# Shoreline park boat ramp shenanigans



## TheBeeDeeGee (Oct 3, 2017)

I've been to lots ramps in my day, all over the gulf coast, and east coast with my job. I don't know if I have ever seen as many people take SO LONG to get a boat on a trailer than I did today about 5:30 at shoreline. I'm talking literally 10 to 15 min to get the boat on the trailer and pulled out. Half the people were walking the boat around from the side docks and then floating the boat on the trailer instead of just driving it on, Then they would take 10 min getting it on straight and hooked up. One guy with a 30 ft cruiser took his boat on and off the trailer at least 5 times and it was at least 25 min before he finally pulled the boat out.

Another group of idiots docked his boat IN THE RAMP and then went to go get his truck and get in the long line of trucks blocking a whole ramp spot for like 20-30 min. The next group backed in the trailer next to them and then instead of driving onto their trailer, attempted to pull the boat around the docked boat in the ramp and onto their trailer with the dock lines. Who does this!

I think if you pulled this shit at ramps in south Louisiana they would kill you. I understand the ramp is crowded, and I don't mind waiting, but man after 10 min your damn boat should be on the trailer this shit is ridiculous. It really should never take more than 5 min, There was no excuse, no wind at all, and dudes are getting the whole boat sideways across both ramps.


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

All the entitled Gulf Breezians.


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## pcolapaddler (Sep 27, 2007)

Many just don't know any better and/or are intimidated by the process.

As a youngster, I worked in the service dept of a marine dealer and marina. While there, I helped launch and retrieve dozens of boats at different ramps. I made probably every possible mistake. I also learned to drive a boat onto a trailer.

When I was able to buy a boat many years later, one of the first things I did was to take it to a local ramp during the week when no one was around. I measured and adjusted the trailer so that it would be very difficult to load the boat off center. It was almost self centering.

This accomplished a couple things. One, I got a lot of practice loading and launching that boat while making and testing adjustments. Two, once adjusted, the boat would almost self center on the trailer. It usually took longer to park or retrieve my vehicle than to launch or load the boat.

I worked at the boat place for many years. It was often hard, hot and dirty work, but I learned things that have benefitted me professionally and personally.

I really think dealers should offer a service where they take new owners out and teach them the fundamentals. A number of accidents and injuries happen at boat ramps.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk


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## Boardfeet (Sep 27, 2007)

This is why I launch at a private ramp. I’ve never had to wait To launch or retrieve my boat.


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## etrade92 (Jul 30, 2015)

TheBeeDeeGee said:


> Another group of idiots docked his boat IN THE RAMP and then went to go get his truck and get in the long line of trucks blocking a whole ramp spot for like 20-30 min.



A guy in front of me tried this on Saturday. He started walking to retrieve his vehicle and saw me backing down the ramp with a purpose. I would have made his wife and kids move it if he didn't. He had a change of mind and kindly moved it over to the staging dock. I was on the trailer and out of there in under 5 minutes. 

No words were spoken to each other but that weird guy like telepathy thing happened where he knew what to do and what my intentions were.


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## stevenattsu (Apr 24, 2009)

It was wild Saturday. I've got the wife trained to unload and load the boat on the trailer, takes us about 1 min. We get some unusually stares


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

Boardfeet said:


> This is why I launch at a private ramp. I’ve never had to wait To launch or retrieve my boat.


You're special


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## TheBeeDeeGee (Oct 3, 2017)

etrade92 said:


> I was on the trailer and out of there in under 5 minutes.


That's what I don't get , even if you have to adjust the boat slightly it shouldn't take more than 5 min.



stevenattsu said:


> It was wild Saturday. I've got the wife trained to unload and load the boat on the trailer, takes us about 1 min. We get some unusually stares


After seeing all that I told my wife I'm teaching her to back the trailer. Even still, I backed the trailer jogged around to the staging dock and was pulling out in 5 min or less. People need to watch some YouTube and practice or something


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## stevenattsu (Apr 24, 2009)

TheBeeDeeGee said:


> That's what I don't get , even if you have to adjust the boat slightly it shouldn't take more than 5 min.
> 
> 
> 
> After seeing all that I told my wife I'm teaching her to back the trailer. Even still, I backed the trailer jogged around to the staging dock and was pulling out in 5 min or less. People need to watch some YouTube and practice or something


We don't even dock it. She backs out and when I start walking down the dock, she comes in I jump on and she backs it down and then I take over. We've heard several times "see honey why cant you do that?"


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## Play'N Hooky Too (Sep 29, 2007)

You think this weekend was bad....stand by for the next two (4th of July and then Blue Angels).


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## Big E Nuff (Oct 4, 2007)

I grew up at Bayview Park Boat Ramp and made a lot of money off of these people your talking about. Growing up at a boat ramp I have seen it all, from backing the boat and vehicle in until both were floating in the water (made a lot of money off of those) to driving the boat up on the ramp, because they completely missed to whole trailer......Lots of props screwed up by not raising the motor, or pulling the boat all the way up and would drag it up the ramp. I actually had people come up to my house, to get me to back their boat in and pull them out. Most of this was before I had my drivers license.


