launching stories here!

[superV]

OK with the new season on its way I thought this would be a good time to hear all of the new and old launch ramp stories.
This is one of my favorite parts of the boating day!
Young Urban Professional, trailers his brand new 24' bowrider to the state park.LOTO
His wife and friends all being very impressed, until he backs the boat down the ramp..the MIDDLE of the ramp, deciding this won't work at all.He pulls back up and down the ramp about 15 times and finally settles on "close enough this time!" In the mean time there is 5 other rigs waiting to launch!
Backing the boat down the ramp into the water,and then relizing he never untied the boat.The people board and reach out of the side of the boat to hold onto the floating pier..blocking access for all others into the launch until the new proud owner comes to retrieve his friends and take their magical first cruise together. (this greatly impresses all other boat owners in line..and especially us year rounders who get to launch all the time)
All is fine, for now. the boat fires right up (it is new of course), the friends are looking forward to the first cruise! Bottles are clanking..then..I get to inform them ALL that they are sinking..they left the plug out!!! (shocker HUH!)
I offer them to use my spare plug until he gets his truck to pull the boat back out..and drain the 500 gallons of water or so LOL! They accept the offer. (no choice..his plug was in the truck!!) They also accept my offer to back his rig down to pickup the boat since he is now embarrased and in a panic to boot so his sketchy backing down skills are now officially at ZERO!
I pulled the rig out, informed him where to keep his plug in the same place every time so he forms a habit of putting it in etc. And off I go. I saw them all later, at anchor in a cove..red faced, but from sunburn this time. I love boating.
:D

[superV]

So lets hear them? I know you all have some good ones....;)

[1stepcloser]

Originally posted by superV
He pulls back up and down the ramp about 15 times and finally settles on "close enough this time!"
Backing the boat down the ramp into the water,and then relizing he never untied the boat.
They are sinking..they left the plug out.
If I didnt know better, I'd say you were talking about me.:frown:
This pretty much sums up my first outing, except it was my wife I left in the boat, (she didnt have a clue how to drive a boat, but then I didnt either.)
It was about 15 years ago, in a 70 something Marlin tri-hull.
Fortunately, there was a couple of Jet-Skiers at the old gas dock, one of them came to the aid of my wife by jumping into the water and putting the plug in. (I had attempted to be wise by hanging the plug on the back of the transom.:rolleyes: )
Yep, those were the days....

[manuel]

Worth a thousand words.......
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/104rampmishap1.jpg

[fourspeednup]

Originally posted by manuel barje
Worth a thousand words.......
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/104rampmishap1.jpg
Reminds me of King of the Hill with one guy hooking up the boat and the rest watching and drinking beer:D

[rrrr]

Damn, that water level went down fast!

[rrrr]

Back around '82 I was at Lake Travis outside Austin for Memorial Day weekend. We were hanging around the ramp waiting to launch, the girls were still up at the motorhome.
A guy around 55 or so showed up with his wife, towing a new (paper tags) bass boat, obviously the first time out. I didn't pay much attention to the guy until he started to back up. As he went down the ramp, the trailer started to turn. He hard cranked the wheel the other way without slowing down. Of course it just swung over to the other side quickly, so he gave it full lock again.
This went on a couple more times until he was just too far out of shape, so he slammed on the brakes. Oops! He had already untied the boat, and suddenly it was sitting on the ramp. Oh man, it was a scene. There were prolly 25 or 30 people there hooting at the poor dude, and his wife wanted to kill him.
Everyone gathered around the boat, picked it up, and shoved it back on the trailer. The guy drove off with just the top of his head showing he was slunk down so low.

[fourspeednup]

The guy drove off with just the top of his head showing he was slunk down so low.
I would have stuck my head in the sand like an ostrich;)

[mickeyfinn]

Everyone here has the cookie cutter boats, Bayliners, rinkers etc. The line at the ramp is full of them. We are about an hour from downtown Atlanta and almost any Saturday or Sunday you can ride over to any of the launch ramps and before the day is over at least one boat/seadoo will end up sitting on the ramp or the car backed halfway into the water. The lake gets so busy on the weekends the locals don't go near it except during the day or if we do want to get wet on the weekends we drive another 30 minutes or an hour north to the upper, non clogged end of the lake. My neighbor and I used to wait on a little thunderstorm to brew up and then take a cooler and chairs to the ramp with cards numbered one through 10 and rate the people as they rushed to get their boats on the trailer before it started raining. (guess they think boats should be out in the rain where they might get wet)....Lot of fun. We do laugh at some of the idiots but we are also the first to help start rounding up people to put boats back on the trailer when they fall off. Expensive lessons but one people rarely forget.

