MUTHER FUKER!

what happens when you back a boat down a boat ramp withoust a 4X4? You get very wet truck and pissed off game wardens and park rangers.

We decided to go fishing this morning cause it was kinda warm out today. I wanted to take my new truck cause I havent towed anything with it yet and wanted to see how it felt. My friend was like.. Naw, I already got the boat hooked to my truck, come over so we can get going. I drive over and look at his little ford ranger. not even a 4x4. We get to out favorite launch and there are like 5 people waiting in line. So we had drive over to the shitty part of the lake and launch. It was all steep with loose gravel.

Yep, I get out and my friend backs the boat in. I hate when your supposed to be guideing the person while he looks at you in the mirror, but he ignores you and thinks he can do it all himself. This landed the whole bed of the truck in the water. He pondered on bailing about twice. The boat was about to be pulled down nose first and the bed of the truck became heavy.

Finally, he puts the truck in first gear and he spins himself up the ramp and gets out before things get too fucked up.

He fucked something up cause his tail pipe was all under water.

the park rangers came over and asked about 10000000000 questions. I stood back cause none of the shit was mine :D

what a damn day..

A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.:cool:

freinds dont let freinds drive 2wds

I always laugh at people who can't launch a fawking boat.

Really, is backing a trailer that hard?

Originally posted by DEnd
I always laugh at people who can't launch a fawking boat.

Really, is backing a trailer that hard?

depends... I can back a trailer at speed around corners, in to stalls barely bigger than the trailer, etc, even parallel park one,

But put me in to an open field with no point of reference and it's a lost cause.

Originally posted by BIG MOE


I stood back cause none of the shit was mine :D



Truly a respectable man would do that. :D

Originally posted by Travis Waldher


depends... I can back a trailer at speed around corners, in to stalls barely bigger than the trailer, etc, even parallel park one,

But put me in to an open field with no point of reference and it's a lost cause.

ive seen people like you.. jack knife a trailer ina open parking lot but can driver other wise.. grew up pulling haywagons that wonder .. now thats a treat to back up


bout time for the vette sunk and the tahoe or what ever it was that was sunk and a few other pics to resurface..

Originally posted by BIG MOE
MUTHER FUKER!

what happens when you back a boat down a boat ramp withoust a 4X4? You get very wet truck and pissed off game wardens and park rangers.

We decided to go fishing this morning cause it was kinda warm out today. I wanted to take my new truck cause I havent towed anything with it yet and wanted to see how it felt. My friend was like.. Naw, I already got the boat hooked to my truck, come over so we can get going. I drive over and look at his little ford ranger. not even a 4x4. We get to out favorite launch and there are like 5 people waiting in line. So we had drive over to the shitty part of the lake and launch. It was all steep with loose gravel.

Yep, I get out and my friend backs the boat in. I hate when your supposed to be guideing the person while he looks at you in the mirror, but he ignores you and thinks he can do it all himself. This landed the whole bed of the truck in the water. He pondered on bailing about twice. The boat was about to be pulled down nose first and the bed of the truck became heavy.

Finally, he puts the truck in first gear and he spins himself up the ramp and gets out before things get too fucked up.

He fucked something up cause his tail pipe was all under water.

the park rangers came over and asked about 10000000000 questions. I stood back cause none of the shit was mine :D

what a damn day..

Doesn't sound like a 4x4 problem, sounds like someone who can't drive worth a damn.

Launched the boat with a 2wd Van, and a 2 jetski trailer with a lil 4cyl nissan pickup.. If you don't know what your doign you can destroy anything but it doesn't seem as if 4wd would have helped your friend.. other than maybe a 2wheel burnout instead of 1.. Steep Hill & Gravel = Fun hehe :D

sometimes i sit down the dock and just observe ppl trying to launch their boats. it is quite amusing.

:flipoff2:

Originally posted by dozernad
sometimes i sit down the dock and just observe ppl trying to launch their boats. it is quite amusing.

:flipoff2:

Spotted a guy pull up in a ski doo. Buddy runs up to get the truck... hey, no trailer. Yep, bed into the water... in goes the ski doo. Ties down the front of it as buddy goes in to help secure the back. Hmmm

Mind you that Nissan truck is pretty well into the water to get the ski doo in there. Suddenly lots of yelling.... engine running, truck in neutral, NO HANDBRAKE. Out it rolls on the ramp.

Nice bouy sticking straight out of the water. Yep the ski doo marking the location of said truck. :D

Originally posted by Travis Waldher

But put me in to an open field with no point of reference and it's a lost cause.

Its an open feild all you have to do it keep it from hitting the truck. you suck and should not be allowed to drive. :flipoff2:

The wife gets a claim for a water damaged blazer-type truck.

