[OldMagicfloat]

a couple of years ago, my wife ,cousin and me were boating on the Illinois River. We pulled into a marina that had a launch,and saw this guys 30 foot Bayliner had slipped off the trailer and was resting on the outdrives.We offered him some assistance and the dude bit our heads off. It seems a lot of people had been giving him sh*t about backing the boat down the ramp with the bow strap unhooked. Well we decided since he didn't want our help,we would all stand and watch him try to get it back on the trailer. As he winched the boat up,his truck was getting pulled backwards toward the water. I decided to again ask if he needed a hand and point out what was about to happen. He bit off my head again. Well what happened next, I'm sure you all figured out.He winched a little more and bloop,in went his truck up to the cab,when his buddie jumped in and tried to apply the brake. The good news was his boat was now back on the trailer.Too bad we had to get another truck to pull out his whole mess. Oh well,just glad we could help

 

[Thirsty Turtle]

A friend of mine had his teenage son and friends hook up the pontoon to the truck. As he's backing them down the ramp, the trailer is bouncing and it bounces off the ball! Now the pontoon is coming down the ramp gaining speed......my daughter and I are in the boat.....at the courtesy dock.

The pontoon hits the water, glides off the trailer, angled right for my starboard side. That pontoon looked like a missle to me!

It had lost alot of speed, so we were able to push it away. Them kids looked like they were ready to meet Jesus!

They almost did when Dad got ahold of'em!!

:laugher: :laugher:

 

[laster]

TT I had a similar experience several years ago. There was a guy on the river where I did my boating who had just been bitten with the go-fast bug. He had bought a 19' Checkmate with a 200 outboard. Did nearly 70, pretty fast in those days. Anyway, when he bought the boat it didn't come with a trailer so he just stuffed the boat on his old POS trailer from his previous boat. He kept it on the trailer at the marina so it didn't matter that the trailer had no registration, lights, safety chains etc. One day, several of us were standing around BSing on the dock when he arrived to pull out. He dropped his buddy at the dock to go get the truck and he circled around waiting, After a few minutes the trailer comes clanking down the ramp and he drives on. His buddy hitches up the bow strap and gets in the truck to pull him up the (very steep) ramp. It's an easy pull out of the water then the ramp goes up something like 10' in the next 50'. Now the guy has on street clothes so he stays in the boat to keep dry and figures he will get out when they get to the top of the ramp. Did I mention that the buddies truck has a 1 3/4" ball and the trailer has a 2" coupler? Half way up the ramp the trailer and truck parted company. Now you gotta picture this. The guy is still sitting behind the whell, facing backwards, steering for all he's worth. The trailer went straight back into the river and he was sitting helpless in the boat (street clothes remember) and our whole group is wildly applauding and laughing on the dock. Damn, the things you see when you don't have a video camera.

Some of us did go over and give him a hand when we stopped laughing.

 

[Stuchamp]

Well this isn't exactly a boat ramp story, but close. This happened about 25 years ago. A gal I worked with came down to the docks to watch the activities. At this location, the parking area is flat, but then it slopes down toward the water. There is about 25 ft. between the lot and the water and there are railroad ties spaced apart to keep cars from rolling in. She parks her little Chevette in between the ties and gets out. As soon as the door slams, the car rolls forward, heading for the water. Yep! Big Splash ! Car is a 4-speed (left in neutral) and she forgot to set the park brake. So the car is in the water between the docks and the shore, and it Floats ! The front end is under up to the windshield, but the back is almost completely out of the water. It looked like an oversized white cork bobbing in the water.
Well, guess who here, wades - swims into the water to rescue her prized possesion. Forgot to tell you, this car was brand new, 1 week on the road. Anyway, I got a chain around the rear axle and another fellow had brought his tractor down and easily pulled her out. Can you believe this cheap little Chevette never got a drop of water on the inside ! We had it towed back to the dealership, they drained the engine oil, trans, and rear axle fluids. The next day the car was back on the road, and the gal got instructions on how to set the parking brake.

 

[wildchild212]

A buddy hooked up my truck to put his boat in the water, he hooked it up and I hopped in to the truck while he got in the boat.
While backing him down the trailer came un hooked from the truck and went flying down the ramp trailer and all. boat went in nice and straight with the trailer still attached. In looking at it he had for got to put the pin in the receiver when he hooked up the trailer.
OOOOOPS :laugh: :laugh:
Mark

 

[greeneyedbeacher]

Jeff and I had just pulled into our favorite ramp from a terrific weekend on the boat and I, as usual, was left sitting among the pylons holding the lines while Jeff went to fetch the truck. This ramp has a beautiful setup, so there's a nice steady flow of boats in and out of the water.

Well, I'm sitting on the dock waiting for Jeff, and this fishing boat with 2 very sunburned, shirtless men and a young child drive their boat up across from me. One guy gets out to fetch the truck, and the other very obese gentleman turns to me and smiles. I smile back, and after a bit of small-talk he decides that his bladder is too full from drinking all day. So he stands up in the boat, turns his back to me, hikes down his cut-offs, and proceeds to pee into the bay... in broad day-light! What he didn't realize is that when he turned away from me, he turned to face not only the 5 year-old girl that was in the boat with him, but all the other boaters that were waiting for their trailers!

The best part is that when he was done, he immediately turns around and starts talking to me again!! Why does it always take so long to fetch the truck???!!! I was never so happy to see Jeff backing down the ramp!

