Author Topic: Ramp Hogs! Or Ramp repairs> (Read 1289 times)

Siskiyou · « **on:** February 08, 2003, 09:43:11 AM »

Went out Friday to break in a new outboard. Everything worked great. The lake was busy because there was a bunch out pre-fishing the lake for a bass event on the weekend. The bass fishermen were not a problem they put their boats in the water and the motors fired up. They had all their gear in the boat and were ready to go. You could tell their was a high level of boating expertise in that group. When it was time to pull their boats out, they did just that. They got the boat out of the water, and cleared the ramp. They did their BSing up at the parking lot, and moved equipment from their boats to their pickups in the parking lot, not down on the ramp.

We I arrived in the parking lot, I moved some items from my pickup to the boat, removed all tie downs from the boat except the bow and one on the stern. Back the boat down to the water. Removed the two tie downs and with my father-in-law handling the bowline launched the boat and got off the ramp. At the sametime time their was three guys loading a 26 footer on the other side of the small dock. While the operator was try to get the boat started. Their boat would float around out of control blocking both sides of the dock. Not bad guys but not under control. With some effort together we kept their boat from banging into ours as it floated around the end of the dock blocking both sides. (Nice bunch of guys, not a bunch of drunks) We went out about 1/4 mi. and I had caught my first fish before they left the dock. They must of had that side of the ramp tied up for an hour.

When we returned hours later another boat had the dock tied-up. This was a large inboard ski boat. The operator had the engine cover off and was messing with it. We held off while a couple of other boats were launching on the other side. When we pulled in we tied up and I got the pickup and loaded the boat. We then parked at the parking lot, heard a few wild ones from the bass fishhermen, secured our equipment, hit the outhouse and we were ready to go. In the mean time, the guy with the ski boat had cluttered up one side of the ramp with his motor cover, other items, had the back of his camp shell open with equipment scattered all over. I would not be surprised if he is not there this morning. He needed to pay a camping fee.

My favorite lake has two one lane ramps on it. They are miles apart. They are steep and all it takes is one mess-up to tie up a bunch of people for a long time. Most get in do their business and they are gone. I try and avoid weekends but there are times when I do not have a choice. At times it is interesting watching the disorganized tie-up a boat ramp. There is the 3-six pack boat ramp repair group, there is the group of Yuppies loading their belongs into boats to meet up with a houseboat for the weekend. The could of done this in the parking lot. It never ends. In the mean time a 70 year old couple can put their 12-foot Valco in the water and have three koke's on board before the boating family from hell can get on the water. Once they get on the water that is another story.

I do not believe in taking shortcuts, just doing it right. I remember Speedy, he rushed his car and trailer down the ramp, put the trailer in the water, jumped in the boat, put the boat on the trailer, into the car and up the ramp. The problem was the boat slide off the trailer landing in the middle of the ramp blocking it. Clearly Speedy had us all where he wanted us. We all had to bust our gut to get his boat up on his trailer to clear the ramp. One of the guys summed it up in one word, Dummy!

Siskiyou

kevin.303 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 20, 2003, 06:36:48 AM »

:evil: ohh how i hate ihabitants of the warmer climates!! if i wante to launche my boat i'd have dynamite thru 2and a half feet of ice! :-D

Siskiyou · « **Reply #2 on:** February 20, 2003, 07:31:11 AM »

I know it gets tough. I need to get my butt in gear and go fishing again. The weather forcast is up and down. They keep saying rain, and we get sunshine. I just need to hook up and go.

Never been fishing in your part of the world. But for all the ice and snow I am sure you have far better "catching." I fished B.C. and Alberta in the 60's. Great fishing, hellish blackflies. Took months to clear up the bug bites.

Siskiyou

IronKnees · « **Reply #3 on:** March 10, 2003, 02:11:00 AM »

I run into that same thing here in Indiana almost every time I go fishing. Now, I have two boats. A forty year old fishing boat replete with brand new state of the art equipment such as a new four stroke engine, GPS, and such, and a 23 foot sloop. One thing I always do is pre-start the engine both before I leave home, and again, just before I launch. Just enough to make sure it's starting. Then, like you say, I back down, launch, my wife drives the truck up to the big parking lot, and I go into a holding pattern off the one and only little dock till she walks back down the ramp. I pull in (assuming some jerk has not parked his big fancy ski boat crossways off the end of the dock and has both sides blocked...) and we are gone... It's always the same. The boat is across the end of the dock so no one else can use it, one person is laying on the dock sunning themselves, and someone else is screwing around carrying coolers and stuff back and forth. They look around at all the other boats waiting their turn, and act as if you are not even there. One of these days I am going to completely GO OFF on one of these hotshots...!!! It always amazes me how often guys back their boats down into the water, and discover they will not start, and obviously have not done anything to them all winter, or for a long time... Trip after trip back and forth from the truck with "stuff"... and just like you say, they hold things up something awful... Hey, everyone can run into unexpected problems, but nearly all of it can be avoided by just a few moments of prep before you leave home... then, if there is going to be trouble, at least you can fix it before you have a boat in the water, off the trailer, and are drifting out of control and causing trouble for everyone...
One last thought... people in big, expensive fishing or ski boats that literally cut you off, cut in front of you, and since you are just in a little fishing boat, think they can "pee" on you while they either pull into the dock that you were approaching, or cut you off as you are approaching your trailer... :evil: There, I vented my frustration...

