Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

One of our favorite things to do in the summer is to sit on the boat dock and watch all the fun at the boat ramp -- especially on holiday weekends. Even just this past weekend, we watched a real nice boat with an I/O get loaded onto a trailer. We thought the guy was going to back his truck all the way into the water. His wife was yelling from the boat that she couldn't see the trailer (because he backed it in too deep). He pulls the trailer up a bit and she loads the boat and hooks the strap to the front. He starts pulling the truck up the ramp -- while the skeg just bounces up the ramp because she forgot to raise the motor.

Here's a view from the upper parking area to show where our dock is and where the boat ramp is -- always lots of excitement. The water is really high righ now - the water is usually out to the first black float on the walk way.

I've lost count how many times I had to tow people out of boat ramps around here that back in so far, their vehicle goes off the ramp, lol.

One guy was on US govt reserve property, 100 degrees out trying to dig his 2wd Ranger out when I happened to arrive by chance.

Lots of forgotten drain plugs too.....

Yeah, boat ramps make for good entertainment !

We spent an afternoon and evening watching the shenanigans on the ramp last weekend. Absolutely amazing.

Would make for a great reality TV show.

We have thought about making large score cards and giving the people on the boat ramp a score for their loading or launching techniqe. But we figured that would just be pouring salt into an open wound.

OK Toon wrote:We have thought about making large score cards and giving the people on the boat ramp a score for their loading or launching techniqe. But we figured that would just be pouring salt into an open wound.

Don't go stealing my boat ramp Olympic idea

My personal best was some guy trying to get a 25 ft sailboat (at low tide) out of the water with a small front wheel drive car. I offered to pull him out, but he insisted (rudely)he'd be ok. Nope. After I left him there, the marina had to tow him out.

Sail boaters tend to be Democrats. FYI.

Maybe he refused my help after seeing my NRA stickers ???

lakerunner wrote:

OK Toon wrote:We have thought about making large score cards and giving the people on the boat ramp a score for their loading or launching techniqe. But we figured that would just be pouring salt into an open wound.

Don't go stealing my boat ramp Olympic idea

Sorry Loyd, couldn't resist. But hey, you can come join us and bring your scrore signs. We finally got power down on the dock so I'm thinking about taking my electric smoker down there and cook ribs while we enjoy the show on the boat ramp.

badmoonrising wrote:Sail boaters tend to be Democrats. FYI.
Maybe he refused my help after seeing my NRA stickers ???

Grrrrrr! IMO, sailboaters tend to be pompous, snooty, elitist jackasses! Umm...kinda like Democr....nevermind.

Our driveway is also a boat ramp. We let neighbors and visitors use it if they ask, which most do. Not long after building the place and before the driveway was paved (the ramp was already in and paved when we bought the lot), my neighbor came and asked if one of his guests could use the ramp to put a PWC in. No problem. Two of my sons & I were fishing right off shore in sight of the ramp and it was just about dusk.
Here comes a guy in a Saturn pulling the PWC. Instead of pulling forward at the top of the driveway and backing down all the way, he drives down and pulls alongside the garage and then begins the fun.
The lot next door was vacant, except the owner had put down the trunks of large trees to sort of delineate the property line. The yahoo in the Saturn manages to just about jacknife the trailer and then winds up driving over one of the logs, high-centering the car. By this time I'd had enough and came back in, tied up the bass boat and the three of us came up to view the damage. My youngest son walks behind the car and proclaims, "I can see the problem" (By this time the driver had abandoned the vehicle and left his girlfriend sitting there all confused). If you come to Lake of the Ozarks you know a lot of folks from Johnson County, KS come here. Most of them are great folks, but once in awhile you get some snooty ones. When everyone asked Travis what the problem was, he said: "Johnson County plates". Everyone laughed, including my neighbor's who were Johnson Countians. I told the neighbor he could still use the ramp, but he better check out anyone else who wanted to use it. So, now for almost 16 years every time someone sees a dumb trick on the water we all suggest the miscreant might be from Johnson County.
My apologies to all the really great JC'ers on this forum!

quote="bassn386"]Our driveway is also a boat ramp. We let neighbors and visitors use it if they ask, which most do. Not long after building the place and before the driveway was paved (the ramp was already in and paved when we bought the lot), my neighbor came and asked if one of his guests could use the ramp to put a PWC in. No problem. Two of my sons & I were fishing right off shore in sight of the ramp and it was just about dusk.
Here comes a guy in a Saturn pulling the PWC. Instead of pulling forward at the top of the driveway and backing down all the way, he drives down and pulls alongside the garage and then begins the fun.
The lot next door was vacant, except the owner had put down the trunks of large trees to sort of delineate the property line. The yahoo in the Saturn manages to just about jacknife the trailer and then winds up driving over one of the logs, high-centering the car. By this time I'd had enough and came back in, tied up the bass boat and the three of us came up to view the damage. My youngest son walks behind the car and proclaims, "I can see the problem" (By this time the driver had abandoned the vehicle and left his girlfriend sitting there all confused). If you come to Lake of the Ozarks you know a lot of folks from Johnson County, KS come here. Most of them are great folks, but once in awhile you get some snooty ones. When everyone asked Travis what the problem was, he said: "Johnson County plates". Everyone laughed, including my neighbor's who were Johnson Countians. I told the neighbor he could still use the ramp, but he better check out anyone else who wanted to use it. So, now for almost 16 years every time someone sees a dumb trick on the water we all suggest the miscreant might be from Johnson County.
My apologies to all the really great JC'ers on this forum![/quote]

We don't have many ramps on our lake, but most are wide enough to launch 3 boats at a time. They're perfect federal government owned ramps.

Since I've not had a boat trailer in the last 25 years, I've not had the pleasure of looking at such shenanigans. I'm sure they can get comical.

The boat ramp I sometimes use is about 90% bass boats, and those guys are fine tuned boat launching machines. They're probably talking about my launching a 24' tritoon boat.

OK Toon wrote:

lakerunner wrote:

OK Toon wrote:We have thought about making large score cards and giving the people on the boat ramp a score for their loading or launching techniqe. But we figured that would just be pouring salt into an open wound.

Don't go stealing my boat ramp Olympic idea

Sorry Loyd, couldn't resist. But hey, you can come join us and bring your scrore signs. We finally got power down on the dock so I'm thinking about taking my electric smoker down there and cook ribs while we enjoy the show on the boat ramp.

Where do you have your dock?