Boat Launch Funnies

[Rocketman]

I did a search on the archives and could not find anything on this subject.
Anybody care to share some "Boat Launch" experiences., Funny or other.
It's just that it is getting to that time of year when we all get excited and do silly things at the launch. Like the time I forgot to take my transom saver off, before driving out to the lake. Boy, did I feel dumb!!! LOL LOL LOL!!!
Brian
Brian Price

[marcbodi]

Boy you opened a real can of worms .It will be fun to read the posts.You can have a really good day watching the Boat Launch.I believe that I have done it all.

[Goldpig]

Funniest thing I have ever seen was a couple years ago. I was at a busy (and very steep launch) and everyone was in line waiting there turn. Once in line, I got out and took off the transom saver, straps, and unhooked the boat (bunk trailer). The guy just behind me had his brand new lund that he just picked up. He kind of watched my routine and proceeded to do the same. After launching my boat, I watched this guy start backing down the ramp, and sure enough, his new boat rolled right off the trailer onto the concrete. Luckily, no real harm done. Biggest thing that was hurt was his ego.

[bountyhunter]

SEEN a guy at the ramp ,boat on trailor jump up into boat walk to the stern BOAT FLIPS UP IN THE AIR . another make my day at the ramp funny.

[the legend]

Friday while my buddy was backing the boat down the ramp, I stepped off the trailer and landed on solid ice. I fell flat on my back and slid right into the river !!!! Of course once I actually hit water the friction stopped me but I still was wet all the way up my back. Luckily I hadn't slipped my coveralls on yet so I was able to fish a couple of hours before I was completely froze.

[jnor]

Three come to mind for me...first one old guy backs his boat down in the water using a car with manual trans... shuts of the motor and leaves car in 3rd gear...chug chug car and trailer go in the lake...lol...lucky for him boat is still hooked to the winch... makes for easy finding the car and trailer which were in about 20ft of water with a large float attached...boat...

Second is a simple one...Lake Oahe west shore...some guys first time with a roller trailer and a lund...no one told him not to unhook the winch...sure enough can't back straight down the long ramp and taps the brake...short of story new lund is unloaded several feet short of the lake...

Third this one is serious...several years ago Lake Oahe in the cheyenne river an old man maybe 80 tries to launch his boat with a motor home when he gets motor home to waters edge and the ridge of shale that is always there he slides his front wheels and panics...he drove the motor home right into the lake..the motor home floats out from the boat dock.. someone personally known to me runs down the dock and swims out to the motor home which is floating away and ties an anchor rope to it which is tied to the boat dock...by this time motor home is sinking quickly and the old man is standing on a chair in the motor home with his face near a roof vent trying to get some air...as the motor home fills with water the preasure on the door eases and my friend swims inside the motorhome and saves the very lucky and cold old man from death. The anchor rope held and was used by the wrecker to locate the motorhome to cable it from the lake. Those of you that know the area...it is very remote nearly an hour drive to Pierre, this man had told no one where he was going and was by himself.

[casey]

Honey, just hold the rope while I back up. Well, she did not, and I took a cold swim to get it back. brrrr. But I love her. She still catches bigger fish.

[smiley]

Wow. That last one gave me the chills! How scary. That man had an angel watching over him that day.

I saw 2 guys, one older, maybe the grampa, and one a teenager dump a Champion right on the ramp about 10 feet from the water. Ouch! Hurts the boat AND the pride.

Lisa

[stevefellegy]

I was at the Cow creek access one early morning on Lake Oahe in S.D.
With a bunk trailor, I have the boat unhooked up on the ramp and just back her down and she floats off. I hold a rope in my hands while backing down and just get out and walk with it onto the dock. So, as I'm walkin' the boat out to the end of the dock to tie it off, Perry Good, standing on the next dock, starts talkin' to me. Well...I can't walk and chew gum at the same time, I guess. 'cause I just keep walkin' right off the end of the dock as I answer him. When I came back up, one shoe was floating one way, my hat was floating another way, my glasses were hanging on the rope, thank god, which was still in my hands, by the way.... and, of course, Mr. Good was very entertained as I drove away freezing my *** off.

[TK_551]

Here is a good one that happened to a friend of mine. He was coming in to the boat launch and was by himself. He tied the boat up and went to get his truck. He backed his truck down and untied his boat and motored out a bit to load onto the trailer. His tranny was slipping and he noticed that his truck was slowly moving down the ramp. He motored over in a panic to get his truck which was now half in the water. He got into his truck and pulled it out but then realized he left his boat which the current was now taking down river. It was a long, cold swim to the boat which he finally got. All turned out ok.

Tom
#551

[ranger1]

I have always been a bunker man, but then I bought a Smokercraft a few years ago (rollers) and took my dad to the LBDN for some great walleyes. We launched at Rapid River and I was proud of my new 18' and to have dad with me. Well, you guessed it, I took off the straps first, then the winch hook and started backing down. I should have left the hook on. I got halfway down remembered not to do this, got out of the car, went to rehook the winch and there she went! The tail end was far enough down to hit the water first, thank God and there was no damage, but my dad got a good laugh after we made sure everything was OK. It happens to the best of us.

