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What happened to dock etiquette? Experience at Indian Lake

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Benney2075

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With Delaware State Park being closed due to the flooding, we had the opportunity to head back up to Indian Lake.
While waiting to pull out, boats would come in park in the middle of the ramp and someone would go get the trailer. One of these boats had 10 people standing around holding it to the ramp - really one of them could not have taken it back out and floated?
What happened to common courtesy? Maybe I am just getting old but we always kept the ramp open for those who are ready to pull out.
I will not mention those that put the boat in, then start unpacking the truck with towels, coolers, etc., while those who used the staging area to get ready are sitting in line.
Sorry for the rant, but frustrating to have fellow boaters not care anymore.
 
Benney2075 said:
With Delaware State Park being closed due to the flooding, we had the opportunity to head back up to Indian Lake.
While waiting to pull out, boats would come in park in the middle of the ramp and someone would go get the trailer. One of these boats had 10 people standing around holding it to the ramp - really one of them could not have taken it back out and floated?
What happened to common courtesy? Maybe I am just getting old but we always kept the ramp open for those who are ready to pull out.
I will not mention those that put the boat in, then start unpacking the truck with towels, coolers, etc., while those who used the staging area to get ready are sitting in line.
Sorry for the rant, but frustrating to have fellow boaters not care anymore.
Click to expand...

Last summer I sat (waiting in line) and watched a couple of 'kids' back their PWC into the launch area, then proceed to fill it with gas, go back to the truck for lifejackets and generally demonstrate their unreadiness for launch. I walked down and gave them some fatherly advice on how to launch without making enemies of everyone else in line. They said "oh, we didn't know..." so hopefully they did a better job the next time.
 
Benney2075 said:
With Delaware State Park being closed due to the flooding, we had the opportunity to head back up to Indian Lake.
While waiting to pull out, boats would come in park in the middle of the ramp and someone would go get the trailer. One of these boats had 10 people standing around holding it to the ramp - really one of them could not have taken it back out and floated?
What happened to common courtesy? Maybe I am just getting old but we always kept the ramp open for those who are ready to pull out.
I will not mention those that put the boat in, then start unpacking the truck with towels, coolers, etc., while those who used the staging area to get ready are sitting in line.
Sorry for the rant, but frustrating to have fellow boaters not care anymore.
Click to expand...

You may have been mindful of other boaters, but I have experienced these types of behavior on Indian Lake and others for over 40 years.
I am so happy, that I have been blessed with the fortune to no longer have to deal with the lack of ramp etiquette. We have few such issues in the lagoon. Love my piece of paradise.
 

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+1 on not having to deal with ramp life. When we lived on the lake we would walk over to the ramp and sit on a bench and watch the madness for entertainment. Good times.
 
I agree 100% on ramp follies and the ones who prep their boats on the ramp really get me going... but in this case I have no problem. Maybe all the others have no boating experience and the only one who has, had to get their trailer. I've taken many people out who I wouldn't let drive my boat with NO experience especially around a busy dock/ramp. Unfortunately not everyone goes out with an experienced co-captain.
 
Similar vain. Last summer we are in to get gas at the marina. 3 boats ahead of me. First boat had a full load. Looked like about the time it was topped off, a good 4-8 people decided to go inside for restroom and snacks. Others wandered the dock, and the girl that filled it up seemed a bit surprised. They eventually came back and took off....but it took foooreeeeever. Mind you this is with 2 more boats stacked up obviously in a line behind them. You’d think this was my rant, and probably would have been if not for...

Next boat fills up and heads out smoothly. Another boat joins the line up behind us at this point.

The boat ahead of me pulls up to the pump next. Couple with some young kids. Between gas and presumable taking the kids in to the bathroom, took them a bit longer than normal. Young kids...that’ll happen. No worries.

