Someting that I have noticed.

[Guest]

Now, I will admit that I do not own a boat right now, but being a person that has fished with many boaters, that has talked a few pro anglers, and that has heard complaints in the past, I feel that this is something that needs to be repeated until every boater understands.

When you are getting your boat ready to enter the water at any ramp, DO NOT put the plug in, unstrap the boat, etc., while parked in the ramp. First of all, it's going to take a few mins to get that done, even to the most seasoned boat launcher, and it's going to set a bad example for those that see it happening around you. Take care of this before you get near the ramp. Most ramps that I have been to have the parking area adjacent to the ramp, so just pull over and take care of the unstrapping and plugging there. It will allow those who already have it done to get onto the water, it will free up the movement of launchers and drivers, and it will show others the correct ramp etiquette.

The same goes for when the boat is loaded and you are leaving the ramp. Pull far enough away from the ramp so that others can use the ramp, and then take care of strapping the boat up and pulling the plug out.

It's amazing the little things that you can do that will cause things to go a lot smoother, and that will cause others to take note.

I have seen the above mentioned situation happen one too many times, and while I haven't said anything to those doing the offending, for fear of causing a confrontation, someting should be said to them about it.

 

[fisherpal2k]

  Well said! I have seen as many as 40 or 50 or more boats put in, in less than 15 minutes. You can usually tell if they go alot or not just by watching.</p>

  One of the neat things to do in the summer is go to the lake just before dark and watch all the jet skiers and pleasure boaters taking out. My wife and I used to go to Parksville and just sit and watch. It is amazing some of the things that some folks does to get in or out of the water!

</p>

 

[Guest]

You aren't kidding! This happened a few days ago, at a place I stopped, right at the ramp. LOL This guy was had backed his truck into the water, the trailer was perfectly set for him to load the boat, and was just circling beyond his trailer, looking around. I was sitting there, chuckling to myself, and wondering what would happen if the ramp was busy.

At any rate, I hope that folks take this to heart and mind, and take those few little extra steps to ensure that the ramp is used the most efficient way possible.

 

[ranman]

That's funny that you brought this up,I was just telling my wife about the absolute model of efficiency I witnessed today during the cleveland bassmasters tourny.I watched 15-20 boats load and unload so fast and perfect it was like watching a Ballet or something.It would have taken a half drunk wakeboarder and his three buddys and babes five times as long as it did all of us today! And that was with the wind howling!

 

[Andrew]

I always unstrap and stuff away from the ramp. Thats just common courtesy. However all the years I've been backing trailers it still takes me a few minutes. I've just never gotten to where i feel safe trying to hurry down the ramp. I'm not really slow about it just careful.

 

[fisherpal2k]

  Ranman, I know you have been to the upper ramp at Parksville.  It's especially fun when there is a storm rumbling in over the mountain and they refuse to let anyone help!</p>

  I was up there one day last year and got out and went back to help a guy whose boat would not start. I backed his truck in for him and he loaded the boat, then his wife asked him why it takes him so long to do that!

  </p>

  It's good to be nice to folks when they let you. Parksville is a small ramp and close quarters to boot. What I like is those folks who load and then pull to the top of the ramp to the turn around space and start trying to tie it all back down when there is about 20 other folks wanting out at the same time.

 Just don't understand what they are thinking..</p>

 

[Triton4Bass]

I dont see this being as big of a deal with bass fisherman, simply b/c we tend to be more courteous i guess. or it seems so, but the traffic and population at the ramp certainly determines how a boater will handle the situation. Not stereotyping, but most bass fisherman seem to be courteous, the pleasure boaters seem to be the problem most of the time. I figure most bass fisherman are in and out of the water a lot more than a typical pleasure boater, therefore they have much more experience. Just my 2 pennies..... but that is a good point! emoGeezer

 

[Fish Hunter]

Very good post. And, so true! It does get old waiting on people to clear the ramp!emoBang

 

[bosco]

I understand your point about ramp etiquette but lets keep in mind that not all of us have 20 years experience with boating or are professional fisherman.
I have had a boat for about 7 months now and it takes me a few minutes to unload park the truck and get on my way. Hopefully the extra minute or two I take doesnt ruin anyones day.

 

[TritonCarl]

One other point to note is do NOT have your weigh-in right in front of the turn around spot to back the trailer into the water, especially when there are 50 boats trying to load up. Everyone that was at the CFF G'ville a few weeks ago witnessed this first hand. I don't think our weigh-in location caused any problems at all. carl

 

[Fish Hunter]

bosco - 3/17/2007 11:04 PM

I understand your point about ramp etiquette but lets keep in mind that not all of us have 20 years experience with boating or are professional fisherman.
I have had a boat for about 7 months now and it takes me a few minutes to unload park the truck and get on my way. Hopefully the extra minute or two I take doesnt ruin anyones day.

Nothing wrong with that bosco. It will become easier and faster with time. I think the point is that when you get your boat onto the trailer and hooked up, then pull out of the way to make your final preparations for transport. Such as pulling the plug, putting on straps, installing transom saver, etc. Just like the original post stated, don't try to do all this while taking up a space on the ramp. If it takes you a little longer to launch and load due to inexperience, then that is fine. emoCool

 

[oldsoldier]

Another thing that can be quite annoying is when you want to use a ramp that is wide enough for two boats at a time and the guy in front of you decides to take his half out of the middle.

 

[Liveliner]

"CONFUSION" It does take some time for a person to undoad and load your boat at the ramp. Especially if you are alone. I do not see any comments complaining about that. I do see several post trying to explain why they are a little slow. Normal time it takes is not an issue even if you are alittle slower than others..

