There should be a ramp with designated help

[1BadTundra]

If you bought your boat with your extra unemployment Covid relief money, please don't decide to learn how to launch it on one of the busiest days of the year. We waited at the ramp for people more this weekend than ever before. If there was only a dock hand, paid by the county, to help people move along and get out of the way, that would solve so many problems. Don't block the ramp and stage your boat with the trailer wheel in the water!! GTFOutta the way!!!! We watched a tandem ramp fail today. On one side, a bass boat where the owner was loading all his gear from his truck to the boat while blocking the ramp... On the other side, a guy with a 210, 2 kids and his wife trying to force the boat off the trailer. Back up and slamming the brakes, nothing!!! just to find the transom straps still attached! All the while, towing with a Mazda CX5. Ive been patient, but this weekend has been a rough one.

 

[1BadTundra]

There should be rules like war era aircraft carriers, it she don't start, push her over, the next one is ready to go!!!!

 

[Joshua Miller]

Some people are stupid and jerks and some genuinely don’t know what they are doing. Both times launching this weekend I witnessed a bit of the same, so I walked out on the dock and offered to help. Both times the other boaters were gracious and it helped move everything along quicker.

 

[HangOutdoors]

If you bought your boat with your extra unemployment Covid relief money, please don't decide to learn how to launch it on one of the busiest days of the year. We waited at the ramp for people more this weekend than ever before. If there was only a dock hand, paid by the county, to help people move along and get out of the way, that would solve so many problems. Don't block the ramp and stage your boat with the trailer wheel in the water!! GTFOutta the way!!!! We watched a tandem ramp fail today. On one side, a bass boat where the owner was loading all his gear from his truck to the boat while blocking the ramp... On the other side, a guy with a 210, 2 kids and his wife trying to force the boat off the trailer. Back up and slamming the brakes, nothing!!! just to find the transom straps still attached! All the while, towing with a Mazda CX5. Ive been patient, but this weekend has been a rough one.

Some people are just not to bright or courteous. They just don't get it. Also I am sure some people do not know or have not been taught. I, on more than one occasion, have sat there and watched stupid at the ramp. And instead of losing my cool, I have assisted people in launching, retrieving and actually letting some know you don't stage right in the ramp. I actually have loaded someone boat and had to back their trailer in to launch cause they were jack knifing. Only one person told me to F off last year. Others looked at me with embarrassment and thanked me for the help. Hopefully people can learn.

When I went back to boating 2 years ago after a couple decades of hiatus, I practiced launching with admiral and staging and loading the boat as quick as we could. Some do not put the effort it, but hopefully it will grow on them and they will.

Now it doesn't mean I don't get agitated when I get cut off or people who you can tell have been launching boats for many years are being ass hats. But such is life. No way to fix them all....

 

[mwalker4]

Too much stress to boat on Amateur weekend around here. Not enough lakes too many boats. Early morning Kayaking today and lucky enough for all day boating tomorrow. There definitely needs to be someone helping launching in addition to the team of watercraft officers writing a bunch of inspection tickets.

 

[itsdgm]

I heard a saying this past week that will stick with me forever.

”Dead people and Stupid people have one thing in common. They feel no pain. It’s everybody around them that does”.

I tend to avoid places where stupid people will be. IMHO, Boat launch ramps on holiday weekends is a place to pull up a chair and be entertained, not be a part of the action. It’s way too frustrating!!

This isn’t my video, but worth a watch.

 

[1BadTundra]

That's for damn sure. Jet ski's flying around the no-wake zone, creating a lot of waves while we were dropping in, then the lot was gridlocked, I couldn't park because of the people packing up or setting up in the driving lanes, so I couldn't get my boat away from the ramp to let the next guy launch until I got into a parking spot. That's the last holiday weekend I'll be out there LoL. Sticking to the pool on the 4th!!

 

[RNYCLV]

We are fortunate, our launch is normally pretty good,.... this was friday night. It will get choppy with the jet skis and cuddy's but traditionally its not too bad. I quick foot wash before getting on for a night ride.

 

[adrianp89]

I avoided this weekend as much as possible. Had a drop at 10am on Saturday - my normal ramp was backed up a few miles. Moved to a smaller ramp and got right in, luckily I didn't need to park the trailer. We went out on Monday at 8am and it was very nice and calm. Water was pretty busy by 10. I doubt I will ever go on the water on Saturday or Sunday of this weekend again.

 

[1BadTundra]

These people were blocking the parking spots by pulling out of the water, pulling back into the lot and strapping down and cleaning out their boats. Usually they are lined along the service road side doing that. No order at all. I'll be happy to pay the $10 to launch at a private marina ramp next time. The jet ski's were out of control. There was a huge gathering of people, none of them spoke English, but they would yell to each other when people were trying to launch. Then they would speed through the no wake zone right next to the ramp and sliding or "drifting" their skis where people were trying to launch. Then they would all laugh and yell back. There were at least 50 of them on land under EZ-up tents in a big group, and about 10 skis they were all sharing. They were doing this in the area where its very shallow and rocky on the bottom. They all had Nissan Sentra's and Toyota Corolla's parked crooked in the lot, takin more room than what hey needed.... loud music playing. The all had jet-ski trailers on them.

