# Why is launching/loading a boat so hard?



## nuts (Jan 3, 2002)

I went out bluegill fishing today for a few hours. When I pulled up to the launch to get my boat out of the water what do I see? 5 grown men up to their crotch in the water. 2 trying to get a 12 foot aluminum boat out of the water, and 3 trying to get a 16 foot fiberglass boat into of the water. I watched the "circus" for a good 10 minutes before I was able to get my change at the launch. Within 5 minutes I had my boat out and on my way home without even so much as a wetfoot.

Anyone else run into things like this at the launch? Lets hear your best boat launch stories...............theres gotta be some good ones out there.


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## catfishhoge (Mar 16, 2001)

Experience!


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

I'll have to say that it can be VERY entertaining to just stand around a launch ramp for a couple of hours. I've seen some very funny things and some NOT so funny. But I've also seen some very STUPID things too. You can always tell which ones are the novice launchers/retrievers. They can be the most fun to watch. But you've gotta remember one thing.... What goes around comes around.  Laugh too hard at someone at the boat launch and it'll invariably come back to bite you in the rear eventually !

A couple of summers ago I was out with Esox and Byron on Esoxs' boat. We had just pulled up to the dock and were getting ready to go up and get the truck. At the very next dock was a guy trying like heck to use a little S-10 to pull his boat out. I really think that an S-10 was BARELY enough truck for the job under the BEST conditions. The problem was that the guys boat was FULL OF WATER !!! The poor truck was STRAINING to get the boat up the ramp. He'd barely gotten it out of the water enough that the transom was clear of the surface and that's ALL that the truck would do. He had to set the brake and stop right there. He turned on his bilge pump and was pumping out gallon after gallon of water. It took a while to empty enough water out of the boat to make it light enough for the truck to finish getting it up the ramp. Well, we were in the process of retrieving our boat and I heard the guy say "I used to laugh at guys that did this". 

Now think about my caution in the first paragraph.....


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Very interesting subject! I was a new boat owner last year and had many soakers learning how to launch/retrieve. I got a system worked out, then got a new boat and had to re-learn a little. 

Tonight I saw a guy up to his waist in water retreiving his 14' boat. 

Two tips, one which I do and one which I haven't yet done. First is don't back your trailer in too deep when retrieving, you can use the trailer as a guide. If the trailer is in too deep you have no boat control until the bow is touching the V-block. I have used this technique fairly successfully. 

The second tip is to use guide-ons, I am thinking of the white PVC tubes that stick out of the water at the rear of the trailer. They help you to see where to put the boat, and they stabilize the boat somewhat as you're cranking the boat up. I haven't yet added these to my trailer.


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## subocto (Feb 21, 2003)

IN deep, out shallow is a general rule to follow. tie a rope from bow to dock going in and use your trailer winch coming out, and you can get small craft in and out easily going solo. most have to learn the hard way at least once, I did. 

fish on!


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## captain jay (Jan 6, 2002)

I know exactly where you are coming from. I could type for hours about it, but it wont do any good, because some people will never figure it out.

I runa 22ft boat, and I can launch and retreive it by myself faster than most groups can do their 16 footers.

I think the biggest problem I see if people puting their trailers in to far. Most boats will slide onto the trailer right where they should be if they are cranked into place with the winch.

Oh yeah...it's usually the same people thet need to go to their high school parking lot and learn how to back a trailer also!!

Captain Jay


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## TrailFndr (Feb 12, 2002)

Ahhhhhh The JOYS of a drive on trailer... I was a new boat owner last year, but after watching so many others launch and retrive over the years, I really had no problems, after the first couple times, and learning just where in the water to back up to. I don't use trailer guides, but I do have a couple of rear end rollers that stand up about a foot off the trailer. I back up till those are about 1 inch out of the water, and simply ease the boat right up onto it. 3 cranks with the winch and drive out so the next guy can get in.

Launching is so easy by myself that I won't even let anyone assist me. it screws up my system lol and generally takes me longer.

But I have seen some funny/silly/and downright STUPID things at the local launches..

