Here's a good thread topic. My sister emailed me this photo this morning. It was taken at the Brownsville launch near Silverdale this summer. Seems in the exitement to get in the water, someone forgot to set the e-brake.



I once saw a guy put his jet sled in the bed of his F-250 on the Cowlitz. Another time I watched a guy knock a gal off the dock into the water at the launch in Chinook with a blast of water from his jet while putting his boat on the trailor.

The boat launch is a cool place to hang out and people watch, thats for sure.

Funny! Years ago I used to work in Issaquah and in the summer would spend my lunch hour at the Sammamish launch watching stupid people tricks. Then one day I watched a guy jump off the dock after he let his boat get away. He made it about 50 feet and went under. There were divers in the water working on the dock and it took them about 45 minutes to find the guy. Now I turn away from launches. I can't bear to see another like that.

Fish Jesus was that you :p

Whoever it was gave the gal $20 to shower and get her clothes washed. He was really sorry.

Too funny, except for Kyle A's drowning story...

I was at the Blue Creek launch one summer and we were on the bank getting ready to take off when I heard a huge crash from the launch and saw that a guy had deposited his sled quite nicely on the ramp... Seems he backed down too fast and jettisoned his load prematurely....

I used to have a job where I had to launch my boat several times a day... Talk about great fun watching the domestic squabbles as people lauched....

"Hey, watch the g&*&*&$# back end, you stupid ___" or "You're way too far left you dumba$%"

Good times........

Sorry, I don't get any gratification at other people's expense. If you own a boat, sooner or later, something is going to go wrong.

Sure Jeff'ed... I know its bad to make fun of people... but I personally can not muster any sympathy for a jet ski in a situation like the picture above. As a fisherman... I just can't shed any tears for the guy

Q: whats the difference between a jet ski and a vacume cleaner ??

A: the way the dirt bag is attached

Ok, I have to add another. In Poulsbo a few years ago, my wife and I are relaxing on the Sea Ray and a couple with a 38' Bayliner Motoryacht start to back in next to us. The gal throws me a 10" bumper and asked me to help. Her husband is backing into the dock at about 6 knots ---- way too fast, and I'm supposed to get between a 10 ton yacht and the dock......No thanks! I threw the bumper under the swimstep as he nailed the dock. Fiberglass flew, cleats were sheared off the dock and hit boats across the marina. Then the gal gets off and gives me a dirty look for "not stopping their yacht!".

You got a point there B-run....

B-RUN: I heard the same joke, but instead the question was---What is the difference between a Harley and a Hoover ?

Actually, I've got nothing against the real McCoy where bikers go, but these doctors and lawyers that dress up in their pirate costumes and play badass make me laugh.

I agree with Jeff e'd. I have seen many mishaps at launches in the last couple of years and I always feel sick about it. Many of the people making mistakes are good guys having bad days.

I know sometimes karma prevails and the jerk at the launch gets his due but...

It isn't hard to see myself making a mistake someday and I know I would hate to see my truck underwater or my boat damaged beyond repair.

The post is a great reminder to stay aware and show a little patience at the launches.

CF

I was at the boat launch up in Kenmore when a guy with a Jetski pulls up and runs off to get his trailer. When he gets to the ramp he tries several times to back it up to the ramp but the trailer is so short and small he can't see it behind his 3/4 ton pickup. Finally he gets pissed and backs up the truck as close to the ramp as he can with the trailer at full jacknife. Then he jumps out of the truck and picks up the trailer and puts it in the water. Then he proceeds to try to drive the jetski onto the trailer. Only it doesn't have reverse so after he missed the first time he had to shut it off, jump off the thing push it back off the trailer and try again! He did this 4 more times before finally getting it on the trailer. Then to make it worse for the guy a state patrolman pulls up just as the guy gets it out of the water and gives him a ticket for no safety chains or tiedowns!

Now that's what I call a BAD DAY at the launch!

Last year at Sekiu I was eager to get in the water and fish for the two hours of light remaining. I gave the bow rope to my buddy and started backing in. When I got about as far as I usually need to go,my friend hollered and said "Hey your trailer is floating." Yeah, I forgot to undo the rear tie downs.

Seen a couple of boats sitting on the ramp a few yards from the water (OUCH).

Of course I have never forgotten to put the plug in the boat in my haste to make the sunrise bite or that tide change :rolleyes: I usually remember about the the time the next boat in line has just started backing down the ramp and I have to ask them to wait while I get the boat on the trailer and get in line again to launch :rolleyes:

As far as Harleys go... the true bad asses are either in prison.. or smoked and drank so much they got old and are not bad asses anymore... leaving the village people crowd...

Our local bikers ( true bad asses) the Brothers Speed.. figured out a long time ago that it was better business to own the strip bar and stay out of sight instead of drink all night in the strip bar and wind up in jail.

the first day i had my boat, i was trying to bring it to the dock after out crabbing and fishing in the hot sun and wanted more water, and i got nervous and hit the pole with the front and then threw into reverse and then hit the corner on the back into another pole, didnt do much damage except for a lil dent on the side, and some scratches and bruised ego..

I've never had much trouble at the launch, except when I was first learning how to back up in a straight line and getting the hang of doing it with mirrors.

Somewhere out there on the WWW is a thread created by fisherman hating /bashing jet skiers. To each his own.

Camo

I'm also accomplished in the art of traylor floating.

I pulled a good stunt on the lower Bogi ramp at Lyndecker this fall. The ramp is washed out with about a 2-foot vertical drop below the last board. I pushed the DB off the traylor hanging on to the gunnel like a 50-pound crook on the purse string of a big woman. I filled one hip boot full of water. Impressive, hey?

Sockeye season at Lake Washington, really brings the once a year boaters out. It's a laugh a minute at the ramps.

Well… each of has our own hobby/interest and it is always good to laugh at ourselves as long as you don’t mind getting laughed at when it is your turn… I watched a guy (have pictures http://www.piscatorialpursuits.com/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=16;t=002236 ) float a boat attached (at bow) sink his trailer and minivan (Lake Washington)… then I watched a guy and his buddy try to launch his 2 brand NEW Jet Skis at Lake Washington and must have forgot to put the drain plug or something in the bottom of them because they got them off the trailer and the buddy was driving away as the owner tried to keep them both close to the dock and then they sank and then they had to dive down in the water attach a bow line and drag them along the bottom to get them back on the trailer… ouch and it was a swearfest.

This last summer with the pleasure boat I was with the boy scouts out tubing and playing at Alder Lake and floated my trailer, forgot to undo the back tie-downs…

Remember life is just one learning experience after another… and don’t ever for get Karma or what goes round comes round.

Tight Lines and Shoot Straight