fun with boats

[beradtke]

yes father can i call you that? she was holding the bow and stern lines of the boat so when in water it would not float away. i have read you line many of times and do take it to heart thats why i am changing over to a actually whinch on the bow.

fred i know you pain to as in that when we first went out i had to explane EVERY detail in detail to her. and belive me i love her too!

[DonV]

Nothing more fun than watching folks at the boat ramp....great entertaiment!!!! Especially the guys who can't back a trailer and then blames everything on his wife and kids!! In any case I would have only given you a 5.6 to a 5.8 for dropping the boat on the ramp, however running over your soon to be wife's foot, I guess still soon to be wife, would probably make it a 5.9 to a perfect 6.0 score. :-)

[rockdoc]

I agree watching people at the ramp can be entertaining, except I'm usually watching while I'm waiting my turn.........

seeing big boats come off the trailer on to the cement is a little scary, and I've seen that too many times.

Steve

[Fr. Frank]

yes father can i call you that? she was holding the bow and stern lines of the boat so when in water it would not float away. i have read you line many of times and do take it to heart thats why i am changing over to a actually whinch on the bow.

fred i know you pain to as in that when we first went out i had to explane EVERY detail in detail to her. and belive me i love her too!

As an Anglican priest, I'm married. My wife, who loves boating and fishing, can't seem to wrap her head around what to do to help launch the boat even after 20 years of instructions. But she really does want to help!!

So she and I walk around the boat preparing for launch while in the queue. I actually made her a list of what to do and laminated it in plastic.
Here is what it says.

• Start on drivers side at the trailer connection to truck
• Unhook trailer lights (unplug the trailer)
• Untie port bow line from bow rail stanchion and lay over gunwale into cockpit (Untie front left rope thingy from the metal post and put the end of the rope thingy in the back of the boat).
• Unwrap port sternline from the cleat and lay over gunwale into cockpit on top of livewell cover. (take the back rope off the metal thingy and drop it right over the edge onto the seat in the back of the boat just below the metal thingy)
• Release and unhook port aft hull to trailer security strap (Take off strap thingy from back left part of boat where it hooks to the trailer and put the strap thingy in the back of the truck)
• Install flip-style drain plug in live-well drain in transom. (use a drain plug with the finger-hole in the handle to plug bottom left hole in back of boat)
• Install T-handle style drain plug in bilge drain in transom. (use a drain plug without the finger-hole in the handle to plug bottom center hole in back of boat. Tighten after plugging the hole)
• Unwrap starboard sternline from the cleat and lay over gunwale into cockpit on top of bilge access cover. (take the back left rope off the metal thingy and drop it right over the edge onto the seat in the back of the boat just below the metal thingy)
• Release and unhook starboard aft hull to trailer security strap (Take off strap thingy from back right part of boat where it hooks to the trailer and put the strap thingy in the back of the truck)
• Step up onto trailer step behind trailer fender, reach into cockpit and turn on batteries
• Walk back to motor, and tilt motor all the way up. Lower trailering support on left side of motor. Tilt motor down to within 2 feet of the ground.
• Untie starboard bow line from bow rail stanchion and lay over gunwale into cockpit (Untie front right rope thingy from the metal post and put the end of the rope thingy in the back of the boat).
• Unsecure VHF radio antenna and raise it to vertical, then tighten by rotating handle on base.
• Return to back of boat to visually confirm two (2) drainplugs inserted in transom.
• Back boat down the ramp until trailer fenders are just barely completely submerged and stern just begins to float.
• Put track in Park and set parking/emergency brake
• Pass bow line closest to dock to assistant on dock
• Unhook safety chain from bow-eye on front of boat.
• Unhook winch cable from bow eye.
• Have assistant on dock pull boat backwards off trailer. If no assistant present, do this yourself.
• When front of boat is behind back of trailer, pull boat over to dock and secure bow line to dock cleat or piling.
• Use sternline closest to dock to pull back of boat close to the dock and secure sternline to dock cleat or piling.
• Park the truck and trailer.

I really did take out most of the sarcasm that is on the actual list. My wife is a good sport, and laughed when I made the original list, though.

[bigeasy1]

Boy,that stinks,Glad that you didn't have more damage.
The one thing that spooks me a bit,is standing behind the boat to remove the transom tie downs,while the boat is on the ramp.

My personal best boat tragedy,was filling the fuel tank at a gas station,before launching the boat.
My buddy was backing the boat down the ramp,and I was holding the lines,when I noticed a strong smell of gasoline coming from the vent,that was even with my head.

I had him pull back out,and we got in the boat and found at least ten gallons of gasoline in the bilge,(very scary).
We found a split in the fill hose,way up in a spot that we couldn't see.
What a nightmare it was changing that hose.
I Brought it to a local boat repair yard where the mechanic simply pulled the drain plug,and proceeded to let it all drain into the gravel driveway.
When I questioned him about that,his reply was,"Hey, it came out of the ground,I'm just putting it back in."

At the city of Oswego NY marina,there used to be a bunch of retired guys,who actually sat at the ramp,and held up giant score cards(like figure skating),and scored all the guys launching their boats.
It was hilarious,to see them holding up the giant cards with numbers like 2.0 and 9.9 on them.
The city made them stop,because some guys complained.

I've seen lots of stuff at ramps,some funny,and some sad,from an entire S10 Blazer completely sunk,with the trailer still attached,-To a boat with twin I/O's slide off the trailer,and point up in the air like a rocket,busting one drive completely off.

Now,if someone could get pictures of all these happenings,and put words with them,it would make a great coffee table book.

[nestorpr]

At the city of Oswego NY marina,there used to be a bunch of retired guys,who actually sat at the ramp,and held up giant score cards(like figure skating),and scored all the guys launching their boats.
It was hilarious,to see them holding up the giant cards with numbers like 2.0 and 9.9 on them.
The city made them stop,because some guys complained.

Ha, ha, love it!!! Maybe I can start a group here at the Homestead Bayfront Park ramps!

[fdheld34]

Father Frank..loved your list!!!!
I printed it out...going to give to my wife tonight after work. Should be a good way to start the evening...heck we might even do some practice runs in the driveway!!!!I am off of my blood pressure medicine...so it should be a good test!!!!
Vezo..firefighters and (ex)cops have the same sense of humor!!!
-FRED

[rhody98]

I have had to be more careful this season since with the new rollers I put on, the boat slides off like a greased pig.

Beradke, enjoyed this thread the most after showing it to my wife and hearing her ask me with regard to the line below if I think yer referring to the boat or the fiance!

and belive me i love her too!

[beradtke]

blue i have always unloaded the boat this way thats what the kicker is about the hole thing.

rhody the answer is D. all of the above i am glad somebody else got a laugh out of it.

[lost2a6]

My wife backs me in while I'm in the boat, I don't have to tie up the boat. When we come in, I let her off on the dock and she goes and gets the trailer and backs it in. She then hooks up the winch and chinches it down, then pulls the boat out. It doesn't take us long at all to launch or retrieve.