Boat Ramp Etiquette

A boat ramp is to load and unload your boat…not back down in the middle of the ramp, sit in your truck and talk on the phone for 5 minutes while other people are trying to load and unload. A guy with a drift boat had the nerve to tell me I could hike my kayak up to the top of the ramp and load it since its only 20lbs. Needless to say I was not the only kayak waiting to use the ramp.  What is wrong with people these days and common courtesy. 

      Some people think it is all about them.  I used to have the ugliest truck in the upstate of south carolina, it was my boat haulin truck.  It was a 77 F 100 302 with a three on the tree.  People with nice shiny SUV would get out of my way out of fear it would loose its brakes.  The truck mechanically was fine, looks wise...well I think it had been rolled once.  It was the snotty yuppie on the boat ramp equalizer!

Maybe we need an Urban myth like the Grim kayaker, some guy who slay's  SUV owners who don't know boat ramp ettiquite?  He stalks his victems with paddle/knife blade?  Kind of Jason on the Water...

Samething happened to us at Montezuma last weekend. We were waiting patiently
to the other boat to leave the launch and when it was our turned, we got the
nasty look and we were told that we were too slow. I barely got my yak on the water. I was going to put my yak wheels back to the truck but, because of the
comment, I decided to somehow strap it behind the yak. I'm telling you, people
are just ignorant sometimes. Perhaps he was one of those folks that has not seen
a fishing kayak before and he thinks that only boat catches fish.

Jedmo

Gawd I hate it when people do that. Bad mojo. I hope he got skunked.

-FF

we got the
nasty look and we were told that we were too slow.

Or just say, "It's YOUR fault for getting here so late. A little earlier and you would have been ahead of ME!"   
OR
I only have two speeds, and when pressed the other one's slower. 

Or just say, "It's YOUR fault for getting here so late. A little earlier and you would have been ahead of ME!"   
OR
I only have two speeds, and when pressed the other one's slower. 

 

-FF

the joys of owning a yak:
1) no need to get in line, with Trucks&Trailers to launch, from racks to water mine goes....let the boaters figure out the chicken&the egg thing, i got fish to hunt.

Jed~ if you were waiting to use the ramp, why did you need your wheels?
        Use your wheels, load your stuff in the lot, wheel it down to the water, 
        return wheels to car.

I've seen the guys who don't need/use the walk pier(knew what they were doing) and just backed down the UNUSED side of ramp, hit the water, buddy fires up boat, reverses it and waits for the driver, when he shows up, the boat pulls forward, the guy jumps in and they are gone.....would that be considered *BAD ETIQUITTE?

When I pull up to a launch, I pull to the side, unload & setup, then park.....if someone is waiting to do the same I'll pull out if it's the only spot to park&unload.

one of the MANY benefits of NO TRAILER & NO NEED to use pier/walk.
ANDtheBOATERSloveITtoo!

   

I've seen the guys who don't need/use the walk pier(knew what they were doing) and just backed down the UNUSED side of ramp, hit the water, buddy fires up boat, reverses it and waits for the driver, when he shows up, the boat pulls forward, the guy jumps in and they are gone.....would that be considered *BAD ETIQUITTE?

I don't think it's bad etiquitte. When I used to fish out of my buddies aluminum that is what we would do. If you have two guys it's the fastest way to clear the ramp. He always used to like scaring the crap out of me by backing down the ramp too fast with me in the boat then slowing down at the last second   

-FF

I've seen the guys who don't need/use the walk pier(knew what they were doing) and just backed down the UNUSED side of ramp, hit the water, buddy fires up boat, reverses it and waits for the driver, when he shows up, the boat pulls forward, the guy jumps in and they are gone.....would that be considered *BAD ETIQUITTE?

When I pull up to a launch, I pull to the side, unload & setup, then park.....if someone is waiting to do the same I'll pull out if it's the only spot to park&unload.
   

That's the way it should be done! If people aren't ready to launch then don't back down the ramp instead wait up top until you are. That's just common courtesy. I usually end up using my wheels but with a boat ramp at your disposal it so much faster. Also no hassle of trying to store the cart in the kayak. 

That's why it's handy to have a laundry basket or something similar that can hold ALL your gear.  Takes about a minute to drop the yak and dump the basket of gear on the seat, and beach it to the side out of the way.  Then you can relax and take your time setting up.

Just a little clarification. My kayak was all set ready to go. All I had to do was to
remove my wheels and bring it to the truck and come right back. That would have
only taken seconds and not minutes. So for that person to be so impatient and the comment he had made was uncalled for. Everybody was kind except for this
one individual. Most boaters even slowed down as they passed us by while we
were anchored.

Jedmo

yeah...he was so jealous he couldn't hold it in Most of them DON'T SLOW UP, but we do like the ones that do......i personally enjoy the ones the come Real_close

 If you guys get together and vote for me on the next election - to take the place of the CA "Governator" - I will make it legal to own and use a flame thrower for a justified cause like this...

Oh...and all women WILL HAVE TO WEAR A SUNDRESS = YEAR ROUND

VOTE MOOCH!!!

You got my vote mooch!

That's almost as annoying as wanna be American foreigners singing hip hop music   Sounds like the guy needed something to eat... maybe a knuckle sandwich