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.