I think that the real intent of this discussion here is the inconsiderate folks who wait until they get in position on the ramp to do the things they should have done in the stagging/parking area. There are things like getting stuff from your vehicle to put into your boat, installing your electronics, putting the plug in, removing your safety tiedown straps, removing your motor support and what ever else you can do to make your time on the ramp go quicker. When you pull into position on the ramp you should not have one single reason to get out of your vehicle until your boat is in the water. If you have a boat driver in the boat, your boat should be launched and you are clearing the ramp by now. If you are alone or the boat operator, then you are expected to have time to to unhook your boat from the winch, start it, pull to the dock out of the ramp area, tie it off, walk back to your vehicle and go park. Just do not take all day doing that.

This happened to me last week that I think explains it well. - I was at Chester-Frost State Park ramp. I pulled to the right and took my time doing all the needed things in prep for the launch. I flagged a ready to go flat bottom and a bass boat on ahead of me since I was in no real rush in getting my boat ready to go. While they were clearing the ramp, I was in my truck in "Drive" ready to pull into position as soon as the bass boat vehicle pulled out. Then here comes this SUV pulling a pleasure boat from the highway straight to the ramp, passes me in the ready spot, turns and backs to the top of the ramp in the center... WHAT THE !!!!!! ? He gets out and takes forever doing all kinds of stuff to his boat. All this should have been done behind me in the parking area. If that was not bad enough, Granny who walked slower than a crippled chicken, carried at least two armloads of stuff from the parking lot to the boat more than fifty yards away while the inconsiderate a$$ waxed his boat or whatever he was doing. When he finall did start to move toward the water he got out at least two more times to check something ??? And it continued - Took forever starting his boat, unhooking, letting it warm up and them moving to the dock. Well add this too. He assisted Granny and a kid into the boat, Stored some more gear had "afternoon Tea" and a chat and then he came back to the ramp to move his SUV. His vehicle was in the center of the ramp on an angle blocking the two deeper slots during this entire time. I swear, I am a very tollerable guy but if I had not had my boat in tow, I would have hooked my Duramax to his abandoned SUV and yanked that crap out of the way for all who were backed up and waiting.

I have one big regret. When he left the dock, he violated the no wake zone and went straight out into the bay and then turned toward the river opening. Be was heading straight for the shallow water spot in the bay. I had my fingers crossed hoping to see this guy go high and dry.... But Dangit, somehow he got across that spot. I was not the only boater who had been waiting who was hopping to see him get his reward.
I guess I need to ask for forgiveness for feeling that way - - -Nah - - only if I had kicked his A$$ in front of Granny.

 

[fisherpal2k]

 

   Yep, Liveliner, I think you have explained the point of this thread very well. </p>

  Folks, it don't matter that some of us is slower than others, it's just that it is one thing to be considerate and pull to the side and take your time, (while not interfering with others).  </p>

It is completely different story when you are blantantly showing no courtesy what so ever. If a person is alone and I am there I will usually offer to assist them. If they decline, then no problem as long as they are not loading and stuffing and collecting dust. 

</p>

  I remember last year at the Harrison Bay benefit tourny, while we were waiting to weigh in I told DHaun to watch the pleasure boater come in and launch.  We was just joking about it. When I told him the guy would take the whole ramp and walk off.  Sure enough he did. The weigh in started and I think I weighed in about the eighth or ninth bag. When I went to dump my fish back in the guy was just pulling out.

  </p>

Anyway, What everyone is saying is just be considerate of others. If you are having trouble, don't be afraid to ask another fisher person for assistance. They usually will lend a hand and be happy to assist you. If you feel uncomfortable, just take your time and be careful. If you get hurt or break a leg on the ramp and really delay things then folks will be a little more upset than before...

</p>

 

[Guest]

That's exactly the thing that I am talking about. Not having the experience backing down a boat is something that every boater will go through, and will gradually get faster and better at, and will have their own list of things to do that make it go that much quicker. I have no problem with a guy having to back his truck down and launch the boat on his own. More times than not, if I am fishing around the ramp, I would be more than willing to park the truck for him and wait for him to get back up there, so that he wouldn't have to worry about it.

Just like the deal with the pleasure boater...........I don't think that I would have THAT much patience, and I would let me feelings be known about how rude the fellow was being. Or, I would just make a general statement loud enough that he could hear.

I find it funny that even when I am not with a partner, but just riding around the ramps, to see what's going on, at the lack of timeliness of launching a boat. I have to sit there, waiting for them to do their thing, and then, they pull up and do more things, blocking the exit, so I had to sit there for a further length of time. Anyone that visits the Rocky Mountain PFA knows what I am talking about.

 

[tarheel]

Yeah, last year one time when I fished Rocky Mountain PFA with a friend, I backed my trailer into the water to recover my boat and my friend tried to put the boat on the trailer sideways.emoLaugh emoRedface emoLaugh emoPoke

 

[Guest]

Hahaha...............very funny there, Tarheel. emoBang emoPoke It wasn't necessarily sideways..........I was trying to knock off some weeds from the top of the runnerboard, using the bow of the boat.........that's all. emoScratch

 

[tarheel]

Sorry John, I just couldn't pass that one up.emoLaugh emoRolleyes emoLaugh emoZipped emoDance

 

[Guest]

It's quite alright. It won't happen again. LOL And hopefully not because we won't fish together. LOL

 

[DHaun]

Read a similar topic before on CFF. You know you're in for a wait when they back down the ramp and start to take the cover off...