[Keith E. Sayre]

I was giving a demo ride about 5 years ago here in Havasu and
my customer was almost deaf and old. Whilewe waited our turn
there was a 28' Eliminator Eagle with a dead battery pulling out of
the water. Another thought ful boater pulled his truck up to the
side of the Eliminator and offered to jump the battery. The engine started right up and the Eliminator owner insisted on giving the guy a $20 tip for helping him out. While they argued
about the tip, the Eliminator sat there idling on the ramp 30 feet
out of the water! I commented to my customer that we would
probably end up towing the Eliminator in later since he was
currently killing his water pump by idling dry on the launch ramp.
Apparently the old guy only heard the part about us towing them
in. About 20 minutes later, sure enough the guy in the Eliminator
was waving us down for a tow. We stopped and hooked him up
and you should have seen the look on my customers eyes. The
old guy thought I could predict the future.
Keith Sayre
Conquest Boats
Lake Havasu City

[Slick]

Who shared the story a year or so ago about his big-assed black lab humping him on the launch ramp. That was absolutely classic

[fourspeednup]

Originally posted by Slick
Who shared the story a year or so ago about his big-assed black lab humping him on the launch ramp. That was absolutely classic
Wow! That must be a good story!
PS---How do I teach a dog to hump people?;)

[Flat Nasty]

Out at Lake Saguaro about 15 years ago... anyone familiar with this lake understands the ramps, and 15 years ago it was just one tiny little 3 lane ramp on a good day! Anyways, 4:00 rolls around on Sunday and this joint gets packed with everybody going home....
So... heres the scenario, got a little bass boat kind of deal loading in the middle lane, inthe left lane is biggest damn sail boat I've ever seen on Saguaro (relatively tiny lake for a boat of this stature) and a brand new big ass Eliminator in the right lane, this things still got the paper plates on the trailer. All is going somewhat smooth but as I'm watching this sail boat load all I'm thinking is... shouldn't the sail be down prior to loading the boat???? I don't know anything about sail boats so excuse me for my ignorance but no sooner do I get it out, "man the wind is really picking up".... over goes the sail boat, nearly crushes the guy in the fishing boat and just totally abolishes this brand new Eliminator! People on the ramp & everyone waiting to load got out of there trucks and had to hold this guy back from killing this sail boat dude!
One of my favorite launches ever!

[79TahitiCBB]

5 or so years ago I was visiting my Parents on their boat in Monterey CA. There was a couple there in a new 4 door jag loading up their waverunners after a run on the bay. Well sure enough they forgot that thing called a parking break, entire car went in except for the top of the hood. Amaisingly it actually ran for a while.
Senior year in highschool some friends and I were at Lake San Antonio and saw another friend of ours loadin his ski's off the shore instead of going to the ramp. Well the shore had eroded under, and the Tahoe with a 6" lift on 35's sank all the way to the back doors.
These people have parents to teach them this stuff. Maybe I am just lucky, I grew up around small boats like lasers and alum fishing boats. Nothing fancy but you at least learn to put the draing plug in. Especially when you aint got a bilge pump.
Mike

[LHC30Victory]

A few years ago on the south ramp at Windsor, we were at the docks getting ready to fetch the truck after a good day when we see this older couple in about an 18ft Bayliner come right up to the ramp. The old (overbearing) guy tells his wife to wait in the boat while he gets the trailer. He backs the trailer in and proceeds to direct his (meek) wife how to drive the boat onto the trailer. Well, the wind is up and she’s having a b**ch of a time and he’s getting angrier by the minute. Finally he yells at her to let him “do it” and he jumps into the boat. He immediately guns it an overshoots the bow stop. Good thing the truck was in front of the trailer or the boat would have been on the parking lot! I guess it’s true – what goes around…

[SERIOUS ISSUES]

FLAT NASTY, tell about the car that drove into the lake. "that guy must be drunk":)

[Dave C]

some guy launches his boat, wife is backing the boat out, he is stabbing the throttle on the truck back on up the ramp (because everyone is watching).
He gets a good head of steam going on the truck when the tie-down strap that was hooked to the eyehook of the boat grabbed the end of the trailer and almost pulled the damn boat back onto the launch ramp.:D

[Dave C]

next best one.
We are standing on the end of the dock next to the launch ramp next to our boats. We can see a large, heavy V-hull boat leaving and cresting the top of the launch ramp when you hear the "pop"
well the truck keeps going but the boat stops, then begins its descent back down the ramp towards the damn dock we are standing on. As it impacts the dock it proceeds to push the dock. Our boats "almost" ended up on top of or under the dock. One buddy ending up in the lake.
all this before breakfast (& coffee)

[CMABadseed]

it must have been about 5 years ago at SAN V. this family...who it seemed had done this millions of times before, loaded the boat in line and got ready to go, i am sitting in my dads boat watching all this happen and i'm in awe. they have it down! kids grab their shit put it away in the very nice very close to new ultra 21lx mom hops in behind the wheel and i'm watching an extremely fluid event...then it happens.
sometimes when you've done things over and over without thinking some things slip your mind...we've all been there.
just as the boat hits the water dad pulls away in the truck mom fires the boat....and over all of this you hear.......click click click.....
i'm thinking no way.....NO WAY! they leave the winch hooked up and proceed to run out of line and drag the boat onto the ramp.
whooops!
:eek:

[GottaJet]

I always dig these threads :D

[Stray Cat]

