# Boat ramp stories



## twitch-twitch-reel (May 21, 2006)

Ok, I am unloading my boat yesterday and, there is another guy doing the same with a HUGE 20' flatbottom. When he gets done unloading he drives around to the side of the dock and puts the bow of the boat up against the dock and pushes up against the dock with the boat. Then he gets out and goes to park his truck with his boat in gear, motor running pushing up against the dock. He never tied off the boat to anything&#8230;..



Man, just when you think you have seen it all&#8230;&#8230;..


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## amazon (Dec 12, 2006)

*Clute boys*

Us Clute boys are good boat drivers.
We can do stuff like that.


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## bowed up (Apr 1, 2007)

SEEN SOMEONE SLIP OF THE DOCK BY THE FISH CLEANING TABLE(WET&SLIGHT SLOPE) THEN THEY TRIED TO CLIMB THE POLE TO GET BACK UP. CUT UP SO BAD BY BARNACLES SOMEONE IN A BOAT HAD TO PULL HIM OVER AND GO THE 15' HE COULD HAVE SWAM IN THE FIRST PLACE TO THE RAMP. HAD TO HAVE EMS COME AND TOOK HIM TO HOSP. TO GET CUTS CLEANED UP. _CITY SLICKER IN POC._


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## stxhunter (May 19, 2006)

DANG!! I would never even think about doing that?! How many people have done that? Or I guess would at least admit to it?


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## Charlie Brown (May 17, 2007)

I am going to say that not to many people have pulled this one off...that is crazy to keep that boat in gear...or just keeping it at and idle without it being tied off...he has big balls or just does not know what the heck he is doing...

i could picture that boat going down the waterway with no driver...LMAO


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## KRA79 (Feb 14, 2007)

The best boat ramp story I have heard was from my father at the dike. A guy was launching as the water was getting sucked out by a tanker so he kept backing and backing. When the water came back in it was all the way up in the floor of his truck.


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## twitch-twitch-reel (May 21, 2006)

Yha, I don't think I could do that. I would be freaking out that someone would wake my boat and it would come loose and drive off without me. I can only imagine what that would feel like, watching his boat drive off.


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## ol billy (Jun 14, 2005)

KRA79 said:


> The best boat ramp story I have heard was from my father at the dike. A guy was launching as the water was getting sucked out by a tanker so he kept backing and backing. When the water came back in it was all the way up in the floor of his truck.


One of my most.. ahhhh.. interesting moments in a boat was at the Texas City dike ramp area when the water got sucked out by a tanker.

There was six or seven boats in there waiting to load when the currents started going absolutely nuts. It was like watching ping pong balls bounce off of one another.

We were just hanging over either side of my boat pushing boats back away from it. It was pretty much impossible to steer.


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

i watched an older chevy truck and a trailer submarine at Riverbend in Matty about 15 yrs ago. a wrecker pulled it out and the wife went hauling into the truck to get her purse.

kinda funny to watch her open that door full of water.


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## bowed up (Apr 1, 2007)

SEEN A _"GET UP IN SPIT"_ BOAT GET STUCK IN A CUT ON AN EXTREMELY LOW TIDE. WHILE THEY WERE PUSHING IT OUT A 23' EXPLORER COMES FULL BLAST UP IN THERE AND SETS IT ON BOTTOM WHILE THE WAKE PUSHES THE OTHER BOAT FARTHER IN. 15 MINUTES LATER ANOTHER BOAT GETS STUCK IN THERE. IN A 30 MINUTE SPANN THERE WAS 5 BOATS STUCK IN THIS CUT. YOU WOULD THINK PEOPLE WOULD GET THE PICTURE. THIS WAS IN THE CUT GOING INTO PRINGLE IN POC. SET BACK AND WATCHED WHILE LIMITING OUT ON SOWS ON THE SHORELINE JUST *OUTSIDE* PRINGLE 100yds FROM THE CUT. _RERTARDS!_


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## Mike in Friendswood (May 21, 2004)

*I saw the same thing*

They are dredging in Bayou Vista and the two guys in the work boat were pulled up the bulkhead doing something in their truck. They left the motor running with the front of the boat up against the bulkhead. I fgured they knew what they were doing, and it appeared that it worked quite well. However, that is not a trick I would ever do.