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## OldMan-theSea (May 14, 2018)

@Big E Nuff I remember you having cinder blocks in your truck bed to help on the ramp.


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## OldMan-theSea (May 14, 2018)

You never know why people do what they do.... 

I'm almost always launching and retrieving my boat alone, often with no one around. About 10 years ago, I was pulling my HydraSport (alone) during a driving, windy rainstorm and no one around. I drove onto the trailer and climbed over the bow as usual except, this time, I fell off. Problem was that I was on coumadin (having had a stroke 4 months prior). Fortunately, I was holding onto the bow pulpit and landed upright, feet first. Had I hit my head, I probably would not be here now.

Now in my mid-70s (no longer on coumadin), my Regulator has a higher bow and no pulpit but, instead, inside grab rails like many now do. I simply cannot climb off over the bow so I have two choices that I see. (1) Back the trailer farther down and pull it on by hand. or (2) Drive on, jump off the stern and swim back up the ramp. I choose pulling by hand. It's actually rather easy.

Do you have any other suggestions?


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

STOP going by your self. Hire a kid to go with you if you have to.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

I have been thinking I need something my
self As I'm almost always alone and fish a lot at night. Have been looking at something like this to put on the two higher boats to get out on after loading.


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## stevenattsu (Apr 24, 2009)

My uncle had a house in the early to mid 90's right next to the Oriole Beach boat launch. Man we saw some sh&^ in the afternoon


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

When by myself, I put my trailer close enough to the dock, to step off when I am on the trailer. Then walk around and hook the bow, I no longer hang off the front.
When launching, I get boat in just far enough, before it floats, and tie off to the dock. Let it slip in, jump out and move the boat to the staging area and then go park.
I have seen some tie the bow line to the trailer.


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

And if you think shoreline has problem launchers, go watch Galvez.


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## TheBeeDeeGee (Oct 3, 2017)

OldMan-theSea said:


> You never know why people do what they do....
> 
> I'm almost always launching and retrieving my boat alone, often with no one around. About 10 years ago, I was pulling my HydraSport (alone) during a driving, windy rainstorm and no one around. I drove onto the trailer and climbed over the bow as usual except, this time, I fell off. Problem was that I was on coumadin (having had a stroke 4 months prior). Fortunately, I was holding onto the bow pulpit and landed upright, feet first. Had I hit my head, I probably would not be here now.
> 
> ...


The issue wasn't people by themselves. These people had plenty of help with them. Problem is best case ONE of then knew what to do, worst case non of them did.

If I see a guy launching or retrieving alone I will ask to help. It's usually obvious if they could use the help or not. I cranked a winch line tight for a guy last week


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## kmerr80 (Oct 28, 2013)

jwilson1978 said:


> I have been thinking I need something my
> self As I'm almost always alone and fish a lot at night. Have been looking at something like this to put on the two higher boats to get out on after loading.
> View attachment 1091944


Working on this for front of mine. Built out of materials i already had


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## etrade92 (Jul 30, 2015)

^^ That is some nice handy work! 

I would 100% hurt myself trying to use it, as I am not known for being graceful.


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## kmerr80 (Oct 28, 2013)

etrade92 said:


> ^^ That is some nice handy work!
> 
> I would 100% hurt myself trying to use it, as I am not known for being graceful.


Yeah i have a feeling there will be some skin left hanging on this and f bombs dropped in front of children. Damn aluminum ones are about $800


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## Boardfeet (Sep 27, 2007)

Realtor said:


> You're special
> [/QUOTE
> It's not free. I pay so I don't have to deal with public ramp B.S.
> A little further run to the pass etc. but it's well worth it to me.


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

BananaTom said:


> And if you think shoreline has problem launchers, go watch Galvez.


Galvez with a good tide running is a total shit show, dumbasses and their kids swimming on the ramp, add some wind and it gets even better.


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## Getsome (Sep 28, 2007)

I take my brother in law and we can load and unload any ramp in 2:37 seconds. I pull up to the dock, he jumps out with the truck keys, backs down on my signal, I drive that baby on, he hooks it and we are gone! Same with launching, he backs me in and parks. Nothing I hate worse than an asshat that has to load shit in the middle of the launch!


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## OldMan-theSea (May 14, 2018)

I have thought of using this and create a boarding platform at the front of the trailer. But what I'm doing is so easy I'm not sure it's worth the effort. The fact that I use a private ramp almost exclusively helps. People, if anyone is there, are never contentious and almost always offer to help. Even if they didn't offer, they would always help if asked. Plus, there's a dockmaster I can call during business hours.


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## webekillingum (May 25, 2019)

May have to go down when I have nothing to do with some beer and watch the shenanigans. Always like them YouTube videos of the boat ramps


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## Robalo-lee-202-EX (7 mo ago)

stevenattsu said:


> It was wild Saturday. I've got the wife trained to unload and load the boat on the trailer, takes us about 1 min. We get some unusually stares


My wife gets intimidated with driving, so she thought herself within minutes how to back the trailer in between 2 trucks, i was a proud husband that day. Next is my daughter, teach her how to tie up when we get quay side.