Savage · « **Reply #4 on:** April 03, 2003, 02:24:21 PM »

Too bad there's not a required class on launch ramp etiquette for all boat owners. You would think common sense would dictate expedious vacation of the ramps during busy times. I think most of the problems are caused by inexperienced and unorganized boaters. Then, of course you have to throw in the inconsiderate slobs. I've seen a few fights at launch ramps, almost had one myself. I'm done now!
Savage

Siskiyou · « **Reply #5 on:** April 03, 2003, 05:37:36 PM »

Darn,I just missed a chance at being a Ramp Hog. Pulled the boat out to get ready for a fishing trip. Being I had not run it for 3 weeks I put the water ears on it and crank the motor. The engine cranked but did not fire. Great spark at the plug. Checked the fuel system and the plugs were dry.

Being this is a new motor pulled it down to the dealer and they checked it out as soon as I got down there. High pressure fuel pump dead. Good service response but this is a new motor with three hours on it. Not a happy fisherman. Big stripers in the river and landlock salmon are starting to bite. Not a good time to have the motor waiting for repair.

The good thing is that I tried it out in my yard before making the trip and not having it work when I got to the lake. Gas cost to much for a deadend trip. Service manager says the part should be in about ten days.

I spent close to seven thousand dollars for a new motor to avoid break downs. Hmmm.

Savage · « **Reply #6 on:** April 04, 2003, 08:58:04 AM »

Siskiyou,
That motor is not a OMC by chance is it? Tough break though. Still better to break down in the driveway or even at the ramp than 20 miles down the river. Very few people would have tried a new motor in the drive. Glad you did though, saved you a long drive for nothing!
Savage

Siskiyou · « **Reply #7 on:** April 05, 2003, 10:05:02 AM »

New 60Hp Mercury 4-stroke.

Siskiyou

Savage · « **Reply #8 on:** April 05, 2003, 11:47:25 AM »

Guess all the manufacturers are having some problems with reliability with those high pressure injection systems. I still run the old carb. engine. It works great but those 3 dueces really suck the gas.
Good Fishing,
Savage

Siskiyou · « **Reply #9 on:** April 11, 2003, 08:41:29 AM »

Still waiting for my new Mercury 4-stroke to be repaired. Went to the lake with father-in-law Wensday and we used his boat. A large group was on the ramp blocking the dock. I told my father-in-law to cool it.

The group was made up of kids and adults who were teaching them boating safety. It was worth waiting. I have a little slack in my system for those who take time to work with kids. It was a little bit of a circus, but they were doing good. Any time you have twenty, 13 year olds you have a circus. They were using the dock as a class room.

After an hour delay we managed to get to the dock. It is a little easier for the father-in-law who is WWII vet to get into the boat. He was running late anyway so the best fishing hours were already gone. Then he announce around 2 p.m. he needed to get back for a dinner appointment. Now I rather fish until dark and return under star light.

I want my boat back.

Siskiyou

Siskiyou · « **Reply #10 on:** April 18, 2003, 05:56:02 PM »

Got the boat and motor back. It runs great. The Weather man said no showers or snow this morning. Got up at O DARK 30. Uncovered the boat and suddenly the sky openned up. Felt like somebody dumped a few buckets of cold water on me. Held the trip up a few hours to let the main showers pass.

Nobody at the boat ramp coming or going. Motor ran great. GPS said motor pushed the boat along at 32 with the top up. Still breaking it in so did not run wide open. Plus the water would get choppy with wind gust.

Did not find large schools of fish until end of day. Thirty-five mph North winds predicted tomarrow, darn.

Siskiyou

Savage · « **Reply #11 on:** April 19, 2003, 03:23:35 AM »

Sounds like the Merc is running strong. Now you're back in the game! I try to stay off the water with winds like you're having. I guess that explains my poor record this spring!
Good Fishing,
Savage

Siskiyou · « **Reply #12 on:** April 19, 2003, 06:55:45 AM »

I try to find a sheltered arm on this lake to get away from the wind. But even in the arm the winds pushs the boat along about .8 MPH. I try and use the wind to my advantage. Use the electric motor for steering and let the wind push me for a total speed of 1.8 for koke's and trout.

There is a big difference between my 17-footer and the old 12 foot Valco I have. I would have been very limited with the 12-footer yesterday. Sometimes times we using the father-in-laws 15 ft. l/O. Very stable casting plate form when the water is smooth, but not a rough water boat. It has a very flat bottom.

There is no escaping the wind on one of the better lakes. I just get off it and go back to camp. I do not know this lake very well. Good buddy who has fished it for years, says no escaping wind. I need to check the long range weather and plan a trip over there.

Savage · « **Reply #13 on:** April 19, 2003, 10:31:07 AM »

Guess if you're trolling the wind isn't too much of a problem. Trolling isn't employed in the type of fishing I do so I end up fighting the wind. In addition to the big highland impoundments I fish a lot of heavily timbered lakes. With all the stumps to get hung up on you don't want to fish when the wind is high. I live on a little 7000 acre lake, so lots of times I fish early in the morning or late in the evening when the wind is low.
Good Fishing,
Savage

williamlayton · « **Reply #14 on:** April 21, 2003, 11:42:10 AM »

thanx for the post on the new motor--glad its working so well. catch some fish.
blessings