Tip When Loading the Boat

[I_squared_r]

Make sure when you are loading/unloading the boat on the trailer, that everyone on your boat knows this is a serious time. Now I will tell people "Look, loading the boat is a serious thing. Things can go bad very quickly. Please pay attention what's happening" Now I have serious scratches to demonstrate how things go bad quickly. The problem I usually run into is that people are enjoying the day and they seem to mentally shut off and let their guard down.

The wind was strong yesterday and everyone was having a good time. I decided to pull the boat on the trailer instead of driving it because the wind was very strong. I have the bow's rope and my friend has the stern's rope. The wind is pushing hard and i'm trying to slow it down. I yell back "PULL PULL SLOW IT DOWN". I see the bow is pushing hard into the dock and I look behind me and my friend is chatting with a girl and letting the stern get pushed out from the dock. I yell "PULL THE BOAT IN!!" and he's still mentally checked out. The bow of the boat steers into the dock and smashes the cleat. Now I have crazy scratches all over the front of my bow. Another thing to add to my list of what my passengers should know.

 

[Arcadyus]

Tip when loading the boat. Don't expect your friends to do shit.

 

[Cambo]

I tell everyone the goal is to keep the boat from banging into the dock that will cause expensive damage . This seems to keep everyone on guard hopefully you can buff out the scratches . I may sound like a broken record player, is that term even relavent but I have gone years with minimal hull damage

 

[Rushfan67]

Sorry that happened to you. I feel your pain. 2 weeks ago while loading the boat some moron came flying by the launch and his wake sent me sideways into the trailer. Now I have a real nice scratch on the bottom of my boat.

 

[Gym]

Make sure when you are loading/unloading the boat on the trailer, that everyone on your boat knows this is a serious time. Now I will tell people "Look, loading the boat is a serious thing. Things can go bad very quickly. Please pay attention what's happening" Now I have serious scratches to demonstrate how things go bad quickly. The problem I usually run into is that people are enjoying the day and they seem to mentally shut off and let their guard down.

The wind was strong yesterday and everyone was having a good time. I decided to pull the boat on the trailer instead of driving it because the wind was very strong. I have the bow's rope and my friend has the stern's rope. The wind is pushing hard and i'm trying to slow it down. I yell back "PULL PULL SLOW IT DOWN". I see the bow is pushing hard into the dock and I look behind me and my friend is chatting with a girl and letting the stern get pushed out from the dock. I yell "PULL THE BOAT IN!!" and he's still mentally checked out. The bow of the boat steers into the dock and smashes the cleat. Now I have crazy scratches all over the front of my bow. Another thing to add to my list of what my passengers should know.

You left out the best part. What did the girl look like?

 

[I_squared_r]

These aren't scratches that will come out because they're down to fiberglass. He let the stern drift +8ft from the dock coming in sideways to my trailer/dock. He had one job. Next time I prefer to drive it on the trailer despite the heavy winds.

You left out the best part. What did the girl look like?

Latin american, visiting for the summer, and no hable ingles. I can't share the GoPro - sorry, full confidentiality.

 

[Gym]

These aren't scratches that will come out because they're down to fiberglass. He let the stern drift +8ft from the dock coming in sideways to my trailer/dock. He had one job. Next time I prefer to drive it on the trailer despite the heavy winds.



Latin american, visiting for the summer, and no hable ingles. I can't share the GoPro - sorry, full confidentiality.

Come on....You should feel lucky he kept his hands on the rope at all.

 

[d_coyne1984]

I feel your pain man. It seems like passengers either overreact and jump around in the boat thinking they are helping but instead throw off the balance and make steering worse, or are oblivious to what is happening.

My wife smashed our brand new boat into a Malibu this weekend while backing coming off the trailer. She didn't back out far enough, so when she went forward the back end swung around and the back side of our boat contacted (hard) the swim platform of the Malibu tied to the dock. The launch was busy and she freaked out, over throttled forward not remembering that boats don't steer from the front like a car and "WACK!" Luckily the guy was extremely cool about it. Shockingly there didn't appear to be damage to either boat, but I am waiting for the dudes call after he gets to do a closer inspection. Our boat only had a little of his white gelcoat on it that came off with a finger nail. He did not help the situation because the way he had his Malibu tied up, his back end was sticking way out from the dock by a very congested ramp with tight geographical confines.

