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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Launch ramp spectators

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/29/2002 : 19:47:11

Watching larger boats being pulled on an extraordinarily steep launch ramp always seems to draw spectators at our marina.
Today as we were manuvering OJ over her submerged trailer this guy comes out of nowhere and starts telling me everything I was doing wrong. I immediately started humoring him by agreeing with everything he said as I continued on with my tried and true routine.
I interupted him mid-sentence and yelled "LET'S GO!" to my wife in the tow vehicle. Out pops OJ as usual with her keel centered perfectly on the trailer <img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle> .
A minute later we saw this guy climb into his boat and motor off. "Go figure" I commented to my 1st mate "some stranger with a 10' fishing boat weighing all of 90lbs. wants to direct the retrieval of someone elses 25', 5,000 lb. sailboat."
Oh well, just another day at Davis Hollow Marina . . . <img src=icon_smile_sleepy.gif border=0 align=middle>

Steve Madsen
#2428
OJ (Ode to Joy) - back on the hard <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>

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Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 10/29/2002 : 22:05:59

The only time I have had more fun than your story situation is on opening day of boating season. I like to take my boat over to the visitors dock adjacent to the local ramp and watch the antics. Fist fights, arguments, boats falling of off their trailers, power boats cutting in front of sailboats, I thought I had seen it all. That is untill this young kid with a new Toyota 4X4 and a new ski boat zoomed up to the ramp to unload. Jazzing about he backed down the ramp rather fast and put on the brakes expecting the boat to slide off into the water. OH no he forgot a transom strap. He jumped out of the truck and ran back to undo it looking about to see if anyone noticed. Oh no again. He had forgoten to set the parking break and the truck was rolling backwards trailer boat and all as he tried from the back of the boat to push the other way. Finaly he steped out of the way and watched as the boat, trailer and truck all went into the water. Truck and trailer submerged and debris floated up from inside the trucks open door. It was a sight to see but not over yet. Enter the local red neck with his BIG DODGE 4X4 and winch. I kin pull ya outa dare he says. You juzz jumps in and hooks up my winch and Ill pull yaz outa du wata. So they get the truck all hoked up and start the winch. All goes well intill the submerged Toyota pulls up against the abutment under water at the end of the ramp. Yep you gessed it the big 4X4 starts to hop down the ramp as the winch pulls it close to the waters edge. All this was caught on tape and sold to the local news to run that evening. Oh my what a day. I still laugh as I think of it.

Doug&Ruth
Triska (Alberg 29)
Tacoma Wa.

Edited by - on

frich
Captain

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USA
418 Posts

Response Posted - 10/30/2002 : 07:53:06

I will throw my two sense in on this one. As I recall a few years back watching a cigarette type of speed boat go in for the first time. There it was all polished and sporting those stripes and decals all over the place.

This guy was taking up two launch ramps strutting his stuff while everyone was backed up eager to get in. Finally he ties up to the dock still with no other boats able to launch slowly gets into his truck, when he hears someone ask why his stern seems to be "listing"

Well the chap then put it into overdrive when he realized he had forgotten the transom plug! I think that boat interior had a salty/ greenish tint for quite some time <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Ahh to not have these worries anymore, (being a former stinkpotter)

Frank Rich
84 C25 SK

Edited by - on

BCain
Navigator

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USA
103 Posts

Response Posted - 10/30/2002 : 08:06:54

Funniest one I saw was at the Anclote River ramps in Tarpon Springs in Florida. Watched a guy trying to launch an obviously new 30 somthing cigarette hull. He slacked off the winch strap but did not release it or have dock lines, as his truck slid to a stop in an attempt to power unload the boat slid about halfway off the trailer, everything in the boat slid to the stern and when he then released the winch strap the boat stood on its stern, slid off the trailor and sank due to the weight now in the stern. I didn't have to say a word because all of the rednecks said it all and in a very loud chorus.

Bruce WindShadow SK/TR Central Florida Lakes (where the sailing season is about to begin) <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2984 Posts

Response Posted - 10/30/2002 : 08:53:42

After last summers cruise I was pulling out of Lake Huron and next to me a good size Great Lakes sport fishing boat is hauling out... the owner forgot to raise the power head and rips a blade from the prop. He goes into a tyraid... yelling at the missus for not reminding him...exclaims that its a borrowed prop... cus he had done the same to his prop last weekend...

Arlyn C-250 W/B #224

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pwhallon
Admiral

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USA
694 Posts

Response Posted - 10/30/2002 : 09:25:40

Hi Gang,

Here's a photo of "us" putting my Catalina 27 in Lake Allatoona back in 1996.

The little white car arrived before my circus of haulers and cranes. There are no travel lifts on Lake Allatoona.

The car people were picked up by a fishing boat and were long gone before we arrived and hung my boat, in the air, just about 12 feet away.

If they had seen this mess, I'll bet they would have flipped.<img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>

I switched to the 25 because it is as roomy as a 27 and is trailerable. Of course, this great forum is a big reason why I'm going back to a 25. A great bunch of nuts.

<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2ce11b3127cce91de876feca70000001410" border=0>

Good winds,

Paul

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osmepneo
Past Commodore

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USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 10/30/2002 : 09:41:44

Years ago I was coming from my very first sail on my Thistle. I launched from a public ramp on Lake Erie. As I came in I noticed several stinkpots in line waiting for a chance to get to the dock. Everything was fine until the guy after me didn't realize I was in line, so he cut me off as I approached the dock, screaming and yelling at me and crasshing into the dock. Before the next boat could do the same thing I came into the dock, on the other side and had an A+ perfect landing right across from the stinkpoter who was yelling at me. As we stopped, and stepped on the dock his jaw dropped and he shut up.