Mike



twitch-twitch-reel said:


> Ok, I am unloading my boat yesterday and, there is another guy doing the same with a HUGE 20' flatbottom. When he gets done unloading he drives around to the side of the dock and puts the bow of the boat up against the dock and pushes up against the dock with the boat. Then he gets out and goes to park his truck with his boat in gear, motor running pushing up against the dock. He never tied off the boat to anything&#8230;..
> 
> Man, just when you think you have seen it all&#8230;&#8230;..


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## texasfisherman (Mar 9, 2007)

Got 2 good ones. Once saw a guy at lake Conroe standing in the roof of his truck - he was waist deep in water. Apparently he had an argument with his wife trying to get her to back the trailer down so he didn't have to get out of the boat and do it himself. She pitched a fit saying she couldn't do it. She may not be able to drive but at least she's not a liar. Another time I saw a pontoon full of drunk old cooters coming in way to fast. The guy driving the pontoon threw it into reverse so they won't ram the dock just as his buddy was trying to step off onto the dock quick. The guy stepping off the boat therefore stepped into the water between the boat and the dock and went down hard. He had to have broken his ribs on the edge of the dock. It was pretty scary to watch but all I could do was laugh my a** off. I'm kinda sick that way.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

Watched a guy try and push hi boat off the trailer for a good 5 minutes, and asked for help from a couple of other guys and it would not move. The transom straps where still on.

Another one was in Louisana when this lifted jeep pulled on to the ramp with a trailer under his bassboat with 33 inch tires to match his jeep. He pulled around and I asked him how long have you had that done...."He said, just put them on this weekend after lifiting the trailer.'' He lauched the boat and as soon as the boat made it about half way down the trailer the big tires floated and off slid his boat faster than his buddy could hold on. With the boat off the trailer, the trailer floated so hign in the water that it would have been a real pain to get it back on.

And last....

I friend installed a new floor in his boat, fiberglassed, screwed, and put down new carpet. He asked me to back in the boat so he could run it over to his lift and the boat would not move.......checked for transom straps...lol, and then pulled it out of the water. When I was walking back to check it out I almost lost my lunch, he had run the screws from his new floor throught the bottom of the boat and into the trailer bunks.


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## chrisnitro (Apr 24, 2005)

I saw a few guys trying to unload their boat from the beach on the Dike. We watched him back his truck clean into the water and the boat still wouldn't get off the tralier. By this time the trucks wheels were fully submerged into the sand and water was hitting the rear bumper..we laughed and just kept going


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## kenner27 (May 29, 2006)

we were pulling back into the old koa camp one night and there was about a 26' boat with twin motors and a nice dodge dulley truck putting it in the water. the guy hopped out of his truck real fast to tie a rope to the dock before the boat went in the water and he forgot to put his emergency brake on. the truck started going backwards and his door was still open and it was sandwiched by this pole. meanwhile his boat was just drifting off so i jumped in it and pulled it back to the dock for him. never drove one this big so i thought this would be my chance lol


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## pulpfishin (Nov 27, 2006)

Galveston Yacht Basin - Last year.

22ft Baystealth (heavy boat) looked brand new, guy had installed the "slick strips" on the bunks. Started to back his boat down the ramp, and decided it wasn't straight enough. He jammed on the brakes a little too hard. The slick strips did there job and let that rig slide off smooth as silk, the only problem was the was no water under the boat... Ouch. Only about two feet stayed on the trailer.