The one thing that I see most is people that do not know how to backup with a trailer. they can be hillarious.


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## I'llbeoutside (Feb 2, 2003)

Had my previous boat for ten years and could launch and retrieve quickly even by myself. I had a system and could usually get out of the way pretty fast. Bought a new 18' this year so I'm trying to get use to a different set-up without scratching it before my fiance gets to enjoy it a little. I'm no pro but there has been a couple of times I have got sick of waiting and offered to help back the trailer in (politely) for others. One guy was very thankful and the other had too much pride and yelled at his wife instead. We were all new to this at one time so help if you can and try not to laugh out loud at the ones who refuse it.


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## Hunt4Ever (Sep 9, 2000)

I've created quite a system for getting my boat in and out by myself. I'm getting pretty good at it. 

The biggest thing that throws me off is a good stiff wind. If I can I try and make it so the wind will push the boat into the dock, but sometimes that's not possible.

I'm sure a few have made a comment or two about my technique in strong wind. It must look like a circus act watching me get that boat on the trailer by myself in a still wind.


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## Rat City Hooker (Jan 30, 2003)

I agree on the side boards would be lost without them. I generally load my boat myself and if someone backs in the trailer I make sure to explain my hand motions. The fastest unload we have ever had was my son-in-laws 18ft aluimacraft on a roller trailer on a steep boat launch. Never unhook the bow on a roller trailer. We got lucky and we had a class splash landing


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## skulldugary (Apr 12, 2003)

I actually seen a fist fight at the old Bolles harbor launch on a busy saturday afternoon,one guy could'nt get his rig out and people were waiting in droves to put in and out.A fellow asked if he could be of some help and was told to mind his own @#&%^ bussiness and it did'nt set well with him and a fight started,no one hurt and no one arrested but to watch those two was hillarious.Also seen a guy in an old station wagon pulling out a 24 footer at the same ramp a week later and I guess his brakes give out or something and the whole works rolled back and into the drink.The car and trailer was submerged and the boat actually broke the winch line and floated off.Too bad.As far as backing a trailer up I've done it for years but still get flabbergassded on occations,usually the first coulpe of trips out......


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## lawnboy (Jun 5, 2000)

Working down in the marinas I have seen so many goofs its unreal. Just the other day two guys were trying to launch a boat with the back tie down straps still on. They got it to a point where the trailer was floating. In the same day a guy was asking me if he was in deep enough. the boat wasnt even touching the water!

But I would say that some of the best are the bass fishermen. We have tons of tournaments through the summer and they all come at once and its UNREAL how fast the can unload and load their rigs.


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## Can't Touch This (Dec 31, 2002)

I remeber the first we tries to launch our 19' deep v, by the end, we had quite a crowd around us!!!! Give em' a break!!!!! Launching a boat is hard, espessially if you never did it before(statebull!!!!LOL). I find(yes, we did it once) that alot of people forget to put the plug in their boat!!!! then, they get in their boat, and it starts slowly, but surely sinking, by the time someone realizes it(or someone tells them) the boat is nearly swamped. When i was with statebull, well, t was the foirst time he luanched a big boat, and had some trouble, but me and matt knew what to do in case of a bad launch, so we did ok. Un fortunently, the guy next to us WAS NOT ok. His trailer kept on bumping the not-so-sturdy dock post hard, and i thought for sure i was about to be very cold and wet!!! But, with our help, we got him out of it.


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## POLARBEAR (May 13, 2002)

my dad had a 20' fiberglass boat. he pulled up to the launch and readied everything including removing the winch line. he started backing in and the boat rode right off the trailer. he had a roller trailer.  stupid is stupid does dad. 

i think the best i have seen is a guide on the big manistee river. all proud and full of himself. a complete jerk. he had a 150 jet on a wooldridge hull, about a $30,000 rig or more. he started to power load it at about 20 to 25 mph. i am sure he took it to the shop the next day. it almost threw him from the boat.

a tip about retrieving in a river. i always jackknife my trailer when retrieving my boat from the river. jackknife it downstream so you dont have to fight the current.


