re: Are boat launches some of the most comical places on earth?

“may I suggest the Butte La Rose launch off I-10 for your viewing pleasure?”


Launched my waverunners there. 100 yards at a 45 degree slope. I took one look and said to myself, WTF

Launching during duck season is usually far more entetaining but the crowds are smaller. Wet ramps and 10 degree temps are a helliuva combination...

ramps on bodies of water with tides are fun...nothing slicker than concrete that is under water 12 hours a day and not 12 hours. If you can't walk on it chances are your truck ain't going to stop on it either....

I think the worst ones I ever experienced were in New Mexico. Water levels fluctuate 50 feet from year to year so boat ramps have to be LOOOOONNNNNG. The 2 I used most of the time actually had places halfway down them to turn around....because about half the time the water was still several hundred feet from the mid ramp turn around. It was so bad at times we just parked on the edge of the ramp because it was so far up the hill to the parking lot. Luckily those lakes are not used much when the water is that low.

Nothing funnier than watching 6 adults, men and women holding onto their beers and jumping up and down in the bed of a pickup while trying to pull a party barge out of the water. They started out with 2 people jumping, then added 2 more before all 6 joined in. Tires smoking and the smell of rubber burning. The third time was the charm ... LOL

quote:

---

Wouldn’t that be your grandpa, too?

---

Not necessarily, unless your family tree doesn’t fork.

quote:

---

If you fish enough, eventually you will do something stupid at the launch yourself.

---

Very true. My only issue so far has been forgetting to trim the motor up when being pulled up and dragging my skeg about 15ft before I could get it up. Luckily the only damage was some missing paint.

Chalk me up to another one who never saw anything crazy at the launch either, my aforementioned screw up aside. I guess it's because we're in and out so fast...idk.

Best one I can think of quick....

Old boy had a brand new bass boat...no hull numbers yet. Pretty boat. Thought it was a good idea to teach his wife to back the trailer in on a Saturday afternoon in March in the height of the crappie bite....under the best of conditions this meant about an hour to get your boat out of the water. He pulled up, let her out, she brought the truck....and the fun ensued. Like happens he immediately started giving her contradictory directions. It got very heated, especially when he started hollering. Got really heated when a couple of folks asked if they needed help. Finally got so bad she got out of the truck and started walking away. Old boy had to get the boat so he backs the trailer in, hops in the boat, goes about halfway across the lake, turns it hard over and showers down on it headed for the trailer on a plane. Everyone just knew he'd slow down before hitting the trailer. He did not. Ran up the trailer at about 30 MPH, broke the winch post off and drove that boat almost into the back window of his truck. Again, everyone thought he would have to remove the boat from the truck...he did no such thing. Hopped out of the boat, cussing like crazy, got in the truck and drove off....the damn boat was sliding across the tailgate when he turned corners. By this time the wife was walking across the bridge adjacent to the ramp...here he comes, the boat still about half way in the bed of his truck...and he is slow rolling trying to get her in the truck....could not make out what was said but could hear them....it wasn't pretty. She finally climbed in the truck and they drove away. I have no idea how far they hauled that boat in the bed of that truck but it gives car topper a whole new meaning!

My BiL, who has far more experience with boats of all sizes than I do, and I were going to spend the afternoon exploring one of the little rivers in Alabama. We each took a small boat and motor to the ramp so we could go where we wanted. His motor wouldn't run, so we loaded into my boat and headed upstream. The river was up and flowing fast.

After a while, we returned to the ramp and I took my boat out. At this point, he has an idea of what is wrong with his motor, so he backs it down the ramp so the prop is in the water and goes to work. This time, it cranks. In his excitement, he says he's going to take it for a spin, pushes off and jumps in. He heads downstream.

After a while, i lose the sound of his motor. I wait and wait. I finally call his sister and ask her why her brother would take off downstream on a rain swollen river in a boat with an iffy motor -- and with the keys to his truck in his pocket, and his truck and trailer blocking the ramp.

She had no answer.

On a whim, I called him just in case he had his cell with him. He did. At this point, he was about 100 yards from the ramp, pulling himself toward the ramp by grabbing one tree limb and then another. He had also forgotten to put a paddle in his boat.

Fortunately, we were the only ones using the ramp that day, so no one was blocked. I gave him a boat paddle for Christmas that year.

Best tip I ever learned was one hand on steering wheel at 6:00. Hand going left makes trailer go left. Takes the over-thinking out of the process.

1. Dude off loading boat backs quickly, misses brake and launches boat, trailer and truck

2. Dude loading boat runs it up trailer way to fast and gets boat in back of pickup

3. Dude loads kids in boat before launch, backs down trailer and boat floats of.

4. Dude hits brakes hard on hwy, transfers boat from trailer to top of car.

5. Brand new boat, first time use, when backing down ramp boats slides off onto concrete