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I was looking at some news and had to share this
Read more: SOARES: Trailering is not for the ill-prepared - Fall River, MA - The Herald News
Posted May 08, 2011 @ 11:52 PM
It was not an illusion because I could hear him. “Help!” he was calling out to me. The water at that section of the ramp was at least 6 feet deep, but this guy was standing upright and he was only in water up to his ankles. The call came in from a bystander who was soaking up a few rays at the boat ramp when he heard the screaming.
A man and his wife were launching their new boat for the first time, and, after a comedy of errors, he finally had the stern pointed in the right direction as he stepped on the emergency brake and got out of the truck. The vehicle was not in park, not that it would have made a difference, because that brake was meant to hold the vehicle and not the 3,500-plus pounds of boat, motor and trailer attached to it. His wife said that he got out and was walking toward the trailer when the open door smacked him on the back as the truck rolled past him into the water. It stopped, but not until the late-model truck was buried in water up to the top of its windows. The boat was bow down and still attached to the trailer but floating precariously with water just shy of washing up over the bow and into the cockpit. The man was completely speechless but his wife was not at a loss for words — most of them unprintable. I often wonder how such vitriol can spew from such an innocent-looking woman.
That was not the first vehicle I have ever seen submerged at a boat ramp, and it’s not a pretty sight. The last time was at the Swansea boat ramp on Coles River, when two boys were launching their father’s boat, without his knowledge, and the parking lever and emergency brake failed and sent that truck underwater over the bright red roof of their dad’s highly polished pride and joy. I would not want to have been the one who told Dad what happened.
There is much more to trailering a boat than driving one straight down the highway. Unfortunately, many would-be trailer boaters have found this out the hard way. The wife of one of my friends is a very good driver who drives their big four-wheeler around town and off-road like a NASCAR pro. One day, we ran into engine problems and were stranded at the boat ramp so he asked her to drive the truck, which was attached to the trailer, to meet us so we could haul the boat out. She didn’t hesitate for a minute — in fact, she later reported that she was flattered to be entrusted with the mission. The problem was that when she turned the first corner off the highway, she cut it too sharply, drove up on the curb and smashed the fender against a utility pole. The fender cut the tire and we were faced with a more serious problem. We solicited a ride from the ramp to meet her, yanked out the fender and put on the spare tire before we resumed the rescue mission. Trailering is not for everyone.
Several years ago, I was planning to head out of Padanaram Harbor to catch a late-afternoon tide at Mishaum Point. I picked that time in order to avoid the crowds at that busy Dartmouth ramp but, as I was driving down Gulf Hill Road, I watched a big Go For Ride boat come over the bridge on its way to the ramp. My first instinct was to speed up and beat them to the lot, but I thought better of it because I knew this was a dual ramp and there would be enough room for both of us. It didn’t work out that way.
Their boat and trailer were in mint condition, so while I was preparing to launch the other driver was in the painful process of trying to back down the ramp. After the first two attempts it was obvious he was very new at this because he was backed sideways across the entire ramp. I waited patiently, but after three attempts with the trailer jack knifing and getting no closer to the water, I glanced at my watch and noticed my date with that tide was going to be a photo finish. I walked over and politely offered my assistance, which he refused. He was very defensive and told me the problem was the adjustment of his side mirrors. I didn’t buy that for a moment. Five minutes later, my patience — and that of the other two skippers that had pulled up behind me — was razor thin. Just as I was about to say something I might regret, the man’s wife approached me and asked me to help. The man was not at all happy but after I straightened out his rig and backed it down one side of the ramp I could see the relief in his face. His wife thanked me, and as I was leaving the launch site I noticed all was not peace, love and happiness aboard that new boat.
The boat ramp is no place to practice backing down a trailer. It’s one thing driving down the highway, but once you begin looking out the rear view and side mirrors everything seems completely opposite. Driving a trailer can be a daunting and difficult proposition, but backing one down can be downright intimidating. If you have the need or desire to drive a vehicle with a trailer attached the best place to practice is in an empty mall parking lot and not on the street or a busy parking lot. Trailering has been my mode of boat transportation for almost 40 years, and, during that period, I wish I had a video camera to record the sights and sounds at the boat ramp. Those images would have made a best-selling movie.
Some of my most trying moments at the boat ramp have been waiting for some neophyte to load their gear aboard their boat while it was parked in the middle of the ramp. That is not the place to load gear. That should be done long before the boat is ready to splash. Most boat ramps have an area designated to prepare the boats for launching, and that is where you should run down your pre-launch checklist to insure that your launching is executed in a speedy and trouble-free manner. A check list might read like the following: insert all drain plugs, remove the tie down straps, have the wheel chock with line ready to deploy, outboard engine or outdrive in the up position and make certain the bow is secured with the winch cable and a chain of substantial size. Never remove the winch cable and the chain to the bow eye until the boat is wet and ready to push off the trailer or you could experience a premature launch on the hard top. Have your dock lines ready to secure the boat to the float or pier and get your trailer off the ramp as soon as possible to make room for next person.
Boat ramp etiquette requires that you wait your turn both on launch and retrieve because it can get downright ugly and occasionally physical if you try to break into the sequence. The best advice I could provide would be to wait for someone who is experienced in the techniques of trailer boating and pay close attention. Those lessons can go a long way to make your fishing or boating season much more enjoyable.
