Reply With QuoteI'm kinda new to pulling/backing a boat down, but heck it takes me 5 minutes on a bad day. I pull up to the ramp (not on the ramp), unstrap the boat, throw my buddy in it, and back down and dump it in the water.
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[QUOTE=buzzking;296960]Do you all think that with a boat liscence there should be a trailering permit,
a. How can we get boating morons to take a trailering exam, when they don't even have to know which end of the boat is the bow before they buy a 250hp bass boat?
b. What if they fail the trailering test, but pass the seamanship quiz? Does that mean they can only boat from a slip?
c. How come, and for why, does a kid have to have a license for 50hp and a jet ski, but not for a 200hp V hull in this state? Why can I drive a 1800 VW only with a liscense, and have no license and still drive a 3 ton 34 footer with dual 454 Chevies in the back?
d. Why do you have to wear a seat belt in a car with ABS brakes, and not in a boat that has no brakes?
e. Why do I have to wear a life vest to motor out from a bass tourney start, when I can come back to the ramp, and ride a crotch rocket at 100 mph WITH NO HELMET IN THIS STATE?
Dude, love the hair due, but man, this state sometimes is totally wacko. I pose the questions above not to offend you, but to say to the tie monkeys at the state captial that it is now time to "GET A LIFE".
Junior Member
I'm kinda new to pulling/backing a boat down, but heck it takes me 5 minutes on a bad day. I pull up to the ramp (not on the ramp), unstrap the boat, throw my buddy in it, and back down and dump it in the water.
Junior Member
When my buddy and I go, we stop before the ramp and get it ready. He then backs it down and we are launched quick.
My wife always liked going to the lake, but she hated "holding the rope". So I took her out in the neighborhood with the boat and trailer and taught her how to back one down a hill. I had to have some patience with that, but she did learn pretty quick and she is actually quiet good at it also. Whenever we go together, people look at her strange when she starts to back the trailer down, but then are surprisingly impressed by how good she is at it.
All it takes is a little patience and someone to show them the right way.
Senior Member
When fishing with the wife, or someone with inexperiance, I have everything ready and back the trailer into a good straight position at the waters edge, jump out, unhook the safety chain let them back me in and park the truck and trailer. No problems.
Senior Member
I have to say that I'm usually the driver when I go with someone. I've gotten a little better at it, but we always are ready to float it when I finally get it in the water...LOL!!!!!Originally Posted by Cobra190
You get more flies with honey than you do with salt.
Goo d post Bob.!
Billy
Member
Good post, I think the key is to kindly inform those that look like they are having trouble that certain things need to be done before they even think about backing down the ramp. I was at Dog Creek, on Nolin a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon. Two guys come in with this older curiser and back down to the end of the ramp, and then decide to take everything from their car and load it into the boat. They then backed the boat into the water and could not figure out why the boat would not come off the trailer. after about 2 or 3 minutes, they pulled the rig out of the water to determine the proplem. Well, you all know what the problem was, they forgot the tie down straps. They looked at me, and all I could say was have a nice day.
Since I am older and slower, and mostly fish alone, I tend to go to ramps that have docks, that are not as crowded, and try to avoid the rush. Because I am alone, I will often let others go ahead of me, especially on a single lane ramp and there are two people in the boat. I find that when I come in for the day, it gives me a few extra minutes to comtemplate the blessings of the day, and if I am waiting to launch, I have a few extra minutes to enjoy the anticipation of the outing. Just my 2 cents worth.
Wizard
Member
Be careful telling someone wha to do on the ramp. I once tried to explain to a guy that had pullled his runabout just enough out of the water to keep filling his bucket to wash his boat. I explained that if he would wash it in the parking area he would open the ramp for all of the others that were waiting to put in. All I got out of it was a good cussing and was told he was going to whip my ass. All by buddy could do is laugh so hard he had a hard time pulling the trailer out of the water. Seemed like it took forever! Sounds like he was trying to get me whipped now that I think about it
Senior Member
As a guide here on the Cumberland River, I think I have seen it all at the ramp and then some. Was on the TN River a couple of weeks ago and a guy had a Bass Tracker and was trying to unload himself just as i pulled up to the dock. He floated his boat off and went too deep and the wind caught it and pushed it sideways against the trailer. I finally tied my boat to the dock and got out and helped him, up to my waist in water. He was just inexperienced and didnt know better, he was apologizing the whole time.
On another note, I had a lady call me several years back and wanted to hire me for a day. And as I was trying to find out what type of Catfishing she liked to do, she explained that she had a 14 yo son, and that her husband had passed away (army) and all she wanted to do was learn to back a trailer and unload/load their bass boat. She said her husband had taught her how to drive the boat, once it was on the water but that he had done all of the backing/loading and unloading. At that time Kmart had sold one of their stores here in Clarksville and the whole parking lot was empty. I picked the lady up at her house, hooked up the boat and proceeded to the parking loat. I set out a bunch of orange cones and proceeded to teach her how to back a trailer. Once she was good at that, I took her to a ramp that i knew would have very little traffic at it and taught her how to prepare her boat and launch it, and also how to load it. I guess some of the ex Drill Sergerant came out in me, because we stayed at it till she was very comfy doing it. She would unload the boat..go park the truck..take the boat for a little run and come back and load it. It was a full day, and I didnt charge the lady as I could tell it meant a whole lot to her, as she wanted her son to be able to fish, as he and she had done with his dad.
I got a call the next week, thanking me, she had taken him out and caught some pretty good bass, and couldnt thank me enough.
Senior Member
Great story and my hats off to you!
Senior Member
I have a house boat at Kentucky Dam Marina we sometimes go to the boat ramp especially on holiday weekend and watch people launch. If you are not trying to launch a boat this can be quite entertaining. Most holiday boaters who are not good on the ramp show up around 11:00 A.M.
Many divorces are started on holiday weekends at the boat ramp.
PS You might even pick up some new cuss words.
Senior Member
To help out inexperienced partners I might have some days. I'll get everything ready before backing down the ramp to say with in 5 feet of the water. Then jump out and get in the boat. inform who ever I'm fishing with that all they have to do is back straight into the water and as soon as the boat starts backing up. To stop the truck and then proceed to pull forward and go park the truck.
Senior Member
When I am by myself I get it all ready and then put her in and then beach her and go park my truck, takes lees than 5 mins by mtself, unless there are strong winds or such, which makes things tricky sometimes when alone, but I do like the most of you all said, if I have someone that does not have the experence I too back it down right to the edge, jump in and they pull, about 3mins. But there are some out there that insist on not using their commen sense or curtiosy or manners. The one thing they all need to learn is if the person doing the backing cannot back then teach them somewhere other than a busy ramp on a weekend. But the plus is that we as fisherpeople are usually on the water way before the others are, so at least we have a jump on the unloading.LOL
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