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## Danatodd99 (Dec 26, 2001)

> *Lawnboy Wrote:*
> But I would say that some of the best are the bass fishermen. We have tons of tournaments through the summer and they all come at once and its UNREAL how fast the can unload and load their rigs.


I have been in those droves of fisherman and on the average it takes about 3-4 minutes to load and unload. 
It sure helps when you have someone who knows how to back up and where to stop.
Drive-ons are the best invention since sliced bread.

I was pre-fishing this spot and there was two large ramps and they were taken by 2 big boats. We waited about 10 minutes for them to unload, I then backed down between them and my Buddy backed off the trailer and I parked and walked back to the ramp and they were like ...... "Now that's a couple of experienced fisherman".
They were both launching too.
I don't know what was taking them so long


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## tubejig (Jan 21, 2002)

One of the best ones that I have ever witnessed was two falls ago up in Port Sanilac. I was watching these guys down by the dock yelling and screeming to stop backing up. The guy driving the truck stopped but the boat and trailer kept going in. I couldn't believe that they didn't use safety chains. After watching them for about 45 minutes trying to get the boat out of the water, I asked what had happened. The one fella told me that they were on their way up from Detroit and the truck they were using had blown its motor and that they rented this van to get the boat up there to fish. The problem was that the van had a 1 7/8 ball and the trailer had a 2" tongue, also they didn't hook up the safety chains! What a laugh I had that evening. 


tubejig


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## ficious (Aug 28, 2002)

Since I usually launch solo, guide ons are  a must, especially in the rivers. On the "new" boat I went one step farther, removeable guide ons. That way they don't rub on the boat while trailering, after the boat is on the trailer, I don't need them anymore. 2" PVC does the trick on a 21' glass.

ficious


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

I was watching this guy launch his boat off a rustic launch at the channel end of Whitelake. The launch had concrete slab that dropped off into deep water. The guy got the trailer axle stuck off the concrete and got his waders on to see what was holding him up. At this point his truck popped out of park and started rolling back. He was trying to stop it and my friend and I were yelling for him to get out of the way because he was going to get ran over by the truck. He jumped out of the way and we all just sat there and watched his truck float about 2 min than sink up to its windshield. Dont know what the outcome was after that because we left when tow truck arrived.

I fish a tournament on Whitelake every Tuesday night. One of my friends was running his boat onto his trailer. His partner yelled are you ready and he yelled no, his partner thought he said go and gunned it. We all whatched the fiberglass boat get about half way up ramp then come crashing off trailer. Once we checked for damage we were all on the ground laughin.

Its interesting to watch people and the things they do loading boats. We fish tourneys and load 30 to 40 boats on trailers and be done weighing in and that same dude will still be trying to load that boat.


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## outdoorzman1 (Apr 14, 2003)

It sure is amazing the things we see on the launch ramp. Like I read in one of the posts about how bass fisherman get there boats out fast. I am one of those and it is amazing at how some can get a big bass boat or a big deep v boat onto a trailler while people with little aluminum john boats are out to there wast in water. I think some people should go to that little lake by there house or early in the morning before everyone gets up and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!! Before all the ramps get crowded. I think when they see the ramps crowded and people waiting for them it causes them to rush and make more mistakes and actually do worse than they normally would. Oh well I guess everyone is different so I just wait patientlly so I am not one of those people at the ramp in a fight.


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## andy capp (Aug 14, 2002)

You will never believe this one. This happened two weeks ago. This box of rocks launched his boat at Elizabeth park. Instead of removing his boat from the trailer, he removed the trailer from the truck. No lie. then he proceded to flag down the sherriff because hi boat wasnt going as fast as it is supposed to. You had to be there. I am seriously not joking about this it really happpened! I didnt know people could have no common sense.


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## Dave Simmons (Dec 5, 2001)

I'm pretty good at launching, but I am getting old and have been known (once) to forget the plug.   

It certainly gave the spectators at the launch something to talk about.


