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Boat Ramp Etiquette

Better to spin going out then slide going in ....... :)
 
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Oh man surprised somebody didn't jump on that one!!!!!!!!
 
Good one Daril!!! Derrick leaves for a week and we all climbed out of the gutter!
 
Sugar Barge Resort in the California Delta waterways is the best! They have boat launching for you. They make sure the boat straps are off, plugs in (when needed) and driver is ready to go. You drop your trailer then park your truck, they do the rest. It's awesome. No lines for the ramp, bam bam bam done and on the water. No parking the trailer either.
 
dasalmon said:
How much does that cost ?
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It was $20 even though we had the boat launched, camped for a week, had the boat back on the trailer and parked for us, then had the trailer pulled around the next day so we could connect easier to our motor home. The guys were so fast and friendly; we tipped them another $20 and still feel we got a deal.
 
Hmmmm.....  Valet Boat Launching/Trailer Parking - this could be a business that catches on!

Jack
 
1Tiredlady said:
Sugar Barge Resort in the California Delta waterways is the best! They have boat launching for you. They make sure the boat straps are off, plugs in (when needed) and driver is ready to go. You drop your trailer then park your truck, they do the rest. It's awesome. No lines for the ramp, bam bam bam done and on the water. No parking the trailer either.
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That's a fantastic service! Can't believe it's only $20. So.........after you drop your trailer and park your tow vehicle what do they use to back your trailer in the water?????????
 
Here when the lakes get really low in late summer, a few of the marinas charge $10-20 to put your boat in the lake with a tractor. That saves alot of trouble at the ramp they go in the order you get there it only gets bad when someone tries to put their boat with a pickup and gets stuck trying to save a few bucks. Then they have to pay the same tractor to pull them out but I think that is like $40 so everyone learns fast, but the lake goes back up pretty quick after irrigation season is done.
 
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Anybody ever do this?  When I was growing up, our family used to do what we termed the "Super Launch"...  We would get the boat loaded in the lot, including me and my siblings plus our stuff.  Dad would back the boat down when it was his turn and stop a few feet from the water.  He would then disconnect the winch from the boat, get back in the truck, put it in reverse and let it go back until the boat was in the water and brake hard....  the boat would slide/float right off and I'd simultaneously fire up the engine and back her out of the way...  dad would go park the trailer and start walking back to the launch dock.  As soon as I see him coming, I start heading back to the dock and he would jump on the bow and push us off.  I've kept my boats in private slips for the past 20+ years, so haven't launched at a public ramp in at least that long.  Not sure how safe or proper it is to do that, and never tried it with my own kids.  But I can tell you, we never held anybody up at the launch!
 
Yes Vinnie.............My wife and I will do this when it's crowded so we won't hold anybody up. Exactly like you described. After I park the trailer..................she'll pick me up at an adjacent dock or where the private slips are located at our marina. There's always an empty one she can pull in to..........
 
Only thing you have to watch is that 'TECHNICALLY' that is illegal. It is illegal to be towing something with a passenger in it, and yes you are only launching, but as I said, 'TECHNICALLY' it is being towed. If you have a real jerk of an enforcement officer they can ticket you. Plus there is one other downside to that technic........what if the motor doesn't start? hehe then ya better grab the paddles and make some motion before you drift too far out! I do see lots of people on our lake doing it this way, especially because our one launch is absolutely horrendous and you could be parked literally a half a mile away. Which makes it funny that they have a sign up that says  time limit of I believe 2 minutes max.
 
Man never knew you couldn't "tow" the boat w/passenger/s in it even for a short distance. Never even thought about it. For years we've been getting our boat/s out of the storage yard at our marina loading it up w/all our stuff and leaving the kids in it and driving about 200 yards to the ramps. They were a big help. Along the way they would put stuff away, open the bimini top, get the ropes ready etc..............We were like a well oiled launching machine! Haha! Everybody knew what needed to be done..........But now that they're 23 and 26 and on their own..........that machine is mostly down to my wife and I..............more work for us. Ha!
 
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BigKahuna said:
That's a fantastic service! Can't believe it's only $20. So.........after you drop your trailer and park your tow vehicle what do they use to back your trailer in the water?????????
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They used a small tractor with a hitch on the front.
 
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