Gang,

I gotta tell you I thought I'd seen it all until yesterday...

I was awaiting my turn to put the boat on trailer when a guy in a 16' or so Zodiak comes screaming into the launch area. Without skipping a beat, he beaches the boat at close to 25MPH. Next he runs up and get his truck/trailer, cuts off 3 others waiting in line, backs down to the waters edge... Next he takes trailor off the truck and walks the trailer out to the boat. In the meantime, his buddy rides the boat up onto the trailer and they both walk the trailer back to the truck. After a good 20 mnute struggle, they finally where away from the ramp. So, I pose this question: What's the craziest thing you've seen at the boat ramp?

Downriggin'

I seen the bottom side of my Grandfathers boat trailer as he proceeded to run me over with it when I was about 13.

Cracked my head open, cut my middle finger to the bone twice, broke my little finger off.

Luckily the boat was not on the trailer or it would have crushed me.

Only took two surgeries to get my finger back into operation business.

The rope was wrapped around the post that holds the winch for getting the boat on the trailer, when he took off it just kind of pulled me in front of the trailer just before the trailer struck me. Tire was sitting on my chest when my Grandpa came back to see why I was screaming.

Also almost got killed on the way to the hospital, Dad throws me in the back of the camper and takes off doing about mock eighty to the Hospital. He goes around the first corner and the cupboard doors fly open. Man pots and pans raining down on me everywhere.

Worst thing was they had to cut my coat off to get it off me. Sure miss that coat.

Coolest thing was the nurses and candy stripers in the hospital.

I'd say the most amazing thing I saw as a kid was at the Ediz Hook boat launch in PA back in the 70's. A fishermen launched his 20' bayliner boat in the early a.m. dark. He left his running lights on the boat as he tied it off at the end of the pier. He then preceded up to the restaurant for breakfest. When he came out 30 min later his boat was 15' under the water . He forgot to put the plug in. I still remember launching our boat and seeing the sunken boat's running lights under the water.

Back in 93 I was fish checker at the Ft. Canby State Park boat launch and got to watch the launch circus daily.
It seemed like at least once a week someone would be launching a boat at low tide, when the angle of the launch was steep, and a boat would go flying off of the rollers and dry launch onto the ramp. Many of time resulting in bent props, kickers that were sheered off, or big motors that were in a world of hurt. Once I saw a poor guy at the port of Chinook lose his parking break as he was launching his boat by himself and sank his truck up to the cab.

No fish is worth not being careful and taking your time to prevent mental errors that get the best of you and your equipment no matter how long and impatient the launch line is behind you.

BD

I watched a guy long line release his brand new 22 ft trophy at the top on the PT Def. boat launch. He had just started backing down the launch and hit the brakes with all line disconnected. Rolled off the trailer and bounced a good three to four times before landing in the water.

when i was about 9 i remember launching out boat at Pt def. and watching these other guys with garden hoses trying to siphon water out of their boat, apparently they bought the boat used and weren't aware that they needed a plug.. lol instead of taking the boat out of the water, they tied it up to the dock and one of the guys went running off trying to find a plug.. well.. when we came back from fishing the boat was water hahah..

1. 2WD *compact* pickup towing a (borrowed) 26-27' boat, serpentines down the ramp, finally ends up with the back of the trailer wedged against the dock, and the truck spinning its wheels trying to get back up the ramp. The boat is still 20' away from the water. He must've gotten some help, as he was straightened out 10 minutes later.

2. Guy is loading, with 2-3' seas coming right up his 6:00. Everything is OK until the bow starts up onto the trailer, which drops the transom enough for the waves to start breaking INTO the boat. 15 seconds later the back of the boat is full of water, and he still doesn't have it all the way onto the trailer. Luckily the big 4WD truck yanks the 3000# boat + 3000# of seawater up out of the waves, where they proceed to put everything back together.

1. 2WD *compact* pickup towing a (borrowed) 26-27' boat, serpentines down the ramp, finally ends up with the back of the trailer wedged against the dock, and the truck spinning its wheels trying to get back up the ramp. The boat is still 20' away from the water. He must've gotten some help, as he was straightened out 10 minutes later.

2. Guy is loading, with 2-3' seas coming right up his 6:00. Everything is OK until the bow starts up onto the trailer, which drops the transom enough for the waves to start breaking INTO the boat. 15 seconds later the back of the boat is full of water, and he still doesn't have it all the way onto the trailer. Luckily the big 4WD truck yanks the 3000# boat + 3000# of seawater up out of the waves, where they proceed to put everything back together.