 

[Stuchamp]

MUST HAVE BEEN A REAL "*******" !

 

[greeneyedbeacher]

For real! :shocked:

 

[insptech]

Three of us were going out for the day together and put in our boats at Sandy Point state park on the Bay. All 3 boats make the water with no problems and we all have a great day and a few too many boat sodas. Well we get back and 2 boats(mine and another) come out fine. Significant others are snoozing in the trucks and my buddy and I are holding off the last boat waiting for our bud to bring up the trailer. He comes wheeling around the parking lot and cuts the divider a little too close. There are cut off pilings about 10-12 inches high marking the grass-where you're not supposed to drive . He drives the trailer tire over one of these things and flips the trailer 180 degrees over-right off the truck It follows him along on the rollers for about 15 feet before he stops. When we finished laughing we walked up to help him flip it back over and were really happy that the winch was the only thing damaged.

Of course neither of us had properly tied the boat up so it was now floating off to parts unknown So we tried to get his girlfriend(who was dozing in the boat) to start it and drive it in-but there was no way she was going to get that bad boy going. It was finally decided that a race was in order with the first one to the boat the winner of a shiny new beer-tasted pretty good too

 

[OldMagicfloat]

Seen a few good ones, but here was the latest witnessing at Havasu this past January.

Had just trailered my new Nordic after its maiden voyage. Wiping her down in the big lot down by the ramp. Virtually no one around -- ramp is empty.

Hear the unmistakable rumble of serious HP, and watch as this beautiful Baja (27?) pulls up alongside the ramp. Boat looks new. Man and woman on board. Woman comes ashore to get the trailer. Man jumps out, holding the boat (doesn't tie-off) -- it's dead calm.

Couple of minutes go by, and here comes this rather large, dusty old fishing boat on a trailer. Couple of fellas are going fishing. Looks like fun.

They drive down the ramp, no problem. Transfer some gear onto the boat -- no problem. Start the outboard, unstrap, slip of the trailer -- no problem. The guy in the boat gives the motor some gas. Gooses it. Boat picks up steam in reverse ---- and keeps going -- headed right for the baja.

I'm thinking the fishing boat is going too fast, and needs to stand-off and veer to miss the Baja. The baja owner starts yelling at the fishing boat to shut-down or turn -- the driver of the fishing boat is pounding on the throttle yelling that the throttle is STUCK.

Baja owner literally dives into the cockpit of the baja, fires it up, and in one motion JAMS the baja in reverse. Baja LUNGES backwards about 25' -- fishing boat barely misses...and then driver cuts the motor.

Fishing boat driver was very apologetic, and quite shaken up by the incident. Baja driver showed real class, and understood the circumstances.

Very close call -- no harm, no foul.

Lesson: Expect the unexpected when tieing off -- or launching. In both cases, leave clearance on all sides if possible.

 

[OutlawBayB]

Well, this is not as bad as some of ya'll stories, but still boating related

Easter Sunday, get the kids all dressed up, Easter hunt, etc...take pix......go boating. Went to a new launch, concerned w/ the steepness......I'm telling hubby (NASDBOY) keep coming back when he yells.........

THE CAMERA!!!

What? I look at the water & see his new pack of cigs & lighter floating away, but NO CAMERA. He pulls the boat/trailer out of the water-amazing enough......the camera is still holding on!

Soaking wet tho. Not to mention we had 1 more pix left-BRAND NEW CAMERA, cannon elph-just bought at xmas....had pix from new years, vday, my bday celebration & easter!!!! AAAHHHHH~!

That will bring me to my next post-any suggestions on a cheap good waterproof camera-not disposable?

 

[FA18Driver]

Sorry about the pic's now you say not disposible..... I made that suggestion in your other thread..... sorry

 

[OldMagicfloat]

Surprised the camera is working today, haven't got the film devolped, so I would say the elph is good for a 1 minute plunge in shallow water..

 

[obnoxus]

I still prefer the one with the guy with the brand new 36 outlaw, drunk, couldnt get it on the trailer straight, backed off, puched it and landed on the tailgate !!!!!!

 

[cuda]

Had one happen to me last Saturday. I had just picked up the Formula friday from having a new drive coupler installed. I get in the boat and my girlfreind backs me down in the ramp. I glide off the trailer and start the motor. Something doesn't sound right, so I lift the engine cover and see water pouring out from the exhaust. I shut the engine down and whistle at my gf to bring the trailer back. She backs it in and I start the motor and drive up on the trailer, but it is a little crooked, so I put it in reverse to back up just a little. I put it in neutral, but the boat keeps running in reverse, by now I am halfway down the dock, screaming at my gf to run over and let me throw her a line. She runs up on the seawall side, catches the line, and proceeds to pull my boat with a hurculean effort right into the concrete sea wall gre: . The whole time I am discussing the maternal parent of the mechanic who worked on it that week, and something about female canines, etc. I was BITTER !

When I got home, I found he never tighten the clamps on the exhaust hose. I fired the engine up, and now it won't go in any gear!:devious: I close the hatch to wait til monday to choke the mechanic, but later that day, a friend of mine came by to check out the FWC that I had just installed myself. I was showing it to him, when we saw the shift cable had come loose from the slot because no cotter pin was put in it.

 

[Stuchamp]

Having a BAD week are we !

Been there, done that !

Life can be a B*tch sometimes !