Walnut Creek ZOO

Well unfortunatly all of us do not get the pleasure of fishing during the week.  I myself have been a true weekend warrior for the past 15 or so years and my father more than that.
 
While i do launch early to avoid the massive rush to launch a boat at 6am I do however get to experience the aftermath.  This weekend it was almost too funny.  I had the pleasure friday of coming off the water at 1pm.  I was greeted in the marina by a women tied off the courtesy dock yelling at me for cutting her in line (how was i suppose to know what she was doing?)  I then pulled behind a boat, only to watch 6 people trying to power load a boat in front of me.  The driver of the truck had his vehicle jackknifed in the launch making it very difficult for anyone to launch beside him.  After the driver goosed the boat too hard throwing one of the passengers to the ground and wrapping a 1/2" dock line into the prop i thought i had seen it all but they were not done.  Instead of just winching the boat up on trailer, they proceeded to get in the water to unwrap the tangled dock line from the propeller.  After about 35min and 4 people standing there looking at the boat they finally had the boat on trailer and pulled out, and proceeded to launch the boat again!!!!....almost too much for me...I put mine on trailer and ran away as fast as i could.
 
Saturday i was in between rushes and managed to get out of the water early with no problems.
 
Sunday however, was another pile of fun.  I came and when i rounded the entrance to the marina 2 boats where there blocking the entrance.  The open docks were not jammed, just one boat sitting at each.  Finally the one boat moved over on the courtesy dock while the other sat and drifted in the marina.  The driver obviously was not too skilled at operating a boat seeing how he needed his entire family on his port side to push him off the docked boats at walnut because he nearly drove into them 2 or 3 times.  Finally after waiting on him to pick a dock i just decided to go after one...
 
My opinion is it is pretty bad there on the weekend, but its the only place on the west side...Walnut basically needs someone on the docks at all times directing traffic and telling everyone where to go because not everyone knows how the marina is suppose to function...and those who dont have absolutly NO CLUE...it is almost scary these people are out there in boats...lol
 
Ive only been involved in one incident at walnut when a guy backed his boat trailer into my truck.  Luckily he hit the rear bumber and the truck sustained no damage....

came in friday about 3 pm - wasn't too bad. could see where it could get that way very quickly. guess we just got lucky and came in at the same time as people with common sense.  Dave

It can be hard loading your boat alone unless you know what you are doing.  I am probably one of the ones you cussed out. 

ORIGINAL: MuskyMastr

I like to show up alone, launch & load my boat myself in half the time it takes some others and watch the puzzled looks on thier faces......

yeah you're so great... mr.erie himself.
dude, the puzzled look on their faces is because they never saw a grown man wearing a polka doted tutu while being fined for not having his lights on...

Looks like it will only get worse with PI closed..

I hear ya.  It really is amazing how boat ramps in general seem to bring out the stupid in people.  Sad truth seems to be that it's a progression of common courtosey being gone in our society in general.  Yesterday we are on our way back from a 5 day camping vacation, pulling the boat.  Figured I'd stop for gas before we got home so that I'm juiced up and ready for the next time I can fish - probably this Sun.  Pull into the station looking for an open pump to find no fewer than five vehicles parked at pumps with the occupants gone.  While waiting for 10 min. for a lane to clear I watched a lady come out of the convienience store, after pumping her gas, take her dog out of the truck to give it some water, then wash her windows, return to her vehicle and proceed to talk on a cell phone - all while sitting in front of a gas pump I could have used a good 15 minutes after she fueled her truck!  The ramps would run much smooother were it not for the same "one way" mentality.  I've got a new boat (new to me) this year and have been out of the Erie scene for quite a while. I know I have the potential of taking a little more time than will be necessary until  I've been in and out a few more times to get the hang of just where to place the trailer etc. so given the opportunity I allow others to go ahead of me while making sure I've got a spot that won't cause anyone an undo amount of grief.  Seems that there are very few people that think that way.  Launched this year mostly out of Walnut myself and always stand amazed at what goes on there.  Guys think I'm nuts when I tell them what time we're leaving but I can't imagine what would happen if you got there an hour or so after daylight.  Guess the best you can do is to try to stay out of the fray.

