good time to ensure all the rollers freely roll, otherwise...)then go boating.

For retrieving, I back the trailer down into the water until "it looks right", i.e. that point at which the boat will float onto the trailer till the bow is about 4 ft from the bow stop, the hull just beginning to contact the bunks. (once you have found that "sweet spot" note where your truck rear axle is in relation to the water, in my case it occurs just as the rear wheels are beginning to get wet, there is your reference point. next time just back up to that same spot and you'll be in there, no guesswork) ensure drives are trimmed "trailer" up. WALK the boat onto the trailer with the bow and stern lines till she starts to contact the bunks. back to the winch. hook on the strap to the bow eye, and start cranking in. In my case it is difficult to tell sometimes how far up the trailer the boat really is, so with a magic marker I have scribed a line across the strap, so that I know when that line is at "top dead center" of the winch spool, then she is just right. back in the truck and out she comes, pull well clear from the ramp.
--remove drain plug
--attach tie down straps
--connect and test trailer lights

drag home, flush engines with saltaway, boat with soap and water, and body with ice cold beer (maybe coors light even :D )

So much for procedures. Unfortunately a checklist won't help you back a trailer. One hour spent at a wide open parking lot and a few cones or rocks placed about to manuever around, with NOBODY WATCHING will do wonders to your backing skills. (go to the mall early in the morning. take no one, not even your dog) A good primer I was taught early on was: when backing your trailer, put your left hand, plam down, on the bottom of your steering wheel. Put your right arm across the back of the seat, head turned around to the right to look back (or better yet if you have nice big side mirrors just use those) As you back up, move your wheel hand in the direction you want the trailer to go. Go slow.

Mustang Susie
06-28-2002, 08:51 AM
Marie,
You go girl! :D

Mattyboy,
Don't worry... Waleye does the same thing all the time. (alot of the things he writes under my name don't make much sense coming from me :confused: )

Mustang

2biguns
06-28-2002, 09:22 AM
Digger just revealed the top secret to trailer backing that was told to me 27 years ago--put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. To make the trailer go left, move that hand to the left and vice versa.

I started backing when I was 14 and had to load my dirt bike on a trailer. My mom could not back the trailer with our family station wagon so my dad taught me how. If you can ever master a small trailer, a big one is a piece of cake.

Jake
06-28-2002, 02:26 PM
Another great secret for backing up is to look at your tire on the trailer. As soon as you see it vere off track of where you want to go you make an adjustment to the wheel. Watching the tire is more precise than looking at the boat behind you. I like it because it makes it a lot harder to jack knife. Just my opinion.

Bryan Tuvell 33ZX
06-29-2002, 08:10 PM
You know the guy I mentioned who never moves his boat, that sits all weekend at the city ramp in the water, we ll as I parked the truck Nancy told the 400 pound guy off... eek!
Then I see her and her girlfriend and the guy going at it, two husbands running through the parking lot.... (my bud from Jersy who kills for a living and I!)

(oh, the CG Aux guy was there), he smelled of booze in a dirty uniform, but did call 911...
SO now I have the fuzz at the ramp and the girl in the yellow T-Shirt (Nancy) was the one being reported for attitude (DONZITUDE!)...
So I figured we would have 36 slashed tires and a fight at return...
Thank goodness he was gone when we returned....

He did move his boat and wasn't there for ONCE this year when we returned....
Love my Donzi Gal...
Bryan

ToonaFish
07-01-2002, 11:09 PM
You might want to add "secure life vests before hitting the highway" to Digger's list... not that I'd ever forget that, ahem.

Bunches,

Celene 'darting between speeding Semis is good exercise'

HyperDonzi
07-02-2002, 01:02 PM
living less than 1/2 mile from the main ramps and marina at alum creek which is the lake we boat at the most. whenever something bad happens, ie. car sliding down the ramps, boat sinking, and drunk weekend warriors going at it, we can hear the sirens of ambulances and police are when i have a chance, it being summer vacation and all, i run down there and watch. people need to reaize that there is nothing they can do about hteir boat or car being underwater and just have fun with it.

Digger
07-02-2002, 04:01 PM
good point Toona! might save a life jacket from flying into somebody's windshield goin' down the highway...

just wondering HyperBaja, has your car ever been underwater?

mattyboy
07-03-2002, 07:24 AM
yeah hyper that's kinda warped :D
do you call that going with the flow :D
"so what you do this weekend?
"I watched some guy sink his truck,
he wet his pants and I was laughing so hard I wet mine" :p :D eek!

Matt

Jake
07-05-2002, 02:34 PM
Well I thought I should add my launch ramp woe from yesterday. I keep reading about how people for get to put in their hull plug and I think how dumb can you be. Well I'm that dumb! We got the boat out on the water and thank the Lord that it wouldn't start. After about 5 minutes in the water I said to my brother-in-law, you put in the plug right? He said no. I felt like such a moron. The ramp was open so I ran to the truck and backed the trailer in, jumped in the water and pulled it on the trailer. Hind sight I would have just put the plug in then put it on the trailer. It's okay though, nothing hurt but my ego sitting in the parking lot letting the boat drain for about 5 or 10 minutes that felt like an hour.

After that I saw a guy go out of the channel leading out to the lake and he got stuck on a rock or something. Then later in the day we stopped to let a skier out and the boat wouldn't start again. Long story short, but we ended up floating past the boueys(sp?) that your not supposed to cross before the 60 drop for the dam. We ended up getting it started right before the patrol boat got there. Again I felt like a moron. Just goes to show that it happens to everyone if you do it long enough. :D

mattyboy
07-05-2002, 04:34 PM
Just got back from the marina, watched som guy and his friend trying to dock a float boat in high winds, his pal out on the front of the boat first try nails the dock square with a pontoon sending his pal off the front of the boat onto the shaky litttle finger of the dock, the driver goes hard reverse , now his bud is trying to keep his balance while the filmsy dock starts to sink, so now he drops to all fours and crawls to the main dock, a couple more trys, then he gets the finger dock square between the pontoons now he's stuck on the dock, hard reverse ear piercing sounds like nails on a blackboard finally free now his bud throws a line to pull him in
20 minutes of free entertainment while my wife and I enjoy happy hour, but the final outcome the boat was too wide for the slip eek!

matt

ToonaFish
07-05-2002, 11:31 PM
Jake, I've often considered making up a batch of plugs with loops soldered on... add a chain... put in a gift box... kind of a booby prize... we'd all earn one at some point!

The telling thing is how you react when you discover your mistake... cool points if you don't blame someone else!

Bunches,

Celene 'been there, done that, had the Tshirt, it's now a dust cloth'