While fall Silver fishing on the Cowlitz with some friends in Longview had this event happen at the Gerhart launch. Myself and one friend were down at the water while the other was backing down the truck and boat trailer to launch for the evening bite. While we were waiting for the boat to get to the waters edge we noticed an attractive blond changing into her bikini in a truck right next to the launch. Well since she happened to be topless at the time the boat trailer hit the water, we were a little pre-occupied and forgot to grab the tending line. Boat slid right off the trailer and before we knew it that hewes craft was headed down stream with nobody aboard! Thankfully, a boat happened to be coming in to take out and gave Jack a ride down to his boat before any real damage was done.

Went to pull out at Lyndeckers on the Duc.The ramp was a sheet of ice and the guy ahead of us went down when he hit his brakes his truck started to side and went all the way down so we pull our boat right over top of his truck and up the ramp with a rope asn always then gave him a ride into Forks.

I was at Mardon resort a couple yrs back. My dad and I watched some of E. Washingtons finest farm hands try to launch a 22' bayliner with their Caddie. Half-way down the ramp their brakes can't stop the boat and in they go. The boat is still strapped to the trailer and it's big enough to partially float the trailer off the bottom. The resort had to bring their back-hoe down and pull the whole lash-up back up the ramp. The look on the faces of those three was priceless.

Years ago fishing in the area of the Cowl. hatchery and two total twits launched their new jet boat off the back of the brand new 3/4 PU. Spent the next hour or two racing up and down the river creating havic for all bank guys. Lots of "words" were exchanged ... but they were getting drunker by the chug-a-lug.

Time to pull the boat out and guy backs the new rig down to the water and other nut case runs the boat up on to the trailer. No problem so far ... except truck guy left the truck out of gear and just set the parking brake. Last seen new boat asque on the trailer and new truck were floating down/sinking in the river. To loud applause I might add.

I watched a guy on the Redondo ramp back his van down to retrieve his boat, the water was flat calm and the guy planned on opening the back doors of the van and step onto the tongue of his trailer. Well, a few minutes prior a large, fully loaded freighter went by and just as he opened the doors, the wake hits the launch and him, it filled the van with a couple hundred gallons of water and he was soaked head-to-toe. After we realized the guy was ok, everyone on the pier got a good laugh at his expense.

Saw a brand new Bayliner come off the trailer about half way down the Pt. Defiance ramp a few years back.

i'll have to add this, you think pt def. and you think about some dumb **** that has launched there, i swear that place is a meca for the dumb..

FS,

You aint'a kiddin... I launch by my house and make the 20-25 minute to PD these days (it's actually shorter than me driving and waiting in line plus the launch is free). If it is not some jack*** making last minute preps to the boat while on the ramp, it's something else... I might bring a lawn chair and a couple brews one day just to sit down there... What entertainment!

Downriggin'

a few years ago at monte in the morning before day ligt one guy would not trun off his head lights after being asked several times to turm them of by one man he got out with a hammer and knocked out both head lights to the cheers of everyone there

Waiting patiently for Craven to back down!

Back...back...jacknife...pull forward...back...back...jacknife...pull forward...

Some day he will get it down the ramp without me having to kick him out of the cab! :p

FJ...out.

one afternoon i was plunking on a boat ramp when a guy in a sled came in. He was about 15ft from the cement and he opened up the throttle to clear the gas from the engine and forgot to take it out of gear and he drove the sled about 30 ft up the boat ramp. . sure made the bottom of his nice sled ugly. glad i didnt park my truck on the ramp like i usually do...

I got a good one!
Raineir Launch in Oregun 3 years ago Up River Bright fishin... Watched a OR registered boat launch with out a bow line and slam his boat into steel piling, then frustrated pull his trailer out of the water and catch a little 14' car topper and drag it 10' up the ramp busting off the 9.9 skeg until he figured out the sound of fiberglass on cement! The guy didnt even offer amends with the car topper owener.

Who are these people?

My Dad once hit the brakes backing our 16 foot Thompson wooden runabout down an esp. steep ramp with me in the boat and the winch rope disconnected. Roll, roll, roll.....boom! the boat was now 45 degrees to the ramp, leaning against the trailor and I had a busted lip. We (sheepishly) asked for help, because we couldn't lift the wood boat back onto the trailer ourselves. About 6 guys helped us get it back on. The boat was undamaged.