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## IRock (Jan 24, 2003)

All it takes is a little common sense to launch or retrieve a boat. Unfortunately there is a real shortage of that today. Some day when you have nothing to do get a lawn chair and a few refreshments and you can get some real good entertainment for free.


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## Neapolis (Apr 22, 2000)

The guide ons are a must for me on a river. I also found they are great for keeping track of the empty trailer while backing down to load the boat (I have a 3/4 ton 4x4 and the trailer disapears behind it as soon as it starts down the ramp).

I can also vouch for the importance of keeping track of the where abouts of your drain plug.  It shouldn't be that hard, but it apparantly is.


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## Banditto (Jun 9, 2000)

Anybody ever see a boat cruising through the water with a trailer strapped to it? 

I have... twice.


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## Rat City Hooker (Jan 30, 2003)

If you have trouble backing up a trailer get some orange snowplow fiberglas rods and attach them to your side bunks


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## Doughboy (Jan 13, 2001)

Boy I hate telling on myself but here goes. I have a thing about loading and unloading ( 40 to 50 launches a year) my rigs in a hurry so I don't tie up the ramps even if there is no one waiting. Everything is ready when I hit the ramps and I launch solo most of the time. I was fishing walleye in N/W Michigan and the wind and waves weren't in my favor that day. I had a brand new 4x4 Chevy and was impressed with its power after towing my rigs with a 4 cylinder S-10 for years. I quickly backed down the ramp to about half way then jumped out to tie the stern line to the dock to keep the boat to the dock in the wind. I then backed down till the boat floated then jumped out to tie off the bow line. Back in the truck and put it in drive to pull out of the ramp all the while admiring my new trucks power when I noticed it started to labor. Immediately I looked in the side mirror only to see my boat hanging off my trailer with the dock now parallel to shore. Jumping out I found that the wind had blown my docking lines around the trailers guide-ons. Nothing was damaged too bad only my pride but things will happen someday to us all if we get in a hurry or just don't pay attention or in my case nowadays have those Senior Moments. My pet peeve is the boater that tell their stories while tying up the ramps, but that's another post. Oh I did reposition the dock which was no easy task in itself.


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

I don't generally have a problem launching/retrieving by myself. But it does get to be a challenge sometimes when it's windy.

I have a 16' aluminum fishing boat. I usually get everything prepped and ready to launch before approaching the ramp. Then when it's my turn I back down the ramp until the boat is in the water but I can still step over from the dock to the bumper and then I can step on the tongue and unhook the bow strap. Then I take my dockline that is attached to the bow and run it back along the inside of 2 or 3 of the posts and then secure it to the transom. I leave just enough slack so that I can back up enough to get the boat off the trailer but it won't drift too far from the dock once I pull away. Then I back down until she's floating and pull away. Then if I'm alone, I'll just stop the truck on the ramp so that I can be sure the boat is secure. Once it is, I park the truck and I'm ready to go. Basically retrieval is the same procedure but in reverse. It hasn't failed me yet !


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## Jimbos (Nov 21, 2000)

Man, I split a gut reading some of these stories. I had to read them to my boys, who appreciated the ignorance of the situations. 
A trailer on the bottom of the boat??? Now i've heard them all....lol

I've seen water up to a trucks dash, i've caught boats drifting empty down the river, but never a trailer still lashed on the bottom.


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## Rockman72 (May 7, 2002)

> Anybody ever see a boat cruising through the water with a trailer strapped to it?
> 
> I have... twice.


Please tell me you have pictures.


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## Robert W. McCoy Jr (Jan 18, 2002)

Thank god I started when I was young.
It's probably what saved my truck.

I have two good stories on why you should do all the loading and unloading your self.