Several years ago I bought an old Starbuck 17 ft tunnel boat. I was cleanin the boat up some and I pulled the seats out so they could be cleaned better. When I was reinstalling the seats I noted some rot in the attachments but I wanted to get in the water so I just got some longer screws to hold the seats down. When I got to the ramp (Sunday afternoon) it was very busy,so i got all my rat killin done so I would be ready when my turn at the ramp came. I backed the boat into the water but the damn boat wouldn't come off the trailer, I checked that I had pulled all the straps off, no straps by this time people on the ramp are getting impatient, so I back futher down the ramp untill water is coming over the transome still the damn boat won't come off the trailer. Then I started thinking about the longer screws I put in the seats and that is when I realized that the floor in my tunnel boat was also the bottom of the boat and I had screwed the boat to the bunks on the trailer. Damn what a dumbass it wouldn't have been as bad as it was except everybody I knew was at the ramp that day:rolleyes:

[NastyOne]

This happened like two years ago… my buddy and I decide to go to Havasu the day before all our friends come up. We get there at like 4pm and decide to take the boat out to make sure everything runs good. After cursing around we come in and he gets out of the boat to get the truck. While I’m hanging out by myself this drunk guy pulls in with some chicks and tells me he wants to race. I am like “easy bitch… you don’t have to try and act like a bad ass just because you have 3 ugly girls with you.” We talk shit to each other “jokingly” for like 5 min while waiting for our friends to pull the trucks up. As we are loading our boats side by side I tell him, “ I have nothing to prove to you… I am half your age and already have way cooler shit than you.” (i.e. truck and boat) Well my buddy in the truck starts reving the engine and I am like calm down man… your making us look gay. I tell him to pull the boat out slow and him being the genius that he is throws the truck in reverse! RPM’s still at like 4 grand! The ****ing truck burns out in reverse but he steps on the break quick after he realizes what he has done. The boat jerks back and pulls the ring out of the bow. Meanwhile the guys next to us are laughing their asses off. I felt like the biggest dick and wanted to beat my friends ass. He felt so stupid he begged me not to tell our friends the next day… but of course I did.

[Krazy K]

This was about 2 years ago. As I was leaving the ramp one day, I glance back at the ramp just in time to see someone brake hard enough to have boat slide off the trailer onto the ramp!
When I was ALOT younger and we still had our place at the River near Parker, we launched our fairly new 1977 Charger. As it was being lowered, my dad noticed it was REAL low in the water. Closer inspection from the dock revealed that the tie-downs were still securely attached!!!

[Mandelon]

Just so you all know I have never forgotten my drain plug. I have had just one dead battery incident. (I always start it up at home first now).
I am however guilty of trying to be cool and goosing the throttle while loading last summer and putting a good ding in my rubrail. It happened on that steep ramp at the Keys in Parker. The nose came in just under the bowstrap bracket.
I wish Barney was here to fix it. :(
Back when I had my 16 foot Gayliner the rack that turned my steering cable broke and I had to sit on the back of the boat and steer by turning the 85 horse Chrysler motor by hand...:rolleyes: That was pretty lame. :frown:

[AleAlchemist]

I witnessed a ( Lack of ) emergecy brake incident,
but It happend at Perris Lake and the truck went all the way under.
To top that when the guy asked for help from the lake ranger, The Ranger went to his phone talked to some superviser I suppose,
and when he returned the Ranger proceded to give the guy a ticket for polluting the lake.
__________________________
Last year, at havasu about twilight, My brother and I had just pulled the boat out of the water and on the way out of the marina, My brother, more sober er than I, began to freak out because the lights in the truck were not working!
As he pulled over I calmed him down and removed his glasses from his eyes....
We were Wasted!

[welk2party]

Too many to list, but brings on the memories.
Funny one was putting my buddies boat back on the trailer at night at the springs. We were very drunk. I backed the trailer in he pulled the boat up. Everything seems to be going smoothly. I pull out and next thing I hear is a rumble and a OH SHIT! I stop and jump out. He forgot to put the drive up. Destroyed the prop and removed the skag. OUCH. We laughed about it though.:D

[CMABadseed]

man i got another one i forgot about.
a while back at mcyntire a pair of hammered guys let the wives go and get the truck....and yell and scream directions until they get the trailer backed in deep enough...however not at all straight. the guy is pissed at this point and slams the boat onto the trailer. 5 mins later we see him up on top loosing his mind because he ran the swinging latch (old school substitute for a winch)through the bottom or the bow and up into the deck so that it poked through to daylight on the topside of the deck!
:eek: sometimes ya just need to slow things down and relax eh?

[coolchange]

Buddy gets his brand new blown BBC hydro done and EVERYONE goes to Nacimiento for the maiden trip. Backin in the water EARLY and it won't float. Tries different angle still wont float on the steep ramp. My bro nudges me and I nod " I know". I say " I told you with all that blower and wings and tank in the back it would be too heavy" now he doesn't know what to do and is getting really upset and finally some else asks if he took the strap off the strut. Me and my bro just fall down laughing and he didnt talk to us the rest of the weekend.
He went out and made one pass and the ranger came off the hill and said if he saw it in the water again he'd impound it.

[anxious]

Anybody know where the thread is of all the cars and trucks under water at the launch ramp? If I remember awile back there was a bunch of pics of mistakes.
http://www.vinylventures.com