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

Okay, I'll tell on myself. I've done the old "transom hold downs still on" trick myself. Then another time, years ago, I had cleaned up our aluminum flatbottom. In the process, I had taken the fuel line off the 6 gallon tank to inspect it. At the ramp, (KOA at Cold Pass) I pushed the boat off, jumped in it and could not get the trusty 35 Johnson to start. I pumped and pumped the bulb, cranked and cranked and finally gave up and pulled it back home where I noticed that I had put the fuel line on BACKWARDS. Its a wonder I didn't blow the seams on the tank with all the pumping I was doing on that bulb.


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## Zork (Jan 11, 2006)

See-n-spots and I had the opportunity to laugh at a guy on The Dike boat ramp at the end. This guy had the trailer backed into the water running the motor in reverse trying to back off the trailer and couldn't figure out why he wasn't moving. The tie downs were still attached. Funny to watch


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## FISHINPOC (Jun 19, 2006)

On a nice day in December 2005, Lake Travis was a bit low, but I decided to launch my Grady as it hadn't been run in a few months.
Unbeknownst to me at the time, the ramp at Yacht Harbor had a curb at the end.
I launch the boat and can't understand why my buddy can't seem to pull his truck up the ramp. My trailer wheels have a fender over the front and it was caught up/couldn't get over the curb.
What to do? Boat in the water, truck and trailer stuck on the ramp.
The office was open, they ended up suiting up a diver, getting a barge with a winch on it positioned over the back wheels, diver goes down into the 50 degree water and hooks up the trailer - cranked it up and the trailer was free.
So we're off for a cruise when I realize... How am I going to get it back on the trailer?
We find another ramp, but it's too steep for the old chevy - just spinning her wheels.
Finally find four guys from the bar nearby who agree to sit on the tailgate and though the boat was on the trailer way crooked/tilted, we were headed home.


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## DMC (Apr 2, 2006)

Next time you are spinning your tires, have a friend start the boat motor and give a push from the back. Just be sure to shut down before hitting concrete.


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## rippin lips (Jan 8, 2005)

I was going solo on a trip with the new boat during winter time .I already had the waders on .Launched the boat tied it off emptyed my pockets started motor let it warm up.Jumped out pulled truck up to park it turned around to see the pier end broke off boat floating away Very cold outside and windy.Nobody around on a Wed morning.I could not get waders off fast enough boat was crusing fast in the wind .I saw a bridge coming up the only thing I could do was jump into the boat if it slowed down .After the bridge it was all open water .So I did what anyone else would not have done .(Hold my beer and watch this .I landed right infront of the console no damage at all to the boat,So I headed out to go fish very Mad now .Tried to grab wheel and my thumb was bent funny Ouch .So I slid off the leaning post to turn around and my ankle didn't work .Call some help to load my boat and take me to hospital yup they were broke .Next time the boat will go solo I will not set my beer down again I will just take another drink and wave at it .LOLThats my story.


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## boashna (May 28, 2004)

launched the boat to see it take off from the trailer without me . boat ramp shape was like a L so it had to come back or continue to other side , i caught it on the other side .


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## WWR (Nov 22, 2006)

I have put my boat in the water without the plug.........twice!!

First time.....I get in, (17ft. jon boat) and there is water where my feet go (tiller arm).

Hmmm.....water is over the battery and getting close to the top of the gas tank.

_(Disclaimer: I am not an idiot.)_


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## austinag (Aug 13, 2004)

*Plugs*

I have put in 2 boats without the plugs in up at Lake Lbj. Somehow when down at the coast I have a routine that I follow so thus far has not occured. 2002 I bought a Bass Tracker for us for Christmas to fish Lake LBJ, brand new boat my wife backs my 6 yr old son and I into the water start up and driving aroudn slow because of "break in period". All of a sudden my mind goes *****, forgot to put the plug in and notice stern is sitting low. Screw the break in period and hold on son. Was screaming at my wife to run down to our boat dock and lower the lift while I'm trying to stay on plane running circles in our cove. Laugh now but wasn't amused at the time. Boats, live and learn.