First I had a friend get in my truck and pull my boat out at a launch that was busy.  Forgot to ask if he knew how to drive a stick quick thinking I started my boat up and the 100hp Johnson at full throttle keep my truck from sinking untill My "buddy finally just hit the breaks. My truck was up to the front seat in water.
NEVER Forget to ask if the person can drive a stick 

Second story another friend. We were at the Mio dam pond launch and I had my friend back me up to the edge of the concrete launch. I told him he has to stop when I yell.
Well he didn't. My axle's went off the end of the launch and yeap
I went swiming  . But I finally got a rope around the axle got back in the boat picked the back of the trailer up and he pulled the truck up and all was well 

Except I didn't have a change of clothes with me. Needless to say he bought the beer that night.


So the moral to these stories, make sure you do everything your self. Unless you have a very compatent friend.


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## Defensemens dad (Jan 21, 2002)

We ahve been fishing from a 12ft boat. And I too like others here try to be as quick as possible to get in and out of the water. But I may need a little patience for a few launches and retreivals with this 23footer I have now.

Years ago when my wife adn I were just married we took her mom and dad and there old 16ft fiberglass water logged boat with this huge 65hp evinrude out for a evening on the water. Back the boat down the ramp, put the Jimmy in park jumped out to launch and the car passed me down the ramp. The rear window was open and by the time I got back in there was water across my lap. Luckily the boat broke free and I was able to drive back out. We did have a good time on the lake that night.


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## Mad Jack (Jun 26, 2001)

I also am one of those guy's that used to have trouble at the launch.
Everyone told me ya buy a boat for the big lake and i will go with you fishin. YA RIGHT.
I go by myself most of the time. I am getting alot better at the launch / retreive thing with my 24' Crestliner Hard Top. 
i launch with out a dock most of the time.
Still want to put a electric winch on it to make it a little better and faster to get out of the way.


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## Jimbos (Nov 21, 2000)

I think you have a bit an excuse for having a rough time launching and retrieving your boat MadJack. That can't possibly be the easiest boat to get in and out of the water. 

Just don't bury your truck in the water up to the dash, and I sure wouldn't laugh at ya.


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## Robert W. McCoy Jr (Jan 18, 2002)

There would be a hole lot less people on the roads


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## Mad Jack (Jun 26, 2001)

Jimbos
It's not all that bad unless the wind picks up. Then i have alittle bit more trouble.
With the roller trailer i really do not need to put the trailer into deep. Just till the front rollers are just about in the water.


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## Sarge (Apr 25, 2000)

When I was a teen we had a small speedboat, and I just had my drivers license. I learned my way in and out of a ramp with boat and trailer, before I ever got good at parallel parking. Even so, after years of not boating, I was a bit clumsy with our new little fishing boat in the ramps. I was a little intimidated and my wife was terrified. 

Once we were going fishing on Wabasis Lake in Kent County, and I had just launched our outrageous craft. A 12-foot Smoker Craft with only a trolling motor. I left my wife on the dock (a very busy day) with boat line in hand because she wouldnt take the boat out a little ways and come back for me when Id parked. Anyway there she stood with the itty-bitty boat in hand and the big boys were backing huge ski boats and jet skis etc. all around her. She got so intimidated that she had moved the boat around into the mucky weeds and stood on about a 1 square spot of the dock beside the ramp. When I got back there I was a little miffed that she had let the brassy dudes in their shiny rigs frighten her. It was a public dock and public ramp so I didnt say anything. I just stood there with her waiting until traffic cleared enough for us to hop aboard and move out of the way. About that time, a pushy guy with a super expensive rig, brand new and bright red with metal flecked finish, backed in. He made several passes to get the trailer exactly where he wanted it. He was shouting orders to his wife (or girlfriend) and plainly acting like the jerky yacht club guy in the movie summer rental. Anyway he left her in the boat clinging fearfully to the dock while he put away the truck squealing tires the whole way. He then came back and barked some more instructions to the woman who had let the boat go back and get cross wise at the end of the dock. He took off his shirt and flexed for the crowd (I kid you not) and stepped arrogantly onto the edge of his new boat. There was a small dog with them that was in the seat he had planned to use. He wiggled and talked kindly to the dog that did not move. Meanwhile the boat was headed for points unknown. He had one foot on the dock and one on the boat. It didnt take long for the distance and the length of his legs to match. The next move was a bit less macho. He ended up in the muck up to his armpits. He hauled himself out, and rescued his wallet. Then got into new shiny-red with sludge dripping off him and onto the shiny-red in every conceivable manner. 