In the meantime two ADULT guys on PWC’s start doing little circles and loops off the port side bow. Sometimes a bit much for the no wake zone of the marina. Then, as the boat ahead of me looks to be about done, with the kids coming to the boat, the two PWC start hovering close to that pontoon. I’m thinking, “no dam way”. I toss out a friendly, “hi guys. We’re up next with a bout behind me.” One of the two looks at me expressionless.

The MOMENT the pontoon pulls away from the pump/dock, the two guys literally just jump in front of me...I’m talking within feet of my pontoon squeezing in as I started to go forward slowly to the pump.

I was stunned AND I was livid!

I walked my boat up to within inches of the one guys jet ski, and unfortunately or not shared my displeasure the entire time they topped off their PWC’s. It took a little time because they filled up both jet skis, so my lips were flapping at them for awhile. They just kept their backs to me.

And although I know the gas girl well (she is really nice...maybe too nice in situations like this), I did tell her it would be appreciated if when someone does a RUDE move like that, that they are turned to the back of the line. However, she had just finished H.S. and was heading off to college in the fall. I don’t think she felt remotely comfortable saying something like that to two men in their 30-40’s. I honestly would not have at that age either.

Anyway, some people are simply inconsiderate jerks. Sometimes its lack of knowledge (understandable), sometimes it should just be common sense and common curtesy, and sometimes its because they are rude and utterly inconsiderate of others.

Sorry for the long rant. It still sticks in my claw. :mad:
 
There are some turds in every punch bowl. Down here it's the dimwits not abiding by the no/minimum wake zones.

And regarding the PWC's, I'd tie a line to it and tow it away from the dock with the benny, leave it 100 ft out and let it float.
 
Love renting a dock .... no BS anymore!!!!!
 
Mine is on a lift in my backyard and I haul gas to it in 5 gallon cans. So I have no personal experience with the aforementioned stories. And I gotta say I certainly don’t miss it.
 
I am lucky as well as far as not having to trailer. I have my Benny on a lift out back on the Intracoastal, and am a two block walk from the Atlantic Ocean.

Unfortunately this lack of etiquette is everywhere even on land. Try going to a Wawa at lunch time to get gas for your car. Every pump has a car in front of it and maybe only one with someone actually pumping gas. The rest are inside shopping for lunch, while there are plenty of parking spots available not in front of a pump!
 
Boy I could easily see that (PWC's cutting in the gas line) leading to water rage (road rage). I often tell my wife we are naive to all the crazy, bad people out in the world. Most people are great but there is that slice of humanity that skipped class the day they gave out brains.
 
royal4 said:
Most people are great but there is that slice of humanity that skipped class the day they gave out brains.
Click to expand...

As a friend of mine reminds me regularly, “they walk (boat) among us, Rod, they walk among us!”
 
Thankfully, launch in the (late) spring and take out in the fall and fill up dockside. However, prior to that I've had 30 years or so of having to bit my tongue at the boat launch with all the frustrations noted above. I've come to understand that some people are just more important or entitled than the rest of us. But don't get me started on "no wake" in our marina...
 
lakeliving said:
+1 on not having to deal with ramp life. When we lived on the lake we would walk over to the ramp and sit on a bench and watch the madness for entertainment. Good times.
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I just love watching the madness at boat ramps for entertainment! J.E. Roush Lake in Huntington,IN. can be very entertaining to watch at busy times. Some people just can't back down a ramp well. The Dora ramp at Salamonie Lake south of Andrews,IN. can also be very entertaining during busy times! But I just absolutely HATED it when people would take up to a good twenty minutes to a half hour ON THE RAMP to prepare to launch,or haul out which I witnessed here about a week ago. Two older guys had these tiny boats with 2 HP motors on them,and both their trucks on the ramp to haul out. I bet they took up to a good half hour to load these dinky little boats into the beds of their trucks,and a family in the pontoon were waiting to launch.
 
Found this the other day. This guys has a lot of best of boating videos.
 
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