how fast can you launch and retrieve?

Gregg Pfeifer wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>belletaine wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Gregg Pfeifer wrote:</div>
The long lines at the ramps was the main reason I sold my boat and bought a canoe.

That’s pretty extreme!

Extreme? You’d be surprised what you find in the backwaters.

1. No boats, few anglers, some naked or nearly nude sunbathers.
2. Unpressured fish boaters can’t get to.
3. Peace and quiet and up-close to nature you’ll rarely see from a boat.
4. Numerous access spots without launch fees.
5. The ability to take it to work tied on top my car so I can get out as soon as the bell rings.
6. Low maintenance expenses – no gas, etc.
7. Money left in my pocket.

To top it off I found smallies in a small river 5 minutes from home. Now that’s extreme! I also have surrounded myself with good friends that like to fish, all boat owners. Satisfies my itch.

But can you stand up and pee over the side of the boat

I love a canoe ride, but my darn knees just don’t like too much of it!

I’m not sure what it is about the launch ramp that causes some guys to go into HyperStress mode and get their undies in a bunch. I’ve seen so many of these threads on fishing and boating forums that I thought several times the topic would make a good PhD thesis.

Maybe some kind of genetic deformity causes this Ramp Hypertension Syndrome in some? Or maybe it’s a symptom of other issues (uhhhh-hemh) that the TV commercials urge one to talk to one’s doctor about? Science should find the answer.

I agree with everyone on the thread who is saying, help a brother out here. Don’t stand there and Grumpy Old Man out, help them.

Grouse

suzuki wrote:

Takes me about 30 minutes when I’m in front of an experienced yachtsman.

After being used to the launches at my busy local lakes… I was in Kentucky last spring. Dropped the boat in the water. Tied it off and went to park. Jogging back to the ramp to make sure I slowed no one else down, a couple locals actually stopped me… said “this is fishing son, no one is in a race, take your time and enjoy it”.

While I always make it quick, and have patience for those that are learning, I’ll never forget what those guys said.

“Life is too short to worry about such things”

fishdale wrote:

Yep and life is to short to worry about stuff like this.

But some times you just need to finish off the rest of your coffee/relax and enjoy the show.

BigWerm wrote:

It usually takes me until the boat is in the water ;). As long as you have the boat ready to go, I don’t mind amateur hour. It can be entertaining!

…My camper at EVERTS happens to be right in front of the double launch, with a picnic table. Some days it is worth a six pack or more to just sit at that table. But if it is Older people having trouble you just have to help them out….One of my favorites was when there where 5 guys in a boat and they parked on the beach. They all got out of the boat and tried to back the trailer in. After 15 minutes or so they final had the trailer in the water. . You will never guess what happened next.! All 5 guys got in the boat to try and get the boat on the trailer. !! Myself and 2 others damn near wet are pants watching that show.! … …rrr .Ps Oh ya and 2 of them got a very wet a$$ before it was over.

But can you stand up and pee over the side of the boat

I love a canoe ride, but my darn knees just don’t like too much of it!
[/quote]
I can just get out or use a jar. My canoe is decked out. 55# troller motor, 2 batteries, ‘bird 798ci SI, cushioned seats with back rests. I’ve sat in it for trips over 8 hours and could still walk when I got out and I’m not as young as I used to be… hip surgeries, knee surgery, bone removed from my foot, 3 shoulder surgeries, multiple concussions… explains alot doesn’t it?

…and snakes. Big Snakes….

Curt DeLong is one of the fastest people I know for launching a boat… unless a mouse made a home in his outboard cylinders.

This is an actual photo of his launch a few years ago.

Got up real close to these before we noticed they were there. I had my kids safely between me and the snakes.

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My FW tells me that faster isn’t better.

We pulled into Everts in the spring two years ago to grill some lunch. As we beached my boat a small 14′ Jon boat pulled up to the dock to load up. I started my charcoal grill and cooked burgers while watching these guys try everything they could to drive this boat on the trailer. I finished eating before they got their boat on the trailer and out of the water. With the 5 guys that were fishing in that boat they could of carried it up to the trailer. Good thing it was not busy.

Sometimes it’s not all about how fast the boat is launched…

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Sometimes it’s not all about how fast the boat is launched…

Ouch! Add that as reason #8 above for going to a canoe.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Sometimes it’s not all about how fast the boat is launched…

Do you have a story to go with the pic?

Mr. Derek wrote:

Do you have a story to go with the pic?

My guess: Unhooked winch strap + icy bunks = Oops!

Mr. Derek wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Brian Klawitter wrote:</div>
Sometimes it’s not all about how fast the boat is launched…

Do you have a story to go with the pic?

Maybe they were doing Keel Guard testing?

HRG

Saw what had to be a like a 30′ cigarette boat on the ramp like that once. It has to hurt to look back at in the mirror.

Had my buddy dropped his 14’/40HP boat on the ramp after backing into the side of the dock twice, and hitting the gas out of frustration. I almost wet myself laughing. I took the time to unpack the camera and get photos before I would help him undo the mess.

I always wondered who the “guy” ( my wife called him a name that rhymes with “brick”) that pulled in front of three of us on the st croix two summers ago. Three of us were waiting to pull out at sundown and were keeping our distance since there was already a boat in the process of pulling out. A lone fisherman comes wheeling in past all of us, ties up to the dock and proceeds to jump out of his boat and get his truck. I have to say he was out in about 3 minutes…..