Thanks for the stories! So far douglas has the best of the best!

Don Peet
c25, 1665, osmepneo, sr/wk

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Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 10/30/2002 : 12:08:43

Just proves the old saying "There is simply nothing better that messing about in boats" Aint it great.

Doug&Ruth
Triska (Alberg 29)
Tacoma Wa.

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Bryan Beamer
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1038 Posts

Response Posted - 10/30/2002 : 17:30:50

Here's a couple of good one's

Watching as $310,000.00 46'cabin cruiser being craned out of the lake. Everything is well until the crane operator stops the hoist in mid swing, the boat about 8'up in the air. The boat swings alittle the bottom of the boat coated with slick bottom growth cuasing it to slip out of the harness straps stern first onto the hard taking out both props and shafts in the process. found out later it was around $125,000.00 worth of damage. OUCH!! Even though it was a stinkpotter watching this still made me sick to my stomach. Also once watched a guy launch a new bass boat on a steep ramp with a new Honda 4 wheeler. The 4 wheeler did not stop sliding down the ramp until the boat floated off the trailer long after the engine on the 4 wheeler was under water, about waist high on the rider. I bet that was an expensive lesson as well.

Bryan Beamer
Daylight Again
C250wk #495

Edited by - on

Ben - FL
Admiral

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880 Posts

Response Posted - 10/30/2002 : 22:53:13

If you all like to laugh about boat stories you need to read a short story by Patrick F. McManus called Boating Disorders. It's in a collection of stories called [url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805013407/ref=lib_rd_prev_1/102-6890377-1436929?v=glance&vi=reader&img=1#reader-link"]The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw[/url] and you will laugh your @$$ off! Mr. McManus wrote stories for Outdoor Life Magazine, mostly about fishing & hunting and growing up with Crazy Eddie. This guy is hilarious <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Safe voyages,
Ben, FL s/v Chick-a-pea C250wk

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MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2002 : 00:36:29

The best, or worst, boat ramp event I witnesed happened in the summer of 1977. I was a Park Aid (Seasonal) at San Luis Resavoir [creative spelling] during a bad period of no rain. The lake was down somethink like 500 feet. At one of the boat ramps the slope was something like 1 foot for every 20 feet. My job was to sell tickets to people at the lake, when I saw this I didn't have the heart to charge the person. I saw an older Caddy pulling a speed boat from this ramp. It looked like the water level was about midway up the front grill and as they opened the doors water came pouring out. I just told them to have a good day and not to drive off of the roads because the ground looked dry but was just a crust covering mud. That brings up another story for later.

Matt/Brigitte Loeffler
E.C. Rider
Cat 25 86'
FK/SR _/)

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ronrryan
Admiral

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USA
561 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2002 : 20:33:09

Before moving to Venice, FL, used to belong to the Sarasota Sailing Squadron, a VERY active trailer launch site (couple hundred boats on trailers ready to dunk). The sights were many and varied, and a couple hours spent having lunch and a beverage whilst the fleet launched was a graduate course in everything that could possibly happen with (or to) a trailer sailor, particul;arly in high winds. RYANS Law of maneuvers states : The perfection of your maneuver will vary inversely with the number of spectators. When you are perfect, there will be no-one to see that. When you screw up, the whole world will be there, probably with a videocam. Fair winds, ron c25 srsk#2343 Orion SW FL

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2002 : 21:04:07

Although I never had a launch ramp mishap, I always believed that, inevitably, my red-faced turn was coming. Thankfully, I sold my trailerable before my number was called and now I bask in the ranks of the ramp spectators.

I don't know where I hear more cursing, the launch ramp or between the captain(helm) and the admiral(bow) when coming into a slip.

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
Catalina

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Carl B.
1st Mate

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USA
83 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2002 : 23:13:22

Several years ago, I seen a local wrecker company hired by the owner of a 1/2 sudmerged sailboat to pull it out using a generic trailer. When they pulled it out they didnot allow enough time for the water to drain out. After a minute or two the boat gave way to the pressure of the water inside. The boat ended up with 6 holes in it where the bunks went thru the hull.

"OBLIVIOUS" C25 '82 #3098 SR/FK/Trad

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osmepneo
Past Commodore

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USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 11/01/2002 : 05:52:24

The Amazing Racethis week had contestants stopping for fuel and several of the teams put unleaded gas in a tank for diesel. A few miles later the engine stopped and wouldn't restart. Been there, done that! I talked with my daughter about this and she said, "I hope I would have learned from what happened to you, and if I were there I'd remember to put diesel in the tank <img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>.

Carl's story is one of those things for us. If we are ever so unfortuneate as to have our boats sin . . ..

Don Peet
c25, 1665, osmepneo, sr/wk

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osmepneo
Past Commodore

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USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2002 : 04:31:34

Dodge has a commercial that qualifies as a dock ramp story.<img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>

The big Doge pulls up to a ramp with a stinkpot on a trailer whips around and starts down the ramp. A guy is standing next to the trailer to direct the driver, and the "spectators" are off to the side watching - until the doors of the truck open and a beavy of beauties (advertising models) step out.

I couldn't help but think of the guide being distracted and the driver getting confused . . . but that's just my imagination

Don Peet
c25, 1665, osmepneo, sr/wk
The Great Sacandaga Lake, NY

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Ben - FL
Admiral

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880 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2002 : 21:46:10

This wasn't a ramp, but...

there was a firetruck at a gas station one time with a lot of people looking on. Seems a stinkpotter had taken on about a 100 gallons of fuel. Trouble was he filled up the rod holder!!!

Safe voyages,
Ben, FL s/v Chick-a-pea C250wk

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2002 : 10:39:46

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
...he filled up the rod holder!!!
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>
<img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

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