Ramp Etiquette

#4 Practice, Practice, Practice.....go when there is low traffic and get comfortable, before you have to do it in front of a crowd where stage fright is a definite possibility.

#5 LEARN TO BACK UP!!!!!!!!!!!

You are talking to a brick wall if you are referring to the walnut creek irregulars...lol
 
You can always tell who has been there before...and who hasnt real fast while launching and loading...

Gentlemen,
      Here's a tip I've tried and It works!  Have a shop put a ball on the front of your pick-up then you can push the boat into the water.  Makes backing the empty trailer out a bit of a chore but once you're out it only takes a minute to turn around and re-hook for pulling.  That minute is much better than the 20 minutes that some people take while trying to back in.

#10. Dont be afraid to offer some assistance.
 
 I was waiting to put my boat in Erie one time. There was 2 guys and a hot blonde girl. They had 2 PWC's and the 2 guys were already on them. they had the blonde trying to back them in the water. She was having a rough time and they were leting her know about it. If I was her I think I would of hopped out and left the whole rig take a swim. I offerd my help, she gladly excepted. I had the 2 butt heads in the water in a few seconds. The 2 guys never said thanks, they just hotshot out of there like typical a#$ h*^@. NOW the hard part was do I take off with their girlfriend because right about now I was her hero or do I park and go fishing? 
 
Well I have to tell ya we caught a lot of Walleyes that day.  
 
If you want good pratice backing up, try backing a full hay wagon up a ramp into a barn. If anyone has tried this you know what I am talking about. you will be able to back any boat in the water after you mastered the hay wagon. 

#12 Dont be stupid....
#13 You dont own the boat launch (no matter how much you think you do)
#14 Dont drive into the docked boats (Ive seen it!!!)
#15 PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!!!!
#16 Dont Yell at anyone...They may throw hot coffee in your face (SEEN THIS Happen too)
#17 TURN OFF YOUR F'N HEADLIGHTS YOU @SSHOLE...All trucks have the ability to have their headlights turn off as much as you disagree...Read your owners manual...Others would like to launch too...And really cannot see with you high beams in all their mirrors...and according to #13 YOU DONT OWN THE BOAT LAUNCH
 
If you avoid those above laws you may recieve the following punishments:
A stern scolding with curse words, Hot Coffee in the face, or even an unwanted swim in your favorite marina or boat launch...lol

I can have my boat in the water in about 5 mins, which I dont feel is bad for a rookie.

I may not own the ramp but, I can't stand watching some donkey's hind part take 10 attempts at managing to take up two ramps with his boat and truck parked in there about as crooked as the child custody laws in PA.

I believe that you should learn to launch you boat BY YOURSELF.  Go to a ramp at a non-busy time and spend 30 to 45 min putting it in and out by yourself.  I can launch my 24' on my own faster than 80% of the teams of idiots you see at the walnut zoo.  If you practice by yourself, when you have a partner there you can tell him exactly what you want to do instead of him freelancing and creating confusion and a general cluster*%#&. 

ORIGINAL: joedirt

#10. Dont be afraid to offer some assistance.

I was waiting to put my boat in Erie one time. There was 2 guys and a hot blonde girl. They had 2 PWC's and the 2 guys were already on them. they had the blonde trying to back them in the water. She was having a rough time and they were leting her know about it. If I was her I think I would of hopped out and left the whole rig take a swim. I offerd my help, she gladly excepted. I had the 2 butt heads in the water in a few seconds. The 2 guys never said thanks, they just hotshot out of there like typical a#$ h*^@. NOW the hard part was do I take off with their girlfriend because right about now I was her hero or do I park and go fishing? 

Well I have to tell ya we caught a lot of Walleyes that day.  

If you want good pratice backing up, try backing a full hay wagon up a ramp into a barn. If anyone has tried this you know what I am talking about. you will be able to back any boat in the water after you mastered the hay wagon. 

 
I agree with the hay wagon. Backing the hay wagon into a barn with a few inches on each side is much much harder, plus the tongue on the hay wagon is diff ,and much harder.
 
We just got a boat, only launched it a few times, but I must say.....its probably the easiest thing I have ever done. I was nervous at first but if you cant launch and load a boat.....you probably shouldnt be driving a truck with a trailer behind it.

There is an ethical question. What would you do if you saw obviously drunk people that were either going to drive their boat or drive their vehicle

If you never backed a boat up, practice in an empty parking lot till your used to turning the wheel in the right direction. Too many people know nothing about backing up. Frustrating waiting for someone that takes up 2 lanes.

Had a buddy of mine that was totally worthless at backing up his boat. Owned it for 20 yrs still can't back up straight.
We went to Chautauqua once and launched at Bemis point. 4 attempts got the boat in the water. When he gets back to the boat he realizes the plug is not in and we are taking on water. We try to find the plug hole but cant reach it. So he decides to get the trailer and reload the boat. After a 6 or so attempts to get the empty trailer in he pulls up and unhooks. There is a car in the next lane that just loaded a big boat and it took all the weight of the drive axles and he was stuck(he would have hit them if they didn't move.). My buddy pulled him out hooked back up finally got the trailer in the water reloaded the boat,drained the water,launched again.What a **** fiasco. Too top it all off all of our dry outer clothing was stowed in the rod locker that flooded. Last time I road with that captain. He is the type of fella that any help offered would be taken as a personal attack to his manhood so all we could do was sit back and watch as we coward in the boat trying to hide from the many onlookers waiting to use the ramp.

When I launch I have a mental checklist that i try and do in the same order every time. I tell whoever is with me to put their hands in their pockets. Whenever someone tries to help me it just messes me up and then I'll make a mistake. I've probably lauched my boat 200 times it really gets easier after the first 50 times. Sure I still make some mistakes and I've learned to laugh at myself over them. Some of the best laughs to be had are at the boatlaunch. Take a cooler and a lawnchair sometime leave the boat at home. You'll learn a lot of things that you don't want to do.

Also remember to pay attention to the wind if you are launching at multiple ramp facility.   It is a lot eaiser to launch and handle the boat when the wind will pin it against the dock, than when it is pushing it away...