fun with boats

[beradtke]

So last saturday my fiance and i went boating. I should have stayed in bed. Best way to start you day have the boat slide off the trailer at the ramp and slide all the way down the ramp and into the water.(side note the clip used on a float on trailer is the most stupid desigined thing ever and will be replaced with a winch and cable ,i already have a safty chain but it was disconected ) Run fiances foot over with trailer as the happens. Pull boat back out of water do inspection seems ok. Go for boat ride anyways. Radio decides not to work sometimes and trim and tilt pump just clicked when i was trying to anchor up at the sand bar. but other then that it was a uneventful day!

[Fr. Frank]

...Best way to start your day have the boat slide off the trailer at the ramp and slide all the way down the ramp and into the water.(...i already have a safty chain but it was disconected ) Run fiances foot over with trailer as the happens.

NOTES TO SELF:

• Never, never unhook safety chains 'til ready for the boat to actually slide back off trailer.
• Place signficant others at safe distance from any incipient disasters

SEE my signature line below

[fdheld34]

beradtke
I know your pain too well regarding trailer and mechanical issues......at least it seems your fiance was tying to help you out since you ran her foot over Here is what I go through when I launch my boat......
My wife just sorta stands there with a blank look on her face when I back boat into ramp. Even when I ask her to hold a line or keep boat from rubbing against dock..it never seems to compute..and boat is either rubbing on dock or floating in the middle of the docks!!! So I basically have to dunk boat tie it up...run back to truck to find a spot (which is impossible)...run back to boat with all the things in my hand that she forgot...cell phone, purse, dunkin donut iced caramel latte...dog etc. etc....Once I get back to the boat then the real fun begins....oh not to mention returning to the ramp..so it could be worse..(but I love her!!)
-FRED

[Michael Vezzosi]

Fred...VERY Funny $HIT Right there!!! Spot On! Part II.

[beradtke]

yes father can i call you that? she was holding the bow and stern lines of the boat so when in water it would not float away. i have read you line many of times and do take it to heart thats why i am changing over to a actually whinch on the bow.

fred i know you pain to as in that when we first went out i had to explane EVERY detail in detail to her. and belive me i love her too!

[DonV]

Nothing more fun than watching folks at the boat ramp....great entertaiment!!!! Especially the guys who can't back a trailer and then blames everything on his wife and kids!! In any case I would have only given you a 5.6 to a 5.8 for dropping the boat on the ramp, however running over your soon to be wife's foot, I guess still soon to be wife, would probably make it a 5.9 to a perfect 6.0 score. :-)

[rockdoc]

I agree watching people at the ramp can be entertaining, except I'm usually watching while I'm waiting my turn.........

seeing big boats come off the trailer on to the cement is a little scary, and I've seen that too many times.

Steve

[strick]

Hopefully she will still want to go boating after that

I have a little protocol that I never deviate from when launching. Everyone gets out of the truck but the driver when backing down the ramp. Usually I make the family stand out of the way on the dock. I then back the boat down the ramp till the stern is almost over the water. Set parking brake put truck in park. Get out of truck and unhook safety chain and stern tie down straps. Visualize that the plug is in boat (learn that one the hard way) Get back in truck and back down till the stern is just barely in the water. Set brakes again and get out of truck and then loosen winch and unhook the nylon winch strap. Hand someone the bow and stern lines. If I'm by myself I make a loop in the bow line and loop it over the winch support. Then I back the boat the rest of the way in the water. I'm sure you already know all this! sometimes we get excited and in a hurry and forget

strick

[beradtke]

oh yeah amature days are the best at boat ramps memorial day,4th of july,labor day. me and my dad would go down to sand sprit park just to watch the fun activities.


we still went boating the same day i just had to chech the hull for any major damage before hand. advice well taken strick and from the rest of yall.

[Fr. Frank]

yes father can i call you that? she was holding the bow and stern lines of the boat so when in water it would not float away. i have read you line many of times and do take it to heart thats why i am changing over to a actually whinch on the bow.

fred i know you pain to as in that when we first went out i had to explane EVERY detail in detail to her. and belive me i love her too!

As an Anglican priest, I'm married. My wife, who loves boating and fishing, can't seem to wrap her head around what to do to help launch the boat even after 20 years of instructions. But she really does want to help!!

So she and I walk around the boat preparing for launch while in the queue. I actually made her a list of what to do and laminated it in plastic.
Here is what it says.

• Start on drivers side at the trailer connection to truck
• Unhook trailer lights (unplug the trailer)
• Untie port bow line from bow rail stanchion and lay over gunwale into cockpit (Untie front left rope thingy from the metal post and put the end of the rope thingy in the back of the boat).
• Unwrap port sternline from the cleat and lay over gunwale into cockpit on top of livewell cover. (take the back rope off the metal thingy and drop it right over the edge onto the seat in the back of the boat just below the metal thingy)
• Release and unhook port aft hull to trailer security strap (Take off strap thingy from back left part of boat where it hooks to the trailer and put the strap thingy in the back of the truck)
• Install flip-style drain plug in live-well drain in transom. (use a drain plug with the finger-hole in the handle to plug bottom left hole in back of boat)
• Install T-handle style drain plug in bilge drain in transom. (use a drain plug without the finger-hole in the handle to plug bottom center hole in back of boat. Tighten after plugging the hole)
• Unwrap starboard sternline from the cleat and lay over gunwale into cockpit on top of bilge access cover. (take the back left rope off the metal thingy and drop it right over the edge onto the seat in the back of the boat just below the metal thingy)
• Release and unhook starboard aft hull to trailer security strap (Take off strap thingy from back right part of boat where it hooks to the trailer and put the strap thingy in the back of the truck)
• Step up onto trailer step behind trailer fender, reach into cockpit and turn on batteries
• Walk back to motor, and tilt motor all the way up. Lower trailering support on left side of motor. Tilt motor down to within 2 feet of the ground.
• Untie starboard bow line from bow rail stanchion and lay over gunwale into cockpit (Untie front right rope thingy from the metal post and put the end of the rope thingy in the back of the boat).
• Unsecure VHF radio antenna and raise it to vertical, then tighten by rotating handle on base.
• Return to back of boat to visually confirm two (2) drainplugs inserted in transom.
• Back boat down the ramp until trailer fenders are just barely completely submerged and stern just begins to float.
• Put track in Park and set parking/emergency brake
• Pass bow line closest to dock to assistant on dock
• Unhook safety chain from bow-eye on front of boat.
• Unhook winch cable from bow eye.
• Have assistant on dock pull boat backwards off trailer. If no assistant present, do this yourself.
• When front of boat is behind back of trailer, pull boat over to dock and secure bow line to dock cleat or piling.
• Use sternline closest to dock to pull back of boat close to the dock and secure sternline to dock cleat or piling.
• Park the truck and trailer.

I really did take out most of the sarcasm that is on the actual list. My wife is a good sport, and laughed when I made the original list, though.