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## stros (Apr 12, 2007)

Launched my boat the other day, go to take off from the dock and boat was runnin kind of funny........go down the creek about 1/4 mile and it feels like i hit a log. Kill the engine and look at my prop, everything checks out ok so i head on to the fishin hole. Get back to the boat ramp from fishing and trailer the boat, as im straping it down I realize that i left the TRANSOM SAVER on when i launched the boat and that log i thought i hit was the transom saver finally coming off.....it was bungee corded on so i guess the prop finally cut the bungee cord off........i felt like an idiot. Guess there is never a dull moment when you own a boat!


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## marcus1977 (Apr 24, 2007)

I did the plug thing a couple times this winter when I was in a hurry. And I was with a friend when he decided to see if his 14' john boat could go through 1" of water, and I quote him "it will either make it or it won't" famous last words. It was cold that day to be pushing a boat out of the mud.


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## HonkyFin (May 28, 2004)

DMC said:


> Next time you are spinning your tires, have a friend start the boat motor and give a push from the back. Just be sure to shut down before hitting concrete.


This is what starts my story.
SLP boat ramp and it was crowded.
There are two weekend greenhorn sailors trying to get the boat/trailer up the ramp,,, 1st mistake was backing too far down the ramp,,so the boat, 22 ft c.c ,
would not center correctly on the trailer,,,me being in a hurry(ran out of beer and needed more) I decide to help expedite this issue and motor up to help these fools.
Finally he got the boat on the trailer correctly,,, now comes the tire spin,,, several guys on the back bumper doing the "traction hop" ,,nadda.
I told him to use the outboard (gently) to help the boat/trailer package up the ramp and the tires will bite,,,BUT kill the engine once you get some momentum. 
I dont think he heard that part and promptly put the front clip of that nice center console into the bed of the truck !
Amazingly two things did not happen,,,the traction hoppers had gotten of the bumper(wisely) and the winch post bent over hard to the right side and the rookie was able to finish breaking off the winch post and with the help of another truck and several volunteers the boat was pushed/pulled back onto the trailer,,no puncture wounds to the hull but some serious gelcoat damage,,,,at that point he tied the boats nose off to the bumper of the truck and left.
Prolly to go find a new tailgate and winch post.


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## wellconnected (May 30, 2005)

I had a buddy who barrowed another friends brand new Shallow Craft. Boat had been in the water just a few times. His trailer came with the "slick pads" which I dont believe was a very good invention. Anyway, he forgets to hook the boat up to the winch and while going up the JFK bridge it completely slides off the trailer. That was the end of their friendship.


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## ol billy (Jun 14, 2005)

wellconnected said:


> I had a buddy who barrowed another friends brand new Shallow Craft. Boat had been in the water just a few times. His trailer came with the "slick pads" which I dont believe was a very good invention. Anyway, he forgets to hook the boat up to the winch and while going up the JFK bridge it completely slides off the trailer. That was the end of their friendship.


Oh, maaan. He must have felt about an inch tall.


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## rx2000 (Mar 30, 2005)

I have always said, if you want to when the $100,000 on America's Funniest Videos, just take a camera to a crowded boat ramp on a Saturday morning. Gaurnenteed there is a winner waiting to be flimed every week of the summer.


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## backlash (May 29, 2004)

The guys that run the crew boats who maintain the gas and oil rigs in the bay systems dock those big boats like that all the time. They will back up to the base of a rig and with the boat in reverse will run it up to 1/2 throttle (where it will create quite abit of pressure) and the boat literally sticks there like it is almost part of the dock. I was amazed the first time I saw that but they do it all the time. You can walk right off the back of the boat and it is like just walking on a solid pier. My neighbor has a large pontoon boat and he does the same thing in it. He can pull up and set the front against the bulkhead and his wife walks right off.

