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Boat etiquette


Debt Setter

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A while ago I read a thread on Wake World about boat etiquette. It was meant for new people to the sport and or for boat owners to send to their friends as an FYI. Does anyone know what I am talking about? I tried to find it again and could not. Do we have anything on here that would cover this?

Appreciate the help!

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Unfortunately, ramp etiquette needs to be posted at the ramp, politeness needs to be taught by parents, consideration for others on the water needs to enforced with a cannon, waterways need to be less crowded, property owners on the lake need to chill out and respect that they don't own the lake...only the property next to it...and the folks who think that access is a function of the value of their boat need to be sandwiched hard between kindness and an understanding that a Bayliner is as much a boat as a Mastercraft.

None of those things are going to happen.

If you are going to provide the thread to someone who will read it and learn to operate in a kind, polite, considerate way - then you are giving the thread to someone who wasn't going to be the problem in the first place. They were bound to be polite considerate boaters to begin with. For the rest of them...you can't teach consideration to a grown up and you can't fix stupid.

Sorry - that was pent up frustration from a long time boater.

-Jeff

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Unfortunately, ramp etiquette needs to be posted at the ramp, politeness needs to be taught by parents, consideration for others on the water needs to enforced with a cannon, waterways need to be less crowded, property owners on the lake need to chill out and respect that they don't own the lake...only the property next to it...and the folks who think that access is a function of the value of their boat need to be sandwiched hard between kindness and an understanding that a Bayliner is as much a boat as a Mastercraft.

WOW....Very Well Said... :salute:

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Boat etiquette is a direct parallel to societal etiquette. In other words, don't expect much and you will not set yourself up for disappointment.

Edited by LS-One
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If there is enough room to back your trailer down the ramp next to someone else that is already at the waters edge with their trailer, should they get mad about being to close to their trailer? If I can put my boat in between two others and only about a couple feet to spare on each side, I will back it down. Some people get irritated though. I figure, if I can drive, they don't need to get worked up. All they have to do is pull straight out. What do you think?

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If there is enough room to back your trailer down the ramp next to someone else that is already at the waters edge with their trailer, should they get mad about being to close to their trailer? If I can put my boat in between two others and only about a couple feet to spare on each side, I will back it down. Some people get irritated though. I figure, if I can drive, they don't need to get worked up. All they have to do is pull straight out. What do you think?

I don't think I would get worked up and mad if you were backing that close to me. But I would be paying attention. After all, I don't "know" that you can drive.

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My beautiful bride backs a trailer better than anyone I know. Seriously. I'm on the boat to launch and retrieve. We can literally go from start to finish and begin wiping down the boat at the end of the day in 60 seconds. Our favorite afternoon launchings would be to launch in the middle of a bass tournament just coming off the water. We'd take our place at the front of the line, I jump in the boat, beautiful bride jumps in to drive the truck and you could just hear 35 sunburned containers of testosterone groan and they floated in their Rangers waiting for their turn to pull out and weigh in. No matter how tight the ramp, or how steep or how hard to see, bride hits it first try every time. Sets the engine water pickup in the water, I fire the engine, she shoves me back 10 feet to float free...and voila - she's gone before they can ever finish adjusting their 7" bass fish shaped belt buckle.

We used to enjoy how practiced we were, and would watch launch ramp follies with a sarcastic wit about us. Then someone we care about told us that we were really condescending, and pretty crappy. It takes all kinds. Why not chill and say nice things, and stop doing things that make other people uncomfortable or embarrassed. Why be crappy? That's what these nice friends asked us. And they were right. After thinking about it, yep - we were downright stuck-up crappy-a$$ed jerks about how others handled their boats and tow vehicles. We're not that way anymore.

I still am vocal about jet skis that behave badly, or other boats that follow in the wake of my skier, or other unsafe things. But to the point of backing down when you know it's going to be tight... What if you just asked the other two boaters "hey - I'm really good with this rig and can make it in the water in that space without a problem. Ok by you if I squeeze in the middle? I'll be gone in 60 seconds..."

Just a thought. Not saying I agree or disagree with it, just wondering if there's a kinder way to accomplish the exact same outcome?

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If there is enough room to back your trailer down the ramp next to someone else that is already at the waters edge with their trailer, should they get mad about being to close to their trailer? If I can put my boat in between two others and only about a couple feet to spare on each side, I will back it down. Some people get irritated though. I figure, if I can drive, they don't need to get worked up. All they have to do is pull straight out. What do you think?