Seems the guy was loading his boat...

The truck ended up capsizing when they tried to pull it out with a tow truck. It came out on its roof...

She totalled it:flipoff2:

It happens far more often than folks will admit.

My whole family loves the boat ramp show.... gives us months
worth of conversation topics....

like: Mr jetboat who decided he needed a "little more speed"
to make it up on the trailer, then ended up in the back of the
pickup bed.

or, mr station wagon, who forgot about his weak parking brakes
and sunk the whole car/trailer.

and my personal fav, mr the truck doesn't have a strong parking gear...
I actually swam a rope and tied it to the guys front end at about
30+ feet of water.... they used an old powerwagon to pull the
truck back up the ramp...... I was 13...


--Sherpa

The greatest show of non-driveing abilities comes at any boat ramp !!!!!
I've set at the boat launch ramp at Lake Mojave for hours just watching !! All the launch ramps on the Colodado River are a blast to !!
Of course the boat ramp at Morro Bay is a good one !--- with the tide going out/cross wind @10mph !! LOVE IT !!!!
seems tho- the fancier the boat, the poorer the driver !!!! Some clod in a raggidy 65 chevy, 14' alum. boat--- in /out in a flash !!!!:D

Sounds like neither one of you new what the fawk you were doing. If the truck was able to make it back up the ramp you obviously did not need 4 wheel drive. Tip # 1 unhook the boat first before backing down ramp :rolleyes: Spotter's job is to hold the rope so the boat doesn't float away. Tip # 2 drop the tailgate :rolleyes: Tip # 3 submerged tailpipe :flipoff2: Better not go into Fordyce might submerge my tailpipe or cross the Rubicon springs for that matter :rolleyes:

when I lived in Austin Tx, I was about 2 blocks away from the
river. I would ride my bike across the 360 bridge, and hang out
at the boat ramp for hours watching the idiots at the ramp...

too much fun.. very cheap entertainment...

--Sherpa

Originally posted by CJBoxer
Sounds like neither one of you new what the fawk you were doing. If the truck was able to make it back up the ramp you obviously did not need 4 wheel drive. Tip # 1 unhook the boat first before backing down ramp :rolleyes: Spotter's job is to hold the rope so the boat doesn't float away. Tip # 2 drop the tailgate :rolleyes: Tip # 3 submerged tailpipe :flipoff2: Better not go into Fordyce might submerge my tailpipe or cross the Rubicon springs for that matter :rolleyes:

here's my Tips.

Tips #1 learn how to back a trailer, at night. Goto a empty parking lot and set up some cones and learn to back around them and into parking spaces. Don't drop your tailgate unless you enjoy replacing it, of course it's not like just taking it off is all that hard anyway.

#2 Don't unhook your boat from the winch untill it is in the water, Do unhook the back though. Unhook the boat at the waters edge only if you have a partner and the trailer wheels are touching the water, and you're lined up good to just back it straight in.

#3 If you only have 2wd try to aviod the shallow ramps.

#4 Grab the bottom of the steering wheel the trailer will go the same way your hand moves. Of course you don't have enough movement that way to make major adjustments but it is fine for small ones.

#5 don't listen to people's advice who are Web Towers they don't know a damn thing anyway. :flipoff2:

Originally posted by DEnd


Its an open feild all you have to do it keep it from hitting the truck. you suck and should not be allowed to drive. :flipoff2:

bah... never hit my own truck, not even close... if you tell me to back the trailer in to a general area in said feild though... Ide be screwed. LOL

Otherwise... I can back it anywhere you'd want it. :p

What's funny is watching somone trying to get a 17" fiberglass bass boat up a boat launch with a front wheel drive Cadillac!:shaking:
1'st attempt, boat came up the launch about 4' and the Caddy slid around at a 90º angle to the trailer.
2'nd attempt, had to back so far in the boat was floating on the trailer and the Caddy had water coming in the back doors. After getting everything straightened out, with 8 people sitting on the hood and generous amounts of smoke from the tires they finally got it up the launch.
I about damn near fell overboard I was :laughing: so damn hard!

Originally posted by DEnd

#2 Don't unhook your boat from the winch untill it is in the water, Do unhook the back though. Unhook the boat at the waters edge only if you have a partner and the trailer wheels are touching the water, and you're lined up good to just back it straight in.

So your one of those guys who we watch tryng to frantically unhook his boat while it's floating, and trying to avoid getting your hand smashed... or maybe even better you forget to release the winch and you are trying to release it and it keeps getting to tight cuz your back end is floating out or sideways.

Unhook your hooks at the top before you even back down, and depending how long you have been doing this either back down launch the boat, get out and tie it off (if you are alone) or have a buddy hold it while you park the vehicle. Or if you don't think you trust yourself backing it in with no one to help (alone) have someone hold a strap so you don't back in and your boat keeps going...

