fun with boats

[strick]

Hopefully she will still want to go boating after that

I have a little protocol that I never deviate from when launching. Everyone gets out of the truck but the driver when backing down the ramp. Usually I make the family stand out of the way on the dock. I then back the boat down the ramp till the stern is almost over the water. Set parking brake put truck in park. Get out of truck and unhook safety chain and stern tie down straps. Visualize that the plug is in boat (learn that one the hard way) Get back in truck and back down till the stern is just barely in the water. Set brakes again and get out of truck and then loosen winch and unhook the nylon winch strap. Hand someone the bow and stern lines. If I'm by myself I make a loop in the bow line and loop it over the winch support. Then I back the boat the rest of the way in the water. I'm sure you already know all this! sometimes we get excited and in a hurry and forget

strick

[beradtke]

oh yeah amature days are the best at boat ramps memorial day,4th of july,labor day. me and my dad would go down to sand sprit park just to watch the fun activities.


we still went boating the same day i just had to chech the hull for any major damage before hand. advice well taken strick and from the rest of yall.

[Captainkass]

Wow what good stuff my srory goes like this , while backing down the ramp the hitch popped off the ball, Thank God for the safty chains

[SteveH]

Beradtke, don't beat yourself up too bad. Whether we want to admit it or not, We have all done things that were "less than brilliant" at the boat ramp. I have forgotten to put in plugs, forgotten boat keys at home, etc. About twenty yrs ago I actually locked my keys in the truck on the ramp itself and had to call a locksmith... Fairly recently I forgot to take fishing rods down from the t-top after pulling boat out and a couple of them did battle with an oak tree as I was moving the truck and boat from the ramp. the oak tree won. All you can do is learn from the mishaps. It all makes you a better boater

[beradtke]

i know what your saying just was a great way to start the day off. i am luck no body was hurt and the boat has no major structural damage to the boat. my dad when he had his seacraft always forgot to put down the vhf/loran antennas and always smacked the stop lights at this one intersection on the way home.

[FourGeorge]

Having spent my teenage years in a condo across from the 15th St boat ramp in Lauderdale, there is no greater entertainment than a boat ramp. The city should let boaters launch for free and charge spectators admission to the follies. Seen it all, the best reason for having your passengers exit the tow vehicle prior to launch is so the harbor police don't have to ask if anyone is still in the vehicle.
Once saw a tow cable (land based) snap that was attached to a 'combo-launch'(car/trailer/boat) and it came back, cut a nice 24" thick palm tree in two .... over a 100' away!
But the best were the low tide, two wheel drive types pulling out a twin I/O 23 footer and burning rubber until the tires popped .... the driver getting out to inspect the fact that, yes, there is no tire left (they always touch it, like their eyes are tricking them) and then (turning in disbelief) slipping on the algae and tumbling into the water.
Aahhh .... good times.

[NoBones]

[SteveH]

what exactly is the guy in the blue who is bent over looking at??? is he checking the air pressure in the trailer tires??? I would say that he was not having a good day at the boat ramp...

[Old'sCool]

Looks like he's attaching the tow strap. It looks like the hood is up on the Ford!

[BigLew]

Hey Ralph, what did the dealer say we should do next to launch this truck?