Watched a guy launch his pleasure boat at tri cities with a surburban. wife was yelling he was yelling the kids were yelling.it was a circus. he went a little deep. when he pulled out the water poured out the side doors.

another guy on big lake with a 20' cuddy cabin towed by a volkswaggon truck. what an idiot couldnt even get it out of the water.

Was launching my boat at Depot Bay in 1964. Brand new Chev Impala coup. Backed down but after getting the boat in water I couldn't get traction to get back up the gravel beach. That green grassy stuff is slick.(first launch in salt from unimproved site). Cars and boats were three abreast on the makeshift gravel slope. Tried eveything, everyone in a hurry and no offers to help. Guy at resturant above told me to call the number he gave me. Guy answered phone and said yes he had been watching from his breakfast table and would come down with his tractor for $25 as soon as he finish eating.(this is 1964 remember and that was almost a days wages)OK I said but hurry as the tide is coming in fast. The tide came in and as the back seat and floorboard were under water a Good Sam shows up with 4w drive and pulls the car to safey. The guy with the tractor shows up almost an hour and a half after I called him.
He was mad as hell the car was pulled already and I told him he took his sweet time as he had explained he could see me from the kitchen as he only lived a block away on the hill. My car would have been under water to the dashboard had the guy not pulled me out with his 4w drive.(they were not common back then) Anyway, the guy on the tractor wanted his $25 and I told him if he left quickly his wife would not be a widow. I was really mad and he knew I was ready to take his tractor and stuff it were the sun never shines on him. The Good Sam wouldn't take a dime. Hopped in his boat and said someday I could return the favor by helping someone who could use it. I have done that for the last 38 years. I remember what it's like to be young, a lot dumber and really need a hand.

If morons in action is what you want to see, be at Stan Sayers pits from 4 a.m. till around noon on Fri. Sat. and Sun. They'll all be there.

Watched a guy launch his boat at Pt Defiance and quickly discover he didnt have the plug in....pulled it out of the water as far as possible and then ran for his truck...comes flying down cutting off everyone else in line and backs down while getting cussed at....starts cranking it up on the trailer as fast as he can and hyper-extends his elbow and busts his arm....was nasty.

The strangest thing I've ever seen was at the Don Armini boat launch on Elliot Bay. Dad and I had just launched our boat and I was holding it at the dock while he parked the truck. These 3 drunk indians backed a small 15 or so foot boat down to the water and tried to launch it. They were so drunk, they forgot to undo the rear tie downs and they couldn't figure out how to get the boat off the trailer. The driver of the truck would put it in reverse and back down really fast, then slam on his breaks causing the bow of the boat to bounce up about 4 feet and slam back down on the trailer. They were still doing that when dad got back to our boat and we left.

My dad was also nearly killed at the boat launch at Bush Point. They had his boat (16' Sornsen) in the sling and were getting ready to put it on the trailer. He was helping to steady it when some kid who didn't even work there thought he would be helpful and send the cart down the tracks to pick up the next boat. He through the lever the wrong way and the cart came back, flew off the tracks and slammed into my dad. His leg was broke in 3 places, including a 360 degrees spiral break. If he would have been standing 6" further to the side, it would have taken off his head.

My friend came back with both oar locks (for emergencies) broken off his 22 footer... hehe seems he forgot the motor... But STILL tried to fish out of Westport. I dunno how it is down there, but he seemed pretty worn out.

OK here's my stupid boatlaunch story, well at least one of em. This past winter we put in at Shafer on the Nooch. Getting everything stowed in our boat down comes another DB to put in also. They backed it up to the drop, unhooked it and gave it a big shove over the edge. A guys has ahold of the bow line and leans back waiting for the tug that never came. They had forgotten to fasten the line to the bow eye. The boat goes floating down river only to drift into a back eddy, as boat owner and the guy we were fishing with are rowing like mad to get out of the fast water before they head down under the bridge. My buddy climbs down the rocks to get to thier boat and slips on the frozen rocks and lands smack dab on his tailbone, ouch! He gets the boat and gives the line to the guy and I don't even remember hearing him say "thanks"....So now we start our drift with the guy behind the oars nusing a deep cut he got while jumping in to retrieve the boat and my other buddy nursing a sore back all day.