Read more: SOARES: Trailering is not for the ill-prepared - Fall River, MA - The Herald News
Posted May 08, 2011 @ 11:52 PM
It was not an illusion because I could hear him. “Help!” he was calling out to me. The water at that section of the ramp was at least 6 feet deep, but this guy was standing upright and he was only in water up to his ankles. The call came in from a bystander who was soaking up a few rays at the boat ramp when he heard the screaming.
A man and his wife were launching their new boat for the first time, and, after a comedy of errors, he finally had the stern pointed in the right direction as he stepped on the emergency brake and got out of the truck. The vehicle was not in park, not that it would have made a difference, because that brake was meant to hold the vehicle and not the 3,500-plus pounds of boat, motor and trailer attached to it. His wife said that he got out and was walking toward the trailer when the open door smacked him on the back as the truck rolled past him into the water. It stopped, but not until the late-model truck was buried in water up to the top of its windows. The boat was bow down and still attached to the trailer but floating precariously with water just shy of washing up over the bow and into the cockpit. The man was completely speechless but his wife was not at a loss for words — most of them unprintable. I often wonder how such vitriol can spew from such an innocent-looking woman.
That was not the first vehicle I have ever seen submerged at a boat ramp, and it’s not a pretty sight. The last time was at the Swansea boat ramp on Coles River, when two boys were launching their father’s boat, without his knowledge, and the parking lever and emergency brake failed and sent that truck underwater over the bright red roof of their dad’s highly polished pride and joy. I would not want to have been the one who told Dad what happened.
There is much more to trailering a boat than driving one straight down the highway. Unfortunately, many would-be trailer boaters have found this out the hard way. The wife of one of my friends is a very good driver who drives their big four-wheeler around town and off-road like a NASCAR pro. One day, we ran into engine problems and were stranded at the boat ramp so he asked her to drive the truck, which was attached to the trailer, to meet us so we could haul the boat out. She didn’t hesitate for a minute — in fact, she later reported that she was flattered to be entrusted with the mission. The problem was that when she turned the first corner off the highway, she cut it too sharply, drove up on the curb and smashed the fender against a utility pole. The fender cut the tire and we were faced with a more serious problem. We solicited a ride from the ramp to meet her, yanked out the fender and put on the spare tire before we resumed the rescue mission. Trailering is not for everyone.
Several years ago, I was planning to head out of Padanaram Harbor to catch a late-afternoon tide at Mishaum Point. I picked that time in order to avoid the crowds at that busy Dartmouth ramp but, as I was driving down Gulf Hill Road, I watched a big Go For Ride boat come over the bridge on its way to the ramp. My first instinct was to speed up and beat them to the lot, but I thought better of it because I knew this was a dual ramp and there would be enough room for both of us. It didn’t work out that way.
Their boat and trailer were in mint condition, so while I was preparing to launch the other driver was in the painful process of trying to back down the ramp. After the first two attempts it was obvious he was very new at this because he was backed sideways across the entire ramp. I waited patiently, but after three attempts with the trailer jack knifing and getting no closer to the water, I glanced at my watch and noticed my date with that tide was going to be a photo finish. I walked over and politely offered my assistance, which he refused. He was very defensive and told me the problem was the adjustment of his side mirrors. I didn’t buy that for a moment. Five minutes later, my patience — and that of the other two skippers that had pulled up behind me — was razor thin. Just as I was about to say something I might regret, the man’s wife approached me and asked me to help. The man was not at all happy but after I straightened out his rig and backed it down one side of the ramp I could see the relief in his face. His wife thanked me, and as I was leaving the launch site I noticed all was not peace, love and happiness aboard that new boat.
The boat ramp is no place to practice backing down a trailer. It’s one thing driving down the highway, but once you begin looking out the rear view and side mirrors everything seems completely opposite. Driving a trailer can be a daunting and difficult proposition, but backing one down can be downright intimidating. If you have the need or desire to drive a vehicle with a trailer attached the best place to practice is in an empty mall parking lot and not on the street or a busy parking lot. Trailering has been my mode of boat transportation for almost 40 years, and, during that period, I wish I had a video camera to record the sights and sounds at the boat ramp. Those images would have made a best-selling movie.
Some of my most trying moments at the boat ramp have been waiting for some neophyte to load their gear aboard their boat while it was parked in the middle of the ramp. That is not the place to load gear. That should be done long before the boat is ready to splash. Most boat ramps have an area designated to prepare the boats for launching, and that is where you should run down your pre-launch checklist to insure that your launching is executed in a speedy and trouble-free manner. A check list might read like the following: insert all drain plugs, remove the tie down straps, have the wheel chock with line ready to deploy, outboard engine or outdrive in the up position and make certain the bow is secured with the winch cable and a chain of substantial size. Never remove the winch cable and the chain to the bow eye until the boat is wet and ready to push off the trailer or you could experience a premature launch on the hard top. Have your dock lines ready to secure the boat to the float or pier and get your trailer off the ramp as soon as possible to make room for next person.
Boat ramp etiquette requires that you wait your turn both on launch and retrieve because it can get downright ugly and occasionally physical if you try to break into the sequence. The best advice I could provide would be to wait for someone who is experienced in the techniques of trailer boating and pay close attention. Those lessons can go a long way to make your fishing or boating season much more enjoyable.