[Hogslammer]

jnor, I think I ran nto that 80 year old man at Bush's Landing about 6 or 7 years ago. He had an older motor home and was all by himself. He had his empty trailer backed in the water and was driving the boat up on to the trailer at a high rate of speed. We were on the dock at the time and I thought to myself, this guy is going to kill himself someday, fishing all by himself at that age. I believe he had a old aluminum Starcraft and it was mighty banged up.

HS

[rogerm52]

This one could have been serious and was a valuable lesson to learn.

Several years ago, I had a Johnson 14' aluminum rowboat that I trailered. I used a strap across the stern to keep the back of the boat on the trailer. This, I would learn, would be a life saver.

I was cruising down a 2 lane highway after work with the boat in tow. There was a lot of traffic coming at me and behind me. Everything was fine, as I had done a safety check before I left home. I always make sure everything is working. I even checked the winch line.

Well, about 3 miles from home, I heard a pop and looked behind me. The winch line had snapped and the front of the boat was hanging off the trailer into the oncoming traffic lane. The only thing securing the boat to the trailer was the strap across the stern.

Luckily, no one was hurt and I safely got the truck and boat to the side of the road and repaired the problem. After that incident, I replaced the winch line and installed a safety chain below the winch as an extra precaution. I hate to think what could have happened with that boat.

[rogerm52]

Here's another one with that same Johnson 14'. I took a buddy of mine fishing who hadn't spent a lot of time around boats. We went out on a very windy day. I back the trailer into the water and launched the boat. I gave the rope line to the boat to my buddy and asked him to stand on the dock and don't loose the boat.

I got back in my truck and started pulling out of the launch. The last time I looked, the boat was several feet behind the trailer, safely floating in the water. Suddenly I heard a large CRASH and the sound of metal skidding on pavement. Looking in the rear view mirror, I immediately realized what had happened. According to my buddy, the wind pushed the boat perpendicular accros the trailer. As I drove away, the back of the trailer caught the underside of the boat and flipped it right over in the water. The boat got caught on the trailer and I drug it about 5 feet.

Thankfully, it was a small boat and we were able to easily flip it back over. All of our gear got soaked and the flip broke one of my rods.

Lesson learned, make sure you buddy knows how to control the boat and make sure you are clear of the boat before moving the trailer.

[redrnger]

I and my buddy the Sandman were up to LBDN fall nite fishing. I went to get the trailer to take the boat out. Sandman standing there waiting holding the boat at dock leans on one of the 4x4 posts and does the Bill Dance thing when the post breaks inhalf. He gets soaked and I laugh my uknow what off.Sorry SANDMAN COULD'NT RESIST...REDRNGER

[appleye]

I was fishing a tourney on Keyhole res in Wyoming. Typical sat. crowd. My partner and I were fishing by the dam when this guy with an old beater car starts backing down a hill. Not a ramp. Boat is still tied on. The car sarts spinning out and you guessed it the whole thing is in the lake. I laughing so hard I can't fish. My partner being on the ball asks if there tackle is in the boat. They say yes. He asks how many shadraps they have. The say none. He tells them it's a loss. We took pictutes and watch as the whole mess comes out with a tow rope. We never did catch a fish in that spot but we couldn't leave.

[narrows in mind]

Went w/ cousin to prefish LOTW with him for a B*** tourny. 1st thing he does is back his truck into the lake and had to get a tractor to pull it out!! Then one morning at daybreak, I being the youngster was asked (forced) to swim out and retreive someones boat that had drifted away when they launched it. 1st day of tourny cousin hooks a monster- at least thats what his partner looked like when I saw him at weigh-in-hooked him in the ear!! Then they almost got into a fist fight about some stupid bet. Needless to say these 2 didn't get along.
FARTHEST LAUNCH- from a landing??!! My dad has that one at least 5 miles! He was pulling his old boat home to fix it up when it came off the trailer! His 1st thoughts when he saw the boat skidding along the highway were- Who's the dummy pulling a boat down the highway!! My thoughts exactly!!! He also got a ticket for it- and does'nt think he should have!!!

[Spooled]

Just make sure you close the back doors of your Suburban before you make any tight turns after loading your boat. This can be expensive.

[Wife's mistake?]

I was fishing a tourney in SD a couple years ago. It was sort of a company tourney and everyone was coming in to weigh in. One of the top dogs was loading his new Lund onto the trailer and his wife was driving the truck. About half way up the ramp, she hits the gas pretty hard and the boat slides off the trailer and onto the ramp, with him still in it! Of course, he starts screaming at his wife for gassing him off the trailer... Until she goes over to the trailer and asks him what this little "chain thingy" was supposed to be for. Of course there were about 250 people watching and I think we all could have passed out from laughter!!! Watching one of the top dogs come unglued was priceless!! Watching his wife get the last word was even better.... In the end, they winched the boat on the trailer and inspected the damage and drove back to their campsite. I always wondered how that night in their camper went...