Why go to the amusement park ? Park @ Walnut in the AM and watch the show ! The retirees that are court watchers don't know what they're missing !  Dave

You will need more than a pack of smokes...lol

That's the whole point though Grendel; there aren't that many options on the West side and many guys with the smaller boats don't want to make the run from Lampe, East Ave. or the launches in the bay out west just in case something blows up out on the lake.  Another facility on the West side would do wonders.  We always launched at Lampe to avoid the mayhem at the nut but we didn't mind making the run if we had to out to the trenches.  Now, if I were going to the triangle, I'd want to launch out of the nut no matter what.

There are the launches at the park proper in the marina over there and a primitive launch on the peninsula side bay shore.  There is/used to be a public launch on the main shore of the bay in the stretch b/w Cherry Street marina and Dobbins landing.  I never launched there though and don't know how it handles larger boats.

It happens everywhere.  Last weekend, while trying to load my boat at Walnut, a guy pulls in behind me telling me that I should go tie up and wait instead of drifting in the middle of the launch area.  #1 - there was NO room to tie a 23 footer at the time, #2 - little did he know than my trailer was being backed down the ramp at that very moment.  Whoever he was, needs to display a little patience.  Then he was being a smart**** by telling me that some lady at the dock was directing the traffic there....ended up, she was gone in like 5 minutes after he trailered (appearently she was with him).  Anyway, it seems it would make things a whole lot easier if the boats wouldn't all tie up right at the loading docks clogging the loading area, but rather tie off on the side and go get their trailers.  Especially when there is room on the side docks.  My personal opinion is that people should trailer their boats in the order that they bring their trailer to the ramp, and not in the order in which they pulled in with their boat....I've seen some guys take 10 minutes just going to get their trailers at the other end of the parking lot.  When Walnut gets jam packed, however, there is really nothing you can do, but be patient and enjoy the show! 

I'm heading to Geneva tomorrow...things seem to always run much smoother over there.  I wonder why?  Besides, the fishing has been a whole lot better to boot.

It is almost amusing reading about people watching others with problems docking.

NOT HELPING-ONLY COMPLAINING IS A BIG ACOMPLISHMENT

Believe me if i could have got out and drove the guys boat to the dock who was running into the docked boats at walnut...i probaly would have....lol He was a hazard to everyone and everything in the marina sunday afternoon.
 
Often a suggestion or extending a hand to help is taken as disrespect or a slap in the face of some sort...There are alot of egos flying around those docks...I am patient and wait with a smile on my face in disbelief most times...however ive seen some near brawls start over someone taking forever to launch or pull out a boat.......

I think you guys are missing the point...  We're not complaining about the people that have problems but the ones that step on a boat and just go DEE DEE DEE.  And it's not just the weekends.  I was down there tonight and proceded to watch a guy jump in his boat and not bother dropping the lower unit(I think the prop was actually part ways out of the water).  To top it all off he didn't know what idle was, he threw it into reverse and probably was taching 1500rpm.  Backed away from the dock and jammed it in forward same story, just now there was a big white fish cop boat in front of the bow.  He managed to get it stopped about 5 feet shy of hitting it.  Three tries and he had it pointed out the channel.  I watched him try to run out deep and he never dropped the lower unit.  Just threw one heck of a rooster tail while he was going all of 10mph.  And don't jump on my case, the guy couldn't hear me yelling at him over the reving engine.

If you are new at backing a trailer-
1-Practice before you go for your maiden voyage.
2-Ask someone that has experience to help.
3-Know the controls of your vessel and what function they do.
4- An empty parking lot is a great place to practice.
Do you remember the first time you drove a car?
Did you learn on your own or did you have someone help you?
There is nothing wrong with going up to a person that is having a hard time backing the boat in and helping them.