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Busy boat launches (morons) give me anxiety...

Saturday nite I launched at dark to go catfish, ramp is wide enough for 2 launches simultaneously. 

Got 2 goobersmacka in middle of ramp for 20 minutes trying to pick boat up.... I sit in truck biting my tongue.... after 15 min of waiting I squeeze by them and dump my rig in the water, the whole time they are eyeballin me, I get out of the truck and their alcohol induced courage gets em to talking chit.

1st comment I heard was “you in a f’n hurry”, I ignored it as my BP rose, and continued doing what I was doing, 2nd comment I heard was “hey mf’r, you in a hurry?” thats when I lost my chit in front of the wife and 50 other folks.

When I was done with my side of the name calling and hollering all of a sudden I wasnt a “mf’r” anymore. Nothing was hurt besides their feelings and embarrassed the heck outta my wife...

no more holiday weekends for me at the ramp, im done.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

Takes the fun out of it.


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## cuzmondo (Oct 1, 2007)

etrade92 said:


> A guy in front of me tried this on Saturday. He started walking to retrieve his vehicle and saw me backing down the ramp with a purpose. I would have made his wife and kids move it if he didn't. He had a change of mind and kindly moved it over to the staging dock. I was on the trailer and out of there in under 5 minutes.
> 
> No words were spoken to each other but that weird guy like telepathy thing happened where he knew what to do and what my intentions were.


Kudos to that guy for catching on. You may have taught him a valuable lesson in boat ramp etiquette. Lots of newbies out there and if they weren't raised around boats it's got to be a pretty steep learning curve.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

common sense and manners go a long way.


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## Pop Rivet (Jan 7, 2022)

Our front porch overlooks a public one-lane ramp, so we've got an excellent front row view of the shenanigans. Anytime we have company over, they always want to spend Saturday afternoon sitting on the porch watching the show. 

Haven't yet followed through with it, but we've been threatening to get some large numerical scorecards to hold up after each person launches.


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## kmerr80 (Oct 28, 2013)

delta dooler said:


> Busy boat launches (morons) give me anxiety...
> 
> Saturday nite I launched at dark to go catfish, ramp is wide enough for 2 launches simultaneously.
> 
> ...


Sorry you had to deal with that. Restraint is tough, i went through the almost exact same situation at St Joe this weekend, except mine was in front of my 4 and 8 year old. Made it not worth it bc my kids couldnt understand why dad was ignoring some drunkin idiots talking “ugly” to me and then they seen a side of me i wish they hadn’t.


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## Pop Rivet (Jan 7, 2022)

etrade92 said:


> A guy in front of me tried this on Saturday. He started walking to retrieve his vehicle and saw me backing down the ramp with a purpose. I would have made his wife and kids move it if he didn't. He had a change of mind and kindly moved it over to the staging dock. I was on the trailer and out of there in under 5 minutes.


It does raise the question, at some of these places with a straight dock next to the ramp, and no separate staging area, of who's right of way it actually is. 

When I grew up on inland lakes, there was always a courtesy dock well away from the ramp, and nothing at the ramp. And the rule was very clear, your trailer is in line, not your boat. You launch, motor over to the dock, then pull out. When going to load, you tie at the dock, then go _get in line._ Your boat being at the dock doesn't mean anything. 

But down here, seems nobody has any idea what the rule is, and it becomes an issue when you have boats launching and loading at the same time (midday). You get the poor guy waiting 20 minutes to launch because as soon as one trailer pulls out, another boat comes in and ties up, blocking and effectively claiming the ramp. Or vice versa, and when pulling out, one can never get to the dock because as soon as a boat pulls away, someone else has dropped on in and blocked the dock again. 

I guess the real question is, why are coastal docks right next to the damn ramp, and not 30' away?


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## TheBeeDeeGee (Oct 3, 2017)

Pop Rivet said:


> It does raise the question, at some of these places with a straight dock next to the ramp, and no separate staging area, of who's right of way it actually is.
> 
> When I grew up on inland lakes, there was always a courtesy dock well away from the ramp, and nothing at the ramp. And the rule was very clear, *your trailer is in line, not your boat.* You launch, motor over to the dock, then pull out. When going to load, you tie at the dock, then go _get in line._ Your boat being at the dock doesn't mean anything.


Yeah this exactly. They should put up a sign saying DON'T TIE UP IN THE RAMP, people would still do it anyways though. We went to watch the Blue Angels yesterday got back to the ramp about 4pm. Dropped my buddy on the dock he got in line and we just tied up to the long pier until he was about to back down. Once I saw him next in line I pushed off. We were pulling out in less than 1 min after he backed in. If your by yourself it can be a problem though because you have to wait until a spot opens up to tie the boat up on the docks near the ramp. People will just post up there forever and you can't find a spot


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