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Boat Ramp Etiquette?


MalibuBuzz

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Mad.gifHow many of you get as torqued as I do at the rudeness of other boaters at the boat ramps? I can't tell you how many times we have dealt with those who wait until they are blocking the ramp to take off their boat straps and/or cover, load their boat up with gear, set up their binimi, and who knows what else, while people are waiting to launch their boats! We have dealt with the same thing when we are trying to take out our boat....those who trailer their boat, pull up a few feet and park it in the middle of the ramp to take down their bimini, unload and wipe down their boat...SHEESH! I think boat ramp etiquette needs to be posted at every boat ramp in plain sight for those few idiots out there who are oblivious to how they are holding everyone else up! Mad.gif
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Are you always on a single lane boat ramp? I'd just go around them.

If you can't, I'd pull up really close to them and start gunning my engine.

Believe it or not, often times someone will pull up at the ramp we put in at, to both block the ramp and block you off from pulling up far enough to back down into the ramp.....so where you could launch 2-3 boats at a time, you are stuck with waiting for Mr. Idiot to get out of the way!. Mad.gif

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Yep, my daughter and I were waiting to launch our jetski (would've taken less

than 3 minutes with our routine) when this guy, who I'm not even convinced

showed up before us (at least, I never saw him until I turned around to start

backing), backs in his trailer and parks. He then walks his corpulent self all

the way over to the guest dock at a marina 200 yards away, starts up his boat,

releases his lines, and idles the 100 yards or so to clear the marina's

"no wake zone", cruises another 200 yards until he reaches another

"no wake zone" in the cove where the ramp is located, and then idles his

boat on up to his trailer: TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES!!!

When I first realized what it was that he was doing, I marched down to the perfectly

good concrete dock immediately adjacent to the ramp and which easily

accomodates 2-3 parked boats at a time, and asked fat-boy's wife why it was

that he didn't want to use the dock? She, who obviously can neither drive the boat

nor back the trailer, looks at me and asks: "why, are you waiting?" YA THINK!!!

Thought my head was gonna explode!!!

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I try to avoid ramps at all costs. When I do need to launch my boat, I send each member of my party at five minute intervals 30 minutes prior to go time. Each parks strategically along the ramp entrance lane and feigns a mechanical problem: One has a flat, one engine trouble, one a dead battery (we change issues each time). When I arrive with the boat the problems are miraculously solved and the lane is clear. If anyone in line confronts me, I plead ignorance of the situation and offer to back down the lane Crazy.gif or launch as quickly as possible.

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Gives me an idea for a trailer mod. Take one of those things off the front of old time trains that they used to move cows off the tracks with - hook it to back of trailer. Just back on down clearing everything in your wake.

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To bad we (TMC) couldn't come up with some kind of Boat Ramp Etiquette flier. Then when we head out to the lake we just put them on peoples vehicals.

1. After launching take you bumpers in. People laugh at you when you go past.

2. Have you boat ship shop (I.E. binimi up, load gear, take off staps ......)

Ok people lets start filling this thing in and start passing them out.

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I don't wait for Mr. idiot, I get vocal.
I'm with Pete on this one.
Me three. Biggrin.gif I know that's probably hard to believe. :lol:

I'm waiting for this to turn into a "launching with ropes" thread... Crazy.gif . Launching with ropes and then tying up to the dock, thereby blocking the ramp until the "driver" returns, should be a banned practice. Maybe if the parking lots aren't a long distance away it wouldn't be a big deal but the lakes that I frequent are long hikes from ramp to parking lot and some are single lane ramps.

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A few weeks ago we launched the Sea-doo's at a single ramp.....on one side barely off the ramp was a BassTracker someone had tied up (owner was no where to be seen) and on the other side of the ramp was 2 jet skis with two little kids not nearly old enough to drive the 'doo's floating in the water hanging on to the 'doos....no adult anywhere to be seen.....grrr....had to tell the kids to move out of the way so we could launch our double trailer and by then the blood pressure was starting to boil over!

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LAUNCH RAMP RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A OPERATOR FOR THE VESSEL NOR A DRIVER WHO CAN BACK THE TRAILER THEN USE RAMP MARKED: 1

2. BEFORE ENTERING THE STAGING AREA THE TRANSOM TIE DOWNS MUST BE REMOVED AND REMOVE BOW TIE DOWNS AT OWN RISK.

3. AFTER LAUNCHING THE VESSEL DO NOT LEAVE THE VESSEL TIED TO THE DOCK 100 FEET FROM THE LAUNCH RAMP SHORE OR 100 FEET FROM THE END OF THE DOCK, THIS AREA IS PAINTED RED.

4. NEVER OBSTRUCT THE LAUNCH RAMP WATER WAY UNLESS THE TRAILER IS IN THE WATER AND THE VESSEL IS EITHER ENTERING OR LEAVING THE TRAILER.

5. IF YOU HAVE ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEM THAT WILL KEEP THE VESSEL FROM MOVING, YOU MUST IMDIATTLELY SECURE BACK TO THE TRAILER AND PROCEEDE TO THE UNLOADING AREA.

6. BEFORE REMOVING THE VESSEL FROM THE WATER YOU ARE RESPOSIBLE FOR ATTACHING ONLY THE BOW STRAPS, THEN PROCEEDE IMDIATELY TO THE UNLOADING AREA.