Pete S wrote:

I always wondered who the “guy” ( my wife called him a name that rhymes with “brick”) that pulled in front of three of us on the st croix two summers ago. Three of us were waiting to pull out at sundown and were keeping our distance since there was already a boat in the process of pulling out. A lone fisherman comes wheeling in past all of us, ties up to the dock and proceeds to jump out of his boat and get his truck. I have to say he was out in about 3 minutes…..

This could have been me in Hudson as people forget the ramp is a triple. Most assume it’s a double but the ramp holds three rigs just fine. I’m usually gone before most people have time to complain.

I agree with the general comments about helping a brother out. I often fish alone and try to help out when I can. Helped a guy out last week at Colville and it must have been good karma cuz a different guy helped me load when came in.

That said, I hate to hold things up if I’m by myself so usually don’t try Everts unless I’m with someone – or I know it’s not as busy at Everts. I typically try the – slightly – less busy launches if I’m solo.

A guy fishes long enough and you’ll see plenty of interesting launch/loading stories. Last summer some young guys plopped a big inboard on the cement at the launch at HokSiLa. Ouch. Good thing a bunch of other guys were around and we were able to – gently – get his boat in the water. But whew….

I will always remember fishing with my Grandparents when I was really little. My grandma didn’t even like driving a car, let alone boat or backing up a trailer. So we would pull up and my Grandpa would jump off and he would back the truck down, while we held onto the dock and waited. He would back down and then jump into boat and drive it on, hook up and pull out. Same thing alot of you guys do I’m sure with your families.

But when it was rough or really busy, my grandfather would make my Grandma drop him off and idle out in the bay, so as not to take up one of the loading spots. Or so we wouldn’t beat the crap outa the boat against the dock if it was rough.

My grandma was scared to death driving around other people. And I remember numerous times getting hassled by other boaters as we were clinging for dear life to hold on the boat while standing on the dock. Or Grandma trying to load in heavy cross wind/waves for an audience. She would be in tears, as the men laughed at her trying her hardest to put in on the trailer.It enraged me even though I was only like 8 years old.

Ever since I was little I always try to help people that look like need some assistance. Sometimes people don’t know the effect they have on people. I never wanted to ever act like “that guy”. Give the “noobs” a break.

@ cougareye – nope, troy launch.

sktrwx2200 wrote:

Ever since I was little I always try to help people that look like need some assistance. Sometimes people don’t know the effect they have on people.

Totally agree… helping anyone that is having a hard time in any way is always a good thing. Good Karma… as we have all been there.

People that are rude and simply don’t care… those are the ones you hope leave the plug out when launching, and realize it a half hour later, or ten minutes too late.

riverruns wrote:

Yep and life is to short to worry about stuff like this.

x2 defiantly

Once at a double launch a guy was sitting in a boat blocking one side of the dock. I walked down and asked what was wrong. He said boat wouldn’t start. It had a dead battery. I walked back to the truck and got my jumper box and went back to his boat to give him a jumpstart. Stepped in to help and found out he had no battery in the boat at all! His buddy went to town to get a new one and just left him sitting blocking the dock.Anyway we put our boat in and went fishing for about 3 hours. When we came in to load up he was still sitting there. All I could do was shake my head and walk away.

The long lines at the ramps was the main reason I sold my boat and bought a canoe

Still seems extreme even with your justification. Plenty of productive water to launch a boat and not wait. I have a canoe too but regardless of being decked out I prefer the boat for comfort.

I dropped my boat on the ramp once. Maybe someday I’ll tell the story.

I’ve never timed myself, but I have an interesting story from this weekend.

I was fishing with a friend who doesn’t own a boat and doesn’t know how to start mine, so I hooked up the obligatory rope to the front of the boat and handed it to him, then proceeded to launch the boat. As I drove away to park, I looked in the mirror to see the boat floating – with no rope attached. I walked/ran down to the landing and my buddy was holding a limp rope – the knot came loose. His first reaction was to tell me to “Go get it!”

Based on the 33 degree water temps, this was against my best interests, but we moved downriver and happened to snag the rogue watercraft with a tree branch. Fishing was pretty good, and no harm was done, so I’m satisfied.

acafisherman19

crappie55369 wrote:

I am a first year boat owner with very limited experience running a boat prior to this and i have to say ive gotten quite good and backing a boat in and trailering things. Retrieving a boat takes a little longer as i dont power load. I might be a little slower than others on occassion but i do know all the boat editique and when i drive up to the launch i am ready to put in and when i pull out i get well out of others way to do my inspection and get ready for driving. I have a few friends that own boats but really when buying my boat ive had to learn everything on my own just through experience and ive made a lot of mistakes but its how you learn.

Pretty much the same for me. I got my boat last year. I don’t powerload because my Dad never did and it seems to me that a lot of ramps outlaw it. I always make sure I am ready to go when I drop the boat in. Usually can have it in and the truck parked in less than 5 minutes. I will admit there were a handful of times last year it took me closer to 10 minutes to bring her in straight. This was mostly due to backing in too far and/or rough water. I learned the sweet spot for my trailer because another boater who was loading up offered to lend me a hand and pulled my suburban up. Helped me so much but I’m still not as fast as I would like.

I did a lot of reading on ramp etiquette. Try very hard not to slow people down. If you see someone struggling offer them a hand. Most new boaters are aware they are slowing things down.

Later in the season a guy launched and never bothered to drive his truck and trailer up to the parking lot. He left the trailer sitting in the water at the launch basically blocking the load 1/2 of the boat launch. I couldn’t believe my eyes when he drove away leaving his trailer in the water. I believe he ended up getting a ticket.