 

[BigT51]

These people were blocking the parking spots by pulling out of the water, pulling back into the lot and strapping down and cleaning out their boats. Usually they are lined along the service road side doing that. No order at all. I'll be happy to pay the $10 to launch at a private marina ramp next time. The jet ski's were out of control. There was a huge gathering of people, none of them spoke English, but they would yell to each other when people were trying to launch. Then they would speed through the no wake zone right next to the ramp and sliding or "drifting" their skis where people were trying to launch. Then they would all laugh and yell back. There were at least 50 of them on land under EZ-up tents in a big group, and about 10 skis they were all sharing. They were doing this in the area where its very shallow and rocky on the bottom. They all had Nissan Sentra's and Toyota Corolla's parked crooked in the lot, takin more room than what hey needed.... loud music playing. The all had jet-ski trailers on them.

This sounds like Blue Marsh? The jet skis have taken over that lake.

 

[VaMarine]

Weekends like this are the reason I'm so thankful for the lift at the house, and the community owned launch. I struggle with launching, because I generally only do it once a year. But its thankfully at the community launch where everyone helps each other, and it gets done.

Im sorry for those that have to deal with this stress all the time.

 

[1BadTundra]

I need to lease a slip. This sealed the deal for me.

 

[RNYCLV]

This sounds like Blue Marsh? The jet skis have taken over that lake.

Blue Marsh is a mess, Beltzville is turning into the same things

 

[RNYCLV]

I need to lease a slip. This sealed the deal for me.

Lake slips up this way have a year or more waiting list and cost 2k + a season if you get all your service done with the marinas. We have been waiting close to two years now

 

[goose4010]

I heard a saying this past week that will stick with me forever.

”Dead people and Stupid people have one thing in common. They feel no pain. It’s everybody around them that does”.

I tend to avoid places where stupid people will be. IMHO, Boat launch ramps on holiday weekends is a place to pull up a chair and be entertained, not be a part of the action. It’s way too frustrating!!

This isn’t my video, but worth a watch.

I am dying watching this ?

 

[AZMark]

I won’t go to any busy lake on holiday weekends and I generally won’t go to my closest lake (also the busiest) on any weekend until after Labor Day now. If we can sneak out on a Friday we’ll go there.

I’ve accepted that I can’t handle the stress and frustration at this point in my life. I end up having a better time in the pool.

 

[virtualmatrix258]

I am very new to all this, I haven't even had my boat in the water until late this week when I go with an actual professional jet boat captain and he's going to teach me for a few days how to safely prepare/stage, I'm already efficient with the backing out part, launching, operating, navigating and retrieving. Yeah I could just launch the boat, look like a horses ass and hurt somebody but I don't want any part of that. On Labor Day I drove to my nearest boat ramp, parked out of the way and watched for a couple of hours how people are launching their boats and by the time I was done I pretty much knew who was green and who was seasoned.

One thing I noticed in my area was the locals who were open to helping those who were struggling and then those who needed help but straight up refused any help at all thus making everyone wait longer, patience started wearing thin and the atmosphere around the launch became or felt "unsafe". That's definitely what I'm aiming to avoid and I'll ask somebody for help if I need it. I have no ego or pride in the game. Just safe fun without the headaches.

 

[Bruce]

@1BadTundra, have you considered offering ramp etiquette classes on weeknights or perhaps volunteering to help at the ramp on busy weekends?

 

[itsdgm]

I am very new to all this, I haven't even had my boat in the water until late this week when I go with an actual professional jet boat captain and he's going to teach me for a few days how to safely prepare/stage, I'm already efficient with the backing out part, launching, operating, navigating and retrieving. Yeah I could just launch the boat, look like a horses ass and hurt somebody but I don't want any part of that. On Labor Day I drove to my nearest boat ramp, parked out of the way and watched for a couple of hours how people are launching their boats and by the time I was done I pretty much knew who was green and who was seasoned.

One thing I noticed in my area was the locals who were open to helping those who were struggling and then those who needed help but straight up refused any help at all thus making everyone wait longer, patience started wearing thin and the atmosphere around the launch became or felt "unsafe". That's definitely what I'm aiming to avoid and I'll ask somebody for help if I need it. I have no ego or pride in the game. Just safe fun without the headaches.

Just the fact that you’re aware of the need to observe others and make a plan in advance puts you way ahead of 90% of the curve. Things don’t always go as planned for boaters with lots of experience too. But people who show up at the ramp and start uncovering the boat, putting fenders on, loading ice chests and passengers while there’s a line a mile long need a serious dose of reality. If they’re that clueless on the ramp, imagine them out on the open water. Stay clear of them. Or, pull up a chair and be entertained at the ramp. ?