7. ALL PEOPLE SHALL STAY SECURELY SEATED IN THE VESSEL WHILE TRAILERING TO THE UNLOADING AREA.

8. THERE IS TO BE NO UNLOADING OR STOPING ON THE LAUNCH RAMP.

9. IF THE VESSEL IS NOT ALINED PROPERLY ON THE TRAILER IT MUST STILL BE REMOVED FROM THE WATER AND IT WILL HAVE TO GET INTO THE BACK OF THE STAGING LINE TO RELAUNCH THE VESSEL.

10. ONCE THE TOW VEHICLE BEGINS TO PULL THE VESSEL AND TRAILER FROM THE WATER IT MAY NEVER GO INTO REVERSE UNLESS IT IS UNSAFE TO CONTINUE FORWARD.

ALL RULES AND REGULATIONS ARE THE LAW AND IF ANY ARE BROKEN THEN A FINE MAY BE ACESSED UP TO $200 PER OFFENSE.

ROFL.gif

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I try to avoid ramps at all costs. When I do need to launch my boat, I send each member of my party at five minute intervals 30 minutes prior to go time. Each parks strategically along the ramp entrance lane and feigns a mechanical problem: One has a flat, one engine trouble, one a dead battery (we change issues each time). When I arrive with the boat the problems are miraculously solved and the lane is clear. If anyone in line confronts me, I plead ignorance of the situation and offer to back down the lane Crazy.gif or launch as quickly as possible.

Biggrin.gifyou can't let anything slide

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TNW did you ever see any adult by the time you took off?

No, we did not, and it was not our responsibilty to stick around waiting for adults to show up.....the ramp was connected to a campground and I assume the parent launched the sea-doo's and had the kids wait there with them till the parent parked the car back in at the campsite......can we say "STUPID"???!!! Surprised.gif

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On our local lake, it seems the worst offenders are fisherman in old bassboats. Sometimes they tie up the ramp because they are alone, but many times they just don't seem to care. They are the ones that pull ahead of everyone right onto the ramp and then begin to undo their tie downs and get all their stuff from the pickup into the boat. Then they'll back it in and tie it up so it blocks the ramp instead of moving it over to the other side of the dock (no ramp on this side). I agree that the family with 2 -4 jetski's is a close second.

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- Empty trailers should have priority

- Move away from the ramp and turn around area immediately after loading boat

- Prep the boat for launch away from the ramp and turn around area

- Keep the ramp and turn around area clear even if no one is around as you never know what will happen

- Do not be embarrassed to ask for help and / or advice

- Give supportive positive help and / or advice whenever possible (chewing people out does not produce long term benefits in general)

- Keep all non-essential adults and CHILDREN in the boat or in the vehicle at all times on the ramp and / or turn around area

I think I could think of 50 more but that is enough for now.

Since I avoid weekends due to the crowded conditions and caliber of the boaters, I have often thought about going down for a few weekend days early in the season to offer support and education to boaters using flyers, help, discussions ... or whatever. Maybe with a shirt or something that looks official and says DOCK ASSISTANCE - INQUIRE HERE. It would probably make the rest of the summer better for everyone.

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i worked at the local marina last year and when it wasn't busy i would sit on one of th docks and whatch the loading ramp across the cove. it was great at the beginning of the year and then durring all the holidays whatching all the new people try to back his boat into the water. it is some of the best entertianment in the world. one time this one guy jack nifed it twice and failed to get the boat in the water what seemed to be 100 other times ROFL.gif . before he was done the whole shop was out whatching this poor idiot. the great thing is that this ramp is good for about 5 boats at a time but each idiot takes up 2 at a time so it sucks for the people trying to launch if there is more than one on it at a time

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I think the one that really got me was when we pulled out at NW WOW. I admit, my foot was hurting pretty good & I was trying very hard not to be in a bad mood. But it really chaps when you have to sit & wait for the yahoo on the ramp while he's got the entire ramp blocked (& this ramp will accomodate something like 7 or 8 trucks/trailers at a time, possibly more if the drivers know what they're doing) to unload his gas barbeque from the boat & take it all the way over to the day use area. If I had been close enough, Angry Tracie would have shown up & given that group a piece of her mind. Frustrated.gif

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I stay off ramps as much as possible. When I do, I try to keep in mind that the person in front of me is probably dying of cancer. Othersie, I would beat the crap out of them.

I have been known to move things along on the ramp. A guy parked his rig in the middle of the ramp and then went to find his boat which was apparently left in another state. I backed down so close that he could not open his driver door when he did find his boat. By the time he got back there was actually no one else waiting. So I left my truck there and chatted with some other people for a few minutes. He was too afraid to say anything. I made sure to smile and say hi when I finally moved my truck.

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"Give supportive positive help and / or advice whenever possible (chewing people out does not produce long term benefits in general)"

Remember we were all new at this once--even if it was a long time ago.

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"Give supportive positive help and / or advice whenever possible (chewing people out does not produce long term benefits in general)"

Remember we were all new at this once--even if it was a long time ago.

Agreed, most of the time this is probably true. But there are times when it just comes down to common sense (like the idiot with the gas grill on the ramp) - you can't teach that, at least to people that are all growed up. Crazy.gif

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"Give supportive positive help and / or advice whenever possible (chewing people out does not produce long term benefits in general)"

Remember we were all new at this once--even if it was a long time ago.

Agreed, most of the time this is probably true. But there are times when it just comes down to common sense (like the idiot with the gas grill on the ramp) - you can't teach that, at least to people that are all growed up. Crazy.gif

Wait I remmber someone who though the guy w/ the dead battery was in idiot..... ROFL.gif

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