I`ve been around boats since before I could walk, and the funniest thing at the marina is watching people trying to back down. Even better watching them backdown and try to fit between other people, that leads to lots of fun! Such as driving off the ramp into jagged rocks, etc.. etc.. :)

Originally posted by Todd W


So your one of those guys who we watch tryng to frantically unhook his boat while it's floating, and trying to avoid getting your hand smashed... or maybe even better you forget to release the winch and you are trying to release it and it keeps getting to tight cuz your back end is floating out or sideways.

Unhook your hooks at the top before you even back down, and depending how long you have been doing this either back down launch the boat, get out and tie it off (if you are alone) or have a buddy hold it while you park the vehicle. Or if you don't think you trust yourself backing it in with no one to help (alone) have someone hold a strap so you don't back in and your boat keeps going...

I`ve been around boats since before I could walk, and the funniest thing at the marina is watching people trying to back down. Even better watching them backdown and try to fit between other people, that leads to lots of fun! Such as driving off the ramp into jagged rocks, etc.. etc.. :)

ok.. this is probably a REALLy stupid question, having never launched a boat I don't know.... but... wouldn't it be easier

If you tied the front of the boat off to the back of your trailer with an extra 4-5' of line hanging loose. So when you untie everything else, you back in, it floats but can't go anywhere cause it's tied to the trailer so you drive forward OUT OF THE WATER and then tie the boat off before driving off the ramp?

Originally posted by Todd W
have someone hold a strap so you don't back in and your boat keeps going...
That one's always good for a laugh! You rush out in your 12' outboard to rescue someone's brand new ski boat to hear "Oh dude! Thanks for getting my boat back!"
"Your boat? I guess you really are a new boat owner if you haven't heard of the 'Marine Salvage Rights". If it's floating free who ever gets it owns it."
The poor guy almost passed out before I told him I was kidding.:laughing:

Originally posted by Travis Waldher


ok.. this is probably a REALLy stupid question, having never launched a boat I don't know.... but... wouldn't it be easier

If you tied the front of the boat off to the back of your trailer with an extra 4-5' of line hanging loose. So when you untie everything else, you back in, it floats but can't go anywhere cause it's tied to the trailer so you drive forward OUT OF THE WATER and then tie the boat off before driving off the ramp?

I always unwound enough rope to get the boat off the trailer but left the bowline attached to the winch whenever I launched alone.

Originally posted by Todd W


So your one of those guys who we watch tryng to frantically unhook his boat while it's floating, and trying to avoid getting your hand smashed... or maybe even better you forget to release the winch and you are trying to release it and it keeps getting to tight cuz your back end is floating out or sideways.


Nope Can't say that I am. Of course I don't mind getting my feet a bit wet either to go into the water and calmly unhook the boat. I normally unhook it just as the back end starts to come up. and I can't say I ever come near to getting my hand smashed by the boat unless I was stupid enough to put my hand between the stop and the boat.

My all time personally witnessed favorate was a couple. Guy gets out and backs trailer down, mind you this is a REAL easy ramp to use, and wide enough for 2 trucks being launched at a time. Well this guy takes up the whole thing and has people pissed at him from the start. Wife tells him to redo it, he tries but cant get it in straight. So he yells to her to justhurry up and get the boat on. Well she did alright, had the boat ~20' behind the trailer and gunned it accidentally i assume.

took what appeared to be a brand new boat, and launched it up over the trailer into the back of the suberban. Not onle that but the front post of the tailer was nicely embeded into the boat.


I dont know how they got it off but when i left they were attempting to back it into the water again to float it off....

Originally posted by CJBoxer
Sounds like neither one of you new what the fawk you were doing. If the truck was able to make it back up the ramp you obviously did not need 4 wheel drive. Tip # 1 unhook the boat first before backing down ramp :rolleyes: Spotter's job is to hold the rope so the boat doesn't float away. Tip # 2 drop the tailgate :rolleyes: Tip # 3 submerged tailpipe :flipoff2: Better not go into Fordyce might submerge my tailpipe or cross the Rubicon springs for that matter :rolleyes:


Please do not unhook the boat until it is a few feet from the water
Some of the ramps here in CAli are quite long due to the water level changes in the lakes. I have seen at least a half dozen boats sitting on the ramp because the diver tapped the bakes and off slid the boat. Not sure if it is the material on the carpet rail or what :rolleyes: :confused:

Hopefully with time your friend will learn better how to launch a boat. LOL. I never launched one but my family always had a boat and my dad always used a 2wd Mazda pickup or lately an Astrovan. You just need to know what you are doing. For example, wait in line for the better ramp if you know you need it.

:rolleyes: