Boat Ramp Idiot # 96723

[kind_cir]

I pulled up to the ramp in me boat a few weeks back and there was this bloke and his wife trying to get his boat on the trailer with not a lot of success. I asked what the problem was, and he said broken winch, so I offered to help.
I unhitched the trailer off me 4b and put the reciver tounge and ball on the attachment on me bull bar. Mean while he took off his trailer and hooked it to the front of me bullbar. Nosed his trailer down to the ramp and used me elec 4x4 winch to winch on his boat and then reversed up the ramp and attached it to his car. hooked up my trailer to the rear of mine again and went got the boat out and was thanked once again for helping out.
The story was, while winching the boat on it sliped off the roller and weged itself and he then broke the winch. His trailer was not designed to drive on and he had tried this without success. When we had loaded it I looked and all his rollers were out of alignment so I told him how to fix the problem. I then told him how to fix his winch witout buying a new one which he was about to do. He had only jus brought the boat and was new to boating so with a litle advice from me he is now the wiser.

[joeT]

I like to take the view that people generally at boat ramps aren't acting maliciously, and if they are doing something silly like blocking the ramp its because they don't know any better or were unaware of what they were doing. After all, I think most boaties especially on weekends aren't regulars. If someone is blocking the ramp, taking a lot of time rigging or loading/unloading, I find if you offer them a friendly smile and offer a hand they usually get out of the way pretty quick. Getting agro with something will usually get a negative response, which is quite natural, not really what you want and doesn't usually speed things up anyway.

I know when I first started I was a bit slow loading/unloading and getting the motor started. It would have been nice if someone offered to help rather than give death stares. After all, boating/fishing is for relaxation rather than a high stress, competitive extension of our working lives.

[Far side]

Your right joeT

I find the best thing to do when people are on the ramp mucking around.

"Do you need a hand mate" works a treat it breaks the ice
Once you start talking to people you can sus out pretty well wether they are newbys and then offer some advise about ramp protocol.

When I was a newby people did this to me and it helped a lot

9 out of 10 get a good responce
yelling and screaming gets you nowhere

[fishing111]

Could not agree more joet

[1975fflh]

I see this all the time on Lake Illawarra, one time there was a group of asian men trying to put the boat in, I thought it must have been funniest home videos, I eventually ended up reversing the ute in for them and then they forgot to tilt the motor or didnt know how to do it, we helped them again, they were very thank ful.

Another time an old bloke trying to load his large very old tinnie was blowing around something shoking, I got wet (something I dont normally have to do) but we helped.

Not many people will help down at the lake, but at Port Kembla ramp, there are always many helping hands, my young deckie (13yrs) normally pulls the boat around the other side of the dock so others can launch or retrieve, while I park and quite often I get back the boats turned and started ready to jump in because there are community minded people who help each other.

Its also good sence I want to get the boat in or out as soon as I can, so I will always help someone in trouble or is inexperianced, I remember when I needed help and at port kembla it was there.

another ramp down here is at Bellambi and people stand around to watch the show or just stuff about blocking the ramp for no particular reason.

GO Port Kembla.

If you are an idiot who like to cause trouble you should remember that your car and trailer are unattended when your on the water and someone may have a bit of payback onit.

I dont condone it but ...............

[BAT]

1975fflh Thats fine but that lake smells like a rotten egg! and has done for many years!.