Funny story...... Patti & I had launched the MC205 at the Sammamish ramp in Issaquah a few bazillion times when this happened. I don't know if there was some fishing tourney going on or what, but she knew how to back up the trailer & I had cocked the Boat Buddy when we put the boat in. She got tired of waiting on on the yahoos TRYING to pick up their boats, decided to stab the trailer down a section of ramp that is gravel, between two concrete slabs with fishermen messing with their boats. We had the trailer down, the boat up, the Buddy locked & the whole thing up off the ramp in a minute or less.... before the crotchety old farts could get more than a few words out about it.

Buh bye lardass........ :rofl:

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We have it down also with the whole ramp thing and seem to always see people getting pissed at their spouse or whoever when it comes to the launching.

Where we use to go there would be a crowd of people at the end of the day to watch all the people at the ramps. I mean, they would bring easy ups,chairs, and beer and sit there for a few hours to watch the chaos at the boat ramp.

When 30-50 people are there heckling or waiting for one wrong move so they can laugh its real intimidating for some. I think its pretty lame but I can imagine it would be entertaining at times!

Edited by InvisibleMask
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We have it down also with the whole ramp thing and seem to always see people getting pissed at their spouse or whoever when it comes to the launching.

Where we use to go there would be a crowd of people at the end of the day to watch all the people at the ramps. I mean, they would bring easy ups,chairs, and beer and sit there for a few hours to watch the chaos at the boat ramp.

When 30-50 people are there heckling or waiting for one wrong move so they can laugh its real intimidating for some. I think its pretty lame but I can imagine it would be entertaining at times!

I dont think I would make a big scene laughing at wallys, but Ive often thought of spending a few watching and chuckling.

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Boat etiquette is a direct parallel to societal etiquette. In other words, don't expect much and you will not set yourself up for disappointment.

:plus1:

If there is enough room to back your trailer down the ramp next to someone else that is already at the waters edge with their trailer, should they get mad about being to close to their trailer? If I can put my boat in between two others and only about a couple feet to spare on each side, I will back it down. Some people get irritated though. I figure, if I can drive, they don't need to get worked up. All they have to do is pull straight out. What do you think?

:plus1:

When I lived in Phoenix they had a ramp with 10 lanes. Me and my buddy had it down packed. From the top of the ramp to boat in water and me back at the top of the ramp was a whole 45 seconds on a bad day.

Edited by travlnmannn
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About eight years ago I was about at the end of my boating life. My son lives elsewhere and my wife had enough boating and wanted me to sell my boat. She came from a boating family as did I and had spent lots of time on the water starting in the 1950's.

One sunny day I was sitting at my desk daydreaming and decided to pack a lunch and head down the the Crooked River arm boat ramp on Lake Billy Chinook. I left my boat at home and just took my little cooler and sat on a rock at the boat ramp eating my PB&J with a Pepsi. That ramp is about 4 lanes wide and many of the folks are campers who use their boat very little except for their summer vacation. So there is lots of opportunity for the standard mishaps: Drain plug missing, motor started on dry, jackknife trailer, tiedown straps left on, dead battery, and others much worse. Absolute great entertainment, I recommend it.

My father in law was a boater and is now in his late 80's. A couple of times when visiting him in PDX I have driven him to a different boat ramp to watch the craziness. He enjoys it every time.

A couple of years later I met another fellow from my car club who had the same problem as I. He had a gorgeous new MC 197 Prostar but his wife decided she had enough boating and wanted him to sell it. Against all odds two guys from the 1940's started a loosely assembled crew to attempt to relive our youth. My crew has grown. Some times it is just 2 of us, generally 3 and on one occasion we had eight.

I do 95% of the towing for all of our boats. The one thing I wished I had during my boating time was for someone just to drop my boat in the water and make it a one minute process. What I figured out was that the other guys wanted that also. So I provide that service. Right away we added a Sunsetter owner and later a Response LX owner to our crew.

Inefficiency at the boat ramp can spoil a good day. We have eliminated that problem.

My point is: cultivate another friend (or family) that wants to go boating. They do not need to own a boat. But a good pickup truck with an experienced driver really makes for a great boating day....

Edited by DONTW8
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Taking into consideration Ramp Etiquette, when and where is a good place to practice dropping in and trailering your boat? It has been years since I have done so, and I am in need of some practice with my new Bu that is on it's way. Any pointers?

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I would suggest finding a public ramp and spend a weekday playing with loading / unloading your boat when most people are stuck in the office only dreaming of being on the water. You might also go to a local parking lot and just practice backing up, making turns in reverse and backing in to various parking spots. Practice using only your rear view mirrors after you master looking back. Just try different manouvers with your trailer. Even in the parking lot you can practice the hooking/unhooking process so it becomes second nature along with understanding your partners verbal signals and what they really mean.

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