Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Anyone else reluctant to get the boat out for Memorial Day weekend (aka "Amateur Day")? Last year, against my better judgement, I put in for about 4 hours on Saturday. By noon, the insanity reached its peak, and I parked mine.

Too many people who bought boats and PWC's over the winter/spring, in too big a hurry to try out their new toy, and most without the SLIGHTEST knowledge of boating, or even proper equipment. The "big 3" holidays (Mem. Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day) are always crazy at my lake. I tend to just sit on the beach and watch the show.

Tim

Its like going to the beach at Bolivar, Texas. Its like going to the Zoo. I can take it in small doses.

Not too many idiots on my end of Truman, but looks like a washout all weekend....

I'll be in just about all weekend. its going to be in the 30s every night so Im hopping that will discourage most of the water sporters. I know its discouraging me.

Sheesh, I feel that it has been amateur month for the past two months. I have launched faster by myself than several 2-3 man teams. It has been insane! Not going to even try this weekend. The lakes are already high anyway, and you can't see the ramps orientation. I only imagine the stuff you are going to see out there this weekend.

We'll be on the boat through Tuesday. We sit in our slip, and watch the clown show on the ramp. Great entertainment. When we leave our slip, we ROPE IT OFF to keep the amateurs from thinking it's just like a parking spot at Wally World.

Cowracer wrote:........Too many people who bought boats and PWC's over the winter/spring, in too big a hurry to try out their new toy, and most without the SLIGHTEST knowledge of boating, or even proper equipment. The "big 3" holidays (Mem. Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day) are always crazy at my lake. I tend to just sit on the beach and watch the show.

Tim

I don't ever go out on holiday weekends.
I'm much more comfortable on the dock and safer.
We live in a condo on the lake. There are 18 units in our bldg. with 3 units of full timers.
On holiday weekends there will be about 15 units in use. There are about 7 condos that are ONLY used on holidays.
So I agree, the amateurs ruin things for us regular folks.

We're staying off the lake this holiday weekend to avoid all the boats, plus rain is forecast for Sun and Mon. Took the family out last weekend for the first outing this year. The forecasted rain stayed away until we were driving home. The sun came out and we had a wonderful day on the water.

Pretty much let the tourons (tourist morons - not to be confused with visitors) have at it.

Since I live across from a ramp, we can the "show" from the screened porch.

This will be the first Memorial Day Weekend I haven't had to work in over 20 years. Ain't no way that I'd be going out on the Colorado River, if I didn't absolutely have to.

I'm just gonna sit home, scorch some meat over open flame, and watch racing.

curtiscapk wrote:Not too many idiots on my end of Truman, but looks like a washout all weekend....

Our weather in western KS looks to be pretty iffy. Monday may be decent enough to get out, maybe. We don't plan on doing much, although may do some upgrades on the boat since it will be parked anyways.

don't get me wrong. I can't complain about the holiday crowds. We are a private lake, and the only way to get a boat on the lake is to own a lot and have the boat registered to the lot owner, so every boat out there is owned by someone who has the right to be on our lake. I take issue with the 'full-timers' who live down there that bitch and moan about the 'weekenders' who apparently exist only to get on the nerve of full-timers. I'm a weekender, so I'm not gonna be one of "those guys" with the holiday-ers.

I does amaze me about the people who only show up on the holidays. There's a nice couple 2 lots down with a really nice set up, that we only see 3 times a year.

tim

Some friends of ours are trying to convince us to go out on Sunday. Right now there is a 100% chance of rain for Sunday so it doesn't look like we're gonna make it!

I'm thinking on going Monday.

The weather should clear out and most of the weekender crowd will be headed home.


I've gotta say though....I've been tempted a couple of times to take my lawn chair and some cardboards numbered 1-10 and sit near the boat ramp and "Judge" the efforts of those trying to launch and/or trailer their boats.

I'm afraid though if I'm that much of a smart-aleck, someone will come up and me.

I'm working... But, I'll head out Tuesday if the weather holds up.
BobG... I know what you mean, about roping off your slip. We had the "DockFockers" borrowing ours down at LotO, until we roped it closed. Idiots! Got to the point where people were sinking chains 10" down in the center of their slips when gone. Once a "DockFocker" hits that, they won't be back... If they get the boat out of the slip, that is. Like a mouse in a trap, once that chain goes between the transom and lower unit!