As soon as we got far enough out into the lake and around a bend my wife broke. She laughed so hard I thought we would capsize.

Moral is, no matter how cool you are, and how well you think you can handle a boating situation, water has a way of humbling you.


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## Mad Jack (Jun 26, 2001)

Sarge
I am one that would have to agree with ya on this one.
I also have seen some doedies at the dock like this.
1 time my wife was holding our boat and it was alittle breezy that day and of course some one come in with one of them beach boats giving her a hard time about how she could not hold the close enough to the dock he was rather will say not nice.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I have had a 19 foot Four Winns Candia that I have mastered loading and unloading.
When on the lake, if we get bored we go sit by the ramp to laugh.

What really pisses me of is the dorks that think they need to unload the stuff into the truck, let the kids run all over the place, go to the bathroom, etc. while tieing up the ramp. Get some consideration and respect!


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## Defensemens dad (Jan 21, 2002)

Witnessed an older couple coming off the lake one evening. As they pulled up to the dock his wife put one foot on the side of the boat and the other on the dock. Well as you have probably guessed the boat blew away from the dock and down she went. She was not hurt just a little wet.


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## BilgeRat (Mar 30, 2002)

You all gotta go to this site for more boatramp stories.. These are hilarious. http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/bassboard/boatramp
enjoy them.


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## POLARBEAR (May 13, 2002)

i will tell you when it is a pain in your butt launching a boat. how about when the ramp is so shallow that my 16' deep v i had to back in till the water was up past my ankles when i got out of the truck.


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## Ed Michrina (Dec 25, 2002)

I was putting out at St. Jean As me and my buddy got into our boat, 3 guys pulled in a few docks over. The first guy attempted to jump out to stop the boat. one foot on the dock the other hooked the side of the boat. We watched Almost in slow motion, this guy just kinda slow rolled head first into the water and disappeared head first. He then poped up looking like a puppy on his first swim. He made it to the dock, got on the dock and the whole launch area got quiet!! no one said anything it felt like minuets . The guy stood on the dock spitting and shaking his arms. finally another boater asked him if he was ok. When the Wet man stated yes. The whole dock area borke out in laugher including the other 2 in the boat he was in. I then told my buddy "we don't have to catch any fish, the trip was worth it"


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## 1wildchild (Apr 14, 2003)

After hearing all these stories I am activly seeking volunteers to teach me to launch and retrieve my boat!!! I think I'll have it refinished in about a month. I have a 15 foot Lyman (yes a really heavy wood boat!). Any takers?


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## treeman (Mar 18, 2002)

For those of you that are new to backing a trailer--If you put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel you can just move it in the direction you want the trailer to move. If you can, always try to launch and retrieve from the upwind or upstream side of the dock. Drive on trailers are the best. Guide-ons are good too.


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## Crawfish (May 7, 2002)

Well said, Sarge. Good stories, guys. One lesson: You can be on the dock, you can be on the boat, but you can't try to be on both at the same time.

Polarbear, it sounds like you were trying to launch on Saginaw Bay.

I like seeing the guys who must be lacking boat experience or common sense who pull their shiny new 22' Four Winns or Bayliner out of the water, with the boat sitting at a 15 degree angle on the trailer. 

It gets really entertaining when, instead of re-floating the boat and reloading it, they try to pick up the back end of this 21-22' FIBERGLASS boat with 2 guys squatting under the swim platform. I've seen it at least a half dozen times.

Is it any coincidence, though, that the PWC guys are the most boneheaded ones on the ramp, as well as the water?


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## POLARBEAR (May 13, 2002)

crawfish it was the far east ramp at sanilac. be careful on the new docks there. man it is like cedar point. there are floating docks and when you walk down them they tip side to side. that will teach a few people about drinking and boating. you can hardly walk on them sober.


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