Stupid human tricks, they never amaze me anymore.......

I agree with you guys to see T-Towns finest in action nothing beats the Pt. Defiance launch........

So another being stupid boat launch story for you all. Back in the day, way back in the 80s when I was a kid out fishing with my dad and grandpa in Eastern Wa. they were bringing the boat in and I was trying to be as helpful as your average 10 year old can be. (i was getting in everyones way!!!!) Dad told me to get lost before I got hurt. I went over to a horse pasture next to lake area to pet the pretty horses. some jackass blows his air horn scares the horses one of them bites me on shoulder i stumble back trip on logs or some **** and fall in lake. I get fished out and I have to go to doctors and get some stiches from horse bite. What a goof!!!!

Down in Shelton in the 80's I watched a guy take his new aluminum boat and motor out for a test although he didn't clamp the motor on, just set it on the back. About the same time a big barge went by. Test drive went fine but as it was on the beach next to the ramp the waves from the barge hit. I looked over just in time to see the back of the boat pitch up and down, while the running engine then hit bottom and lifted it off the back and into the water. After some exhaust bubbles the guy looked over and saw what happened. I thought I would never quit laughing.

one of the funniest things i saw at a launch was when a guy was lauchin his 18'lund and backed into the water until the bed of his truck was filled wit water. then he got in his boat and went to pull it off and forgot to untie his boat from the trailor and for got to put the emergency brake on and pulled boat trailor and truck all the way under water. he started swearing so much and the swam into his truck and pulled it out. all i could do was laugh and asked him if he needed help. everyone gave him a hard time.

FUNNY BUT SAD.

Back in 1991 while fishing out of Olson's Resort in Sekiu, some drunk tied the bow line of his 16'
Glaspar to the dock piling. At low tied the boat
was hanging from the top of the piling.

Cigar

My father, who was always comical at the boat ramp, launces his boat at Coulon in Renton and runs all the way up to I-90 to fish. He'd been fishing for an hour or so when he starts thinking, hey, I didn't put any money in the meter for parking. So he high tails it back to the ramp only to find his trailer and van still running and still parked in the ramp. There was another time at Neah Bay. It was not the launch that got him but the dock. Him and two other friends of his are out fishing in the kicker boat in nasty rainy weather. My dad is the only one with rain gear on, so he has everyones cigarettes in his coat pockets. Did I mention that they were pretty sheit faced by the time they came back to the dock? Well my dad jumps out of the boat onto the dock, which was slick from the rain and proceeds to slide across the dock and into the drink. I can still remember how blue his face was and how instantly sober he became.

was at pt defiance one morn. a couple guys were launching a 12ft or so alum boat from a trailer. once the boat was afloat, the guy tending the boat told the diver to hit it. not realising the dock line was wrapped up in the trailer, the boat made it all of the way up to the top of the ramp before anyone was able to stop the driver. if he had his way he would have parked it up on top with all of the trailers.

Skagit river during humpy mania watched a guy park his sled in the back of his pickup while trying to drive it on to the trailer. Broke the winch stand clean off the trailer and caved his tailgate into the truck bed.

Columbia river during spring kings. 2 guys blast up in their 20 plus foot Wooldridge jet right into the middle of everyone else. One guy jumps out, runs up to their rig, backs her down, forces everyone else to wait or get out of his way. Guy #2 drives the boat up on the trailer, straps her down, jumps into the truck and off they go with the boat motor still running. Watched them drive up the ramp, through the parking lot to the highway and nobody said a thing. Always wondered how long that motor lasted before it seized.

Skagit river again. Watch a guy launch about a 28 footer at Conway. Wondered what the hell he thought he was doing putting that big of a boat in the river. Got her launched, took off up river at about 100 miles an hour and run a dead head right through the hull. Stuck. Parked it right there. I don’t know how they got it off that log.

Can you believe it..... another nut today.

Unfastened everything, backs down the ramp... boats slides off the trailer completely...

Whata dummy!

Downriggin'

I had some friends that went out to some lake and they just got a new speed boat, that was supose to go around 65. Well, when they launched it (first time) they could only get it up to 25. The went to a friends house on the lake, he looked at it, and swam around it, and underneath it. He came up and said "i've found the problem, the trailor is still on!"

Skeets

I think there is a blonde joke in there somewhere.