I hate it when people sit at the LOADING dock while they wait for people to slowly show up. Go float out on the water and come it to pick up when your crew arrives.

 

[Trevor Shipman]

Tip when loading the boat. Don't expect your friends to do shit.

I couldn’t agree with this statement more. Most of my friends ask, “What can I do to help?” I ALWAYS say, “Nothing. Just have fun I got this.” ie, step away. Lol

People that do not know boats just don’t know and now is not the time to teach them on the weekend at the launch. No matter how meaningless it is, I handle it all from start to finish. Partly because I’m a lil OCD and two you avoid all arguments and potential failures from my friends.

 

[Beachbummer]

Something else that helps is a simple straightforward task that can be assigned to those eager to help....Here is the stuff we will load later...guard it carefully. Or.. Here. hold this cooler while we get X done.

There's a saying in Spanish for this...Mucho ayuda el que poco estorba. (He who stays out of the way helps a lot.)

 

[Arcadyus]

I couldn’t agree with this statement more. Most of my friends ask, “What can I do to help?” I ALWAYS say, “Nothing. Just have fun I got this.” ie, step away. Lol

People that do not know boats just don’t know and now is not the time to teach them on the weekend at the launch. No matter how meaningless it is, I handle it all from start to finish. Partly because I’m a lil OCD and two you avoid all arguments and potential failures from my friends.

yup my friends only have 3 jobs on the boat.

1. Take their shoes off before entering the boat.
2. Bring weed and beer
3. Surf like a boss and swim with my kids (they are all like uncles to my boys)

My wife gets the boat off the trailer and when we dock she's the first one off to tie her up. She knows exactly what to do and we have a routine. If someone tries to help they get to sit the fuck down lol.

 

[tabbibus]

Something else that helps is a simple straightforward task that can be assigned to those eager to help....Here is the stuff we will load later...guard it carefully. Or.. Here. hold this cooler while we get X done.

There's a saying in Spanish for this...Mucho ayuda el que poco estorba. (He who stays out of the way helps a lot.)

ok dude, I haven't heard that since I was a kid. Where are you from?

 

[Beachbummer]

Did my Cedula fall off? Born in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela.

 

[tabbibus]

Did my Cedula fall off? Born in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela.

Colombian here. Howdy neighbor!

 

[Gym]

yup my friends only have 3 jobs on the boat.

1. Take their shoes off before entering the boat.
2. Bring weed and beer
3. Surf like a boss and swim with my kids (they are all like uncles to my boys)

My wife gets the boat off the trailer and when we dock she's the first one off to tie her up. She knows exactly what to do and we have a routine. If someone tries to help they get to sit the fuck down lol.

Lucky guy. My wife has been boating with me for 8 seasons now and she's still in training. It's like the movie "50 First Dates."

 

[4x15mph]

Agree with the idea that it is best not to let newcomers help out other than giving them jobs while loading and unloading the boat at the loading area. They like to be a help so these are safe jobs. Then with the drop-in and retrieval, I have everyone off the boat and out of the way other than my captain (son) who manage everything when either is with me.

 

[I_squared_r]

By the way, my friend in the story wants to buy a boat. That day he wanted to learn the things about owning a boat. Here’s a tip I told him after the mishap “stay on the land”

 

[JeffVans]

Sounds like its time for you to invest in some cheater sticks... they've saved me a few times!

 

[I_squared_r]

Sounds like its time for you to invest in some cheater sticks... they've saved me a few times!

The trailer guides wouldn't have saved me. We have a long dock and we were walking towards the trailer when he let the wind push the stern out. It hit the dock very hard. By the time I noticed that he dropped the ball on me, I couldn't push the bow off the dock quick enough.

 

[Arcadyus]

The trailer guides wouldn't have saved me. We have a long dock and we were walking towards the trailer when he let the wind push the stern out. It hit the dock very hard. By the time I noticed that he dropped the ball on me, I couldn't push the bow off the dock quick enough.

Your drawing doesn't indicate where the chick was.