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Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2013 7:37 pm
by Dex38
Well today after launching from East Arm the wind again made us work hard. We picked up a Barra and dropped another one in East Arm. The wind drove me nuts so I headed in. I was poking along watching a couple a grey nomads doing it hard punching into the East Arm slop. Their little tiny was bobbing around but they finally made it to the pontoon. We awaited their dismount from the boat to the pontoon. It was then I saw one of the grey nomads was about 80 in the shade. He was doing it hard on the pontoon holding the boat and trying to keep his balance. It took ages for the crew to sort themselves out and took a month to Sundays to take the first steps towards the car and trailer. :banghead:

I off loaded the deckie with the bow and stern rope and followed the younger grey nomad up the wallowing pontoon. After another millennium the younger of the two chaps gets his car and trailer into position. Now this is where life got interesting. His trailer is one of those assembly and tow things. Dam wheel barrow is bigger. He had all manner of trouble backing it down the ramp and it attempted to jack knife itself a multitude of times. :captain:

I await another millennium whilst the two sort themselves out on the ramp and hook the boat onto the trailer. It was my turn and down the ramp I go, to have the deckie position the boat right into the rollers and we hook it up and crank her on. :cool:

I ask him how he was going and he said he’ll tell me later. I look over to the other side of the pontoon to see another fisho smashing his boat into the pontoon with his wife unable to control the thing. He’s got his trailer that far in the water he’s up to his chest in the brinny. His boat is not on the lee side it’s on the side the wind is pushing onto the pontoon. He’s placed himself in amongst his rollers and attempted to guide the boat onto the trailer. I ask the dumb question of ”do you want any help”. He politely declines the offer. His boat is belting into the pontoon and he’s in the water?

We get to the top of the ramp and I ask the deckie what happened down there. He informs me old matey who swims his boat on, came in fast onto the pontoon and belted it that hard he and the old fella fell over. The grey nomad gave the kamikaze boater a bit of an ear full. :P

We then follow said kamikaze and watch in amazement as he releases water from his bung all the way from the ramp up to the rail overpass. He had some water on-board.
:shock:
Just another day on the water in Darwin.

Dex

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2013 10:18 pm
by ambush
Dex, I'm hearing u mate. I had the Sthn grey nomads issue at bynoe on the weekend
They had this bathtub :sailing: with the same trailer set up, but with a $100k landcruiser. :smoking: they were setting pots around the six pack boat ramp. He jacked the trailer a few times goin down the ramp. I tried to tell him about the crocs, and how the pots encourage them! meanwhile his mate walks around the back of the boat in the water and checks the bungs WTF!! Hearing aid must be turned off!! :banghead:

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 3:25 pm
by Wrighty
haha funny poop there boys. It only makes it worse when the sun is going down and the midgies are fierce too.

Fishing in the Kakadu Klash last year was a big eye opener, its amazing how quickly 40 odd boats can launch or retrieve at a single lane ramp when every crew has half an idea and can drive boats on trailers etc. (even if the beer has been flowing during the day)

Good onya for offering a hand

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 10:14 am
by nomad
Yeah I often wonder if people forget how to back a trailer as they get older. :?
The ONLY solution is to give them a hand.
Remember, we might be like that one day. (what did you say young fella?)

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 4:26 pm
by fish4me123
Who is the idiot who parked at the top of the channel island boat ramp 17/8/13 restricting the turning circle.

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 7:48 pm
by Banana Man
Haha I've seen that a few times! How much does that F ya right off hey! There's some real winners out there

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:17 pm
by deepblack
Come and launch in Townsville and see how long it takes you to get the $h!ts on. The place is Looney Tunes on any given weekend. :bonk: :banghead:

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 7:34 pm
by ajbear
There was some fun and games at the dinah boat ramp yesterday both launching and retrieving, The thing that still amazes me is how some people manage to get the car in one lane and the boat in the other right at the bottom of the ramp

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 8:53 am
by garrynt
Helped a couple of boats the other week at the Vic River.
I was more amazed at the home made trailers? or the C channel that had wooden V's to guide the boats up. Only a couple of rollers on each of the trailers. Took up more time trying to get it on properly even after it started out correct, would just go astray.

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 1:05 pm
by Mud
Really? Does it take more than five minutes of your time? I love to see the nomads getting out there and spending time on the water. If age or inexperience or the wrong gear slows them up a bit lets just give em a few minutes to sort themselves. We are not all at our peak :-)

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 2:11 pm
by DOUG
I've seen a few take more than 5 mins !! I've never had any dramas at ramps tho I couldn't be bothered getting fired up over something at a boat ramp helped plenty of people out before
Even backed there car down for them after watching them struggle with it :)
I'm sure there will come a time ill have dramas at a ramp so don't see the point in getting up someone like mud said its not really that much of a wait have a beer or a water if that's your thing ;)
4 hours at Dundee was a good one to sit back and watch tho during reel woman's comp :)

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:05 pm
by nomad
Yeah give a hand where you can.
Some people have NFI how to reverse a car/trailer. The boat ramp is no place to learn.
My bro inlaw is a shocker and hes getting worse as he gets older.
At least hes having a go

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 10:36 pm
by barratrooper1
Boat ramps can be fuuny places. Buy some beer, sit on the hill'at bermagii and watch the fun any easter, and they're not grey nomads!

Times have changed, 30 years ago, a boat was pretty much unaffordable to'most people, and 4x4,s wernt everywhere like today. The nomads of today were a mere 45 to 55 years old, working to put food on the table and ride out the Hawke/Keating recession we had to have, dole ques were hundreds of meters long, and nomads were putting most of you through school. There wernt many mobilephones, internet forums,cheap chinese lures and affordable boat motor combos, no braid, no graphite rods just ugly sticks and abus.

Just keep some this in mind, they are having their adventure now, they wanted to do it when they were young, but couldn't. Cut em a bit of slack, offer them a hand, offer some advice in a way that dosnt make them feel stupid.

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 1:15 pm
by STOKESY77
Launch before sunrise when no one is around :sleep: :mrgreen:

Re: Boat Ramp Frustration

Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 2:01 pm
by COOPS
whinge, whinge,

we'll all be old and clapped out one day.

not everyone is a pro fisherman, but they are still entitled to get amongst it.