Dinah Beach Boat Ramp Etiquette
Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 9:13 pm
We launched from Dinah today for a trip out in the harbour. I go through a routine away from the ramp. Sorting out the boat – cover off, bung in, motor bracket down, electrics sorted, rods stored etc. I conduct this activity in the preparation area up away from the ramp.
As the wife attempts to back the boat down, we find three boats sitting on the end of the ramp. No one decides to move and no one indicates what he or she is doing. So down the ramp we move, hopefully awaiting the parting of the flotilla. One chap is looking after two boats on the ramp with a couple of kids holding one boat and he decides to let go of his in an effort to sort the kids out. His boat starts drifting across the ramp towards another boat. People are loading and unloading boats on the ramp. What a circus.
Finally a couple of people move slowly down the ramp in an effort to launch themselves. Their motor doesn’t want to start and this dude is pulling for his life. He must have got to 15 pulls before the 2 stroke yammy caught.
We finally get into the water leaving it all behind us. Well that’s what I thought.
On our return there are only a couple of boats on the ramp. All looks good and so we slowly edge towards the ramp, drop the deckie off so she can get the car and trailer and I back off to let others do the same. Well that is not the way it’s done here apparently. If you give up your slot on the ramp well you go to the back of the que.
This peanut in a tender comes racing in nearly bumps into another boat and starts justifying to another boat why he should be next. The tender gets the nod, and low and behold he drags the tender up onto the ramp and puts the squeeze on the side access where people drop off and pick up.
We then have another boat go past and drop off the deckie who leaves the boat and his helpers in the centre of the ramp.
By now I get the feeling I’ve killed a dozen black cats on the way to the ramp. The deckie then approaches the top of the ramp ready to reverse and sees an absolute rock show happening on the ramp.
I’ve had enough, so I wave her to back down the ramp and get the trailer in the water. As the car comes down the ramp the boats on the ramp are still holding their ground and old matey is still standing on the ramp next to his tender yakking away.
I even yelled to one fellow whose about to drive up the ramp with his outboard still running.
Finally the trailer gets right of way, I drive the boat on the trailer, we hook up and we’re up in the car park sorting ourselves out.
What is it with people and boat ramps?
I don’t want to see people breaking legs in an effort to jump in and out of boats but with only two lanes available, you’d think the average fisherman with average IQ could see, that if they help themselves out, they help others out.
Dex
As the wife attempts to back the boat down, we find three boats sitting on the end of the ramp. No one decides to move and no one indicates what he or she is doing. So down the ramp we move, hopefully awaiting the parting of the flotilla. One chap is looking after two boats on the ramp with a couple of kids holding one boat and he decides to let go of his in an effort to sort the kids out. His boat starts drifting across the ramp towards another boat. People are loading and unloading boats on the ramp. What a circus.
Finally a couple of people move slowly down the ramp in an effort to launch themselves. Their motor doesn’t want to start and this dude is pulling for his life. He must have got to 15 pulls before the 2 stroke yammy caught.
We finally get into the water leaving it all behind us. Well that’s what I thought.
On our return there are only a couple of boats on the ramp. All looks good and so we slowly edge towards the ramp, drop the deckie off so she can get the car and trailer and I back off to let others do the same. Well that is not the way it’s done here apparently. If you give up your slot on the ramp well you go to the back of the que.
This peanut in a tender comes racing in nearly bumps into another boat and starts justifying to another boat why he should be next. The tender gets the nod, and low and behold he drags the tender up onto the ramp and puts the squeeze on the side access where people drop off and pick up.
We then have another boat go past and drop off the deckie who leaves the boat and his helpers in the centre of the ramp.
By now I get the feeling I’ve killed a dozen black cats on the way to the ramp. The deckie then approaches the top of the ramp ready to reverse and sees an absolute rock show happening on the ramp.
I’ve had enough, so I wave her to back down the ramp and get the trailer in the water. As the car comes down the ramp the boats on the ramp are still holding their ground and old matey is still standing on the ramp next to his tender yakking away.
I even yelled to one fellow whose about to drive up the ramp with his outboard still running.
Finally the trailer gets right of way, I drive the boat on the trailer, we hook up and we’re up in the car park sorting ourselves out.
What is it with people and boat ramps?
I don’t want to see people breaking legs in an effort to jump in and out of boats but with only two lanes available, you’d think the average fisherman with average IQ could see, that if they help themselves out, they help others out.
Dex