I was buying a new trailer once and I had a loaner. I met the trailer guy at the ramp to unload off of the loaner and he was going to go right up the street and pick up my new trailer and return in 10 minutes. Well we unloaded the boat and he took off with the trailer, and after about 4 minutes my brain woke up and I snapped (holy cccrrrraaaaappppp I didn't put the plug in). Well I had no trailer so my only choice was to jump in the water and put in the plug. I ran the bilge pump for several minutes to get all the water out, and when he came back he backed the trailer down we loaded the boat and as he was adjusting everything he calmly looked at me and quietly said "why are you all wet". It emberrassed the he!! out me so I just acted like I didn't hear him at first, then he asked again and I told him. I don't think he quit laughing till we got back to the shop. Then the first thing out of the owners mouth was "what the heck happened to you" so it started all over again.

Note to self: NEVER I MEEN NEVER GET IN A HURRY AT THE RAMP!!!! NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!


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## Whooper (Nov 3, 2006)

Hangin' out at the ramp is big time entertainment in my li'l ol' hometown. Ya get to see some pretty...uh...remarkable things and swap old stories. This is the best I've ever heard or seen.


One fine summer day in POC, a friend of mine was hanging out at The Fishing Center when a nice attractive couple pulls up to the ramp in a fairly spiffy center console. The young lady was especially attractive until it was noticed the size of the rock gleaming on her finger. Attractive until they get close enough to be audible and then it's evident there is a MAJOR argument taking place between them. The trouble is, he is hollering at her to back the trailer down with the Suburban and she is adamantly denying him his wish by declaring her lack of skill in this task.

Eventually she yields, and in her attempts to back the trailer he is raising his voice louder and louder until he is literally screaming directions at her, which, of course, just makes her more and more un-nerved. Finally, he uses the "B" word in conjunction with the term, "stupid". That was the last straw for the very attractive lady...


She un-aced that Suburban PDQ, ran toward the boat while taking off that ring with the big ol' rock and chunks it at him. Well, he misses it on the way by his ear and just stares off at the water where it dissappeared, and while he's in the throes of shock, she re-aces the Suburban-trailer and all - and ain't nobody ever seen her since.

So I got my wife to practice, practice, practice, and when she turns the wheel the wrong way I just smile and keep my mouth shut.


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## linda's triton (Dec 31, 2006)

*One of those days*

Heading down to East Matagorda. I stopped at the Whataburger for breakfast. Just before reaching the marina I felt a wet sensation on my chest. I then noticed my taquito had leaked all the "goodies" on my Columbia fishing shirt. At the marina my wife goes to get a bag if ice. While she's gone I unhook the motor toter and set it in my truck. I climbed in the boat to put the ice away to discover that me 72 quart ice chest has blown out of the boat somewhere between Houston and Matagorda. In the confusion of the lost ice chest, I forgot to unhook the tie down straps. I realized that when I couldn't drive the boat off the trailer. We ran aground in East Matty and I eventually had to get in the water to push us off the reef. When loading the boat back on the trailer I hit the roller too hard and bent the bracket at the winch. When we got to Wharton I decided to stop at a car wash and wash the boat and get some of the bugs off my truck's cracked windshield. You guessed it. When the pressure washer hit the windshield...

The good news is we got home safely, I met a welder that will fix my roller bracket and I now have a new windshield. Those East Matagorda specks are expensive!


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## Tail Chaser (May 24, 2004)

We went to Deussen park just this past Sunday and I tied my boat off to the courtesy docks and went to get my truck. After I backed my trailer in and went to retreive my boat I noticed my boat wasn't in the same place. I looked closer and it was floating away. I nice gentleman sitting in his boat grabbed it before it floated off into Lake Houston. When I I got to my boat I noticed the freaking cleat I was tied off to had pulled out of the dock! I guess there's a first for everything. Thank God for kind strangers.


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## seapro (May 28, 2004)

This is not really a boat ramp story but it happened to me on Lake Conroe. My brother and I had taken my 16' jon boat to the lake to pre-fish for the first KILT bass tournament. As we we were fishing we noticed a large thunderstorm approaching. We quikly made our way to shore and tied the boat to a tree and went back to my truck to ride the storm out. The storm lasted about 30 minutes and when it was