[OldMagicfloat]

I do alot of night time boating which allows me to launch without all the usual daytime drama at the ramp - if you know what I mean. However, one of MY pet launch ramp peeves are these idiots that leave their headlamps on while either launching or retrieving on the ramp. I am usually pretty good at keeping my mouth shut, hoping that some of these "boaters" will learn by example and see that "my" headlamps are off as well as some of the other considerate boaters.

Well, over the weekend I just couldn't keep my mouth shut as this A**hole was on the ramp with not only his headlamps on but his high beams too. How RUDE!! Because of the angle of the ramp I couldn't see to back down and launch to save my life. I got out and as politely as I could muster I asked the A**hole if he could at least turn his high beams down so I could back down the ramp & launch. Well, he mumbled something I couldn't hear and told me he was only going to be minute to retrieve his boat. Fifteen minutes later I manage to block the light from his high beams and get my trailer into the water.

Once on the water, I forgot about everything and got back into my happy boating frame of mind. On the water everything seems better.

But of course, I have to come back to land eventually, always a sad moment when the boating is over for the day, and low and behold what do I find? Someone had scratched (keyed) the door and tinted window of my tow vehicle. Big swirling circle scratches. What a frigging coward and despite the fact that I did not witness the crime I'll give you 3 guesses as to who did it. I wished I'd paid more attention to the A**hole mentioned above, like his tag or boat reg.# cause I'd bet my life that's who did it.

What do you other fellow boaters do at the ramp when you encounter these types of incidents?? Do you say something to these people or do you keep quite due to the retaliation factor on our helpless and undefended tow vehicles??

 

[laster]

Well if it WAS the party you suspect, you committed a terrible sin. After all, you did make him feel stupid for leaving his lights on. Of course it WAS stupid but he didn't know it until you pointed it out. So he just had to "kill the messenger" so to speak to restore his (pathetic) manhood. Sorry to hear about it. It should be legal to shoot vandals if you catch them in the act.

 

[Speedwake]

Scott. I know how you feel. The coward should be at least pummeled by me and my posse.... I am really sorry to hear about this really sorry.

I say I know how you feel because I watched a guy do it to my car one night...yes watched.

Back in the early nineties when I was getting HUGE car allowance I leased a Mercedes 300 CE. I came back to my office late one night to do some work and found one of the cleaning crew leaning back in my chair, feet up on my desk speaking in a non-english language (to what I later found out was a relative overseas). After thoroughly chewing him out and doing my best not to physically trash him (I just returned from Karate class) he left. A minute later I looked out my window and saw him keying my beautiful white mercedes. A quick phone call to the local police (one of the guys on duty was a karate buddy) and the landlord of the complex started the ball rolling.

I had him arrested for vandalism and my cop buddy conveniently smacked the guys head pretty good as he placed him into the back seat. The landlord would up paying the entire bill at the most expensive body shop in the area.

I know how incensed you must feel for this ******* to do that to your car. Give me a shout buddy. He'll be back to the ramp and we'll lay in waiting for him and he'll never know what happened to him that night at a dark ramp when all of a sudden his headlights got knocked out and then he got knocked out too.

Us Fastboaters stick together....

comprende???

- jeff

ps: I always have Karen ask the guys to turns their lights out. They never refuse....

 

[obnoxus]

Yup you got it,, either he wont use that ramp ever again ( in which case you got of cheap and avoid future aggravation !!! ) or he does come back to that ramp and,,, well ,,,,,,,,you know !!!!!!

 

[OldMagicfloat]

Hey thanks for the support all!! I wish I had paid more attention to the butt-head - he was retrieving one of those little fishing boats (they all look alike - no offense) and I usually only pay attention to the powerboats on the ramp.

Hey Jeff, I like the idea of the softer touch - that is a female 1st mate to deliver the message to the uninitiated - maybe not so intimidating. I usually launch solo as having help in the past has cost me by diverting my attention from my launch routine and causing some launch ramp embarassment.

I did manage to train my 11 yr. old daughter to be the best 1st mate I've ever had on board, but she wasn't with me that night. Heck, if his feelings were hurt by me asking him to turn his lights down, he probably would've keyed my whole truck if the request came from an 11 y.o. So many hot-heads out there anymore.

Anyway, again thanks for all the support. I wish I were closer to you guys - having trailer problems - don't you love trailering!! I do want to get down to your neck of the bay sometime this summer.

 

[laster]

Scott, I think you are wrong about the 11 yr old esp. a female. It hurts worse to lose face in front of an adult esp. another male. A child does not threaten the (fragile in this case) male ego. I think having your first mate make the request would have helped. TOo bad she wasn't available.
What kind of trailer problems?

 

[obnoxus]

OK,,, then look at it this way,,, I am SURE he remembers you,,, and just imagine the look on his face the next time he stumbles accross you at the launch !!!!!

 

[Speedwake]

If I saw him again he'd stumble across the parking lot after I gave him a knuckle sandwich with lots of mustard!

 

[obnoxus]

mess with my truck,,, and there would be no stumbling involved,,, just a dull thud as his head hit the pavement !!!!!!

 

[Speedwake]

I remember reading a thread on oso a year or so ago about a guy who was racing another guy....kind of an impromtu thing when you catch up to a guy and then begin race .... this one was back to the Marina I suppose. The guy telling the story won the race and a passenger in the other boat tried to pick a fight with him at the ramp....

talk about a sore loser huh ??? - it wasn't even his boat!

Karen keeps telling me that I'm headed for a fight at the ramp sooner or later because I always go blasting toward the 6 knots markers on the way to the marina and slow down just in the nick of time. Remember there are no signs that say "no wake"; just "Speed Limit 6 knots" and when I cross that line I'm only doing 6 knots or less......

She thinks that guys I sometimes pass on the way in are gonna get pissed off and come pick a fight. So far after two seasons of doing this - no fights...

?????

 

[obnoxus]

well we have a problem at our launch to,, it has been designated a no wake zone, but ya know how that goes,,,,, thanks god Mrs. OB can handle the boat and I never have to tie up at the dock,,, I have seen more then once a boat almost get tossed up onto the dock that was tied off !!! Which would be retaliated as a 9MM slug going into there hull just below the waterline !!!!!!!!

 

[Speedwake]

my typical mode (and Karen will dispute this) is to be 'attempt' to be casual and friendly when launching or retrieving the boat. we all know it's a trying time especially when there's a line and you do your best to be civil to your mate in the face of adversity and public scrutiny.

Karen is an angel....

 

[obnoxus]

Cheryl is a bad as me,,, I have been walking up to get the trailer and all of a sudden I hear my boat comming up on plane,,, there she goaes chasing someone who has blown the no wake zone,,,,,,,,,,,,go get em honey !!!!!!

 

[Iggy]

It takes a gutless weasel to do something like that.
If that happend to me I'd return the favor next time I saw him.

Back in the 70's I had a '68 Camaro that had a stout 327 in it. Some local guy raced me one night and I blew his doors off, repeatedly. He was in a '65 Chevelle with dual quads sticking out the hood.
Next morning on the way to work the needle on the oil pressure gage began jumping around and a loud knocking sound started. Pulled over, popped the hood and to my horror there was a pile of sand around and inside the oil fill tube. Took a flash light and looked down the tube and there was sand laying in the lifter valley.
The some-b*tch dumped sand in my engine!
Totally trashed it!
A few of my buddies and I went to his place and put the fear of God in him.:gunner:

 

[OldMagicfloat]

WOW - Tough crowd, and I thought I was an aggressive personality type!! You guys make me look like a teddy bear!! I try my best to avoid any confrontations which could wind up in a physical altercation. Been there done that, it's just not worth it anymore especially with everybody lawsuit happy (nice boat must = $$$ according to some) so I try to teach the uninitiated by example. Yeah right!!

Laster - my trailer problems range from the nasty little electrical gremlins to burning up axle bearings. Load-Rite 25', 7000lbs GVW, tandem axle trailer, I believe 10" wheels. I have replaced the bearings twice in the four years I've had the trailer (new) I guess you're not supposed to service the bearings just replace them every year because I can't seem to make a decent journey without burning up at least 1 set. Average tow speed of 65 m.p.h. Dealer swears the trailer is the appropriate size for my boat. I wanted to get a bigger trailer with the bigger wheels & bearings but the dealer tells me a trailer with a higher GVW will "pound" my boat - too stiff.

I'd like to get a new trailer. I was thinking about trying bunks instead of rollers although I have no complaints with getting on & off at any type of ramp with the rollers. I have seen some really nice looking aluminum trailers with torsion bar suspension & disc brakes.

Any thoughts?? I take the boat to Florida at least once a year and would travel more if it didn't cost me so much when the bearings fry - which usually happens at 3:am in the middle of nowhere. I would appreciate any feedback, especially from anyone who has experience with both rollers & bunks.

Thanks in advance.

 

[laster]

I have had two trailers with torsion axles and I love them (the axles). I have no idea why you are losing bearings. Do you have bearing buddies or something similar? 10" wheels on a 7000# trailer doesn't sound right to me. I have owned four bunk trailers and would never go back to a roller trailer. So much easier to load and no worries about proper hull support. My latest is an Eagle and the lube system for the hubs lets me pump grease right through them. I tow around 4000 miles per year (5 years so far) and no bearing failures (yet). Now tires, that's another story. Your dealer is right about one thing, the suspension must match the weight of the boat or the boat will take a pounding. Have you ever weighed you boat/trailer? You may be surprised to learn what it weighs when it is full of fuel and your usual gear. Bunk trailers can be a pain on shallow ramps but there are solutions to that problem as well. Somebody makes teflon strips for the bunks that will really make your boat slide right off.

 

[ducHunter]

GMScott, I agree with laster that a bunk trailer is the only way to go! I just bought a new trailer for my boat (21ft C'Mate), tandem axle, it has buddy bearing's and a fresh water flush for the brakes. It is a King Salt water special trailer. The bunks are already set up with the easy slide system. I believe EZ loader sells the easy slide for bunk trailers with carpet. It sounds like your tires are to small mine are 205 75D by 14in wheels. Sure tows nice! do you have buddy bearings? And are you using a good grease for your bearings?

 

[Speedwake]

I don't know if anyone had heard this but I was told by my dealer that bunks are better for hulls because they spread the weight distribution our over a larger area than rollers in terms of actual surface area. He said it's especially bad on new boats because it takes a few weeks for fiberglass to thoroughly cure and rollers can leave small impressions in new hulls.

- jeff

 

[obnoxus]

I heard the same thing,,, also, dont let your boat hang off the back of the bunks or the same thing can happen.

 

[Red Stripe]

Hey, maybe he had a new truck with the auto headlights and he could figure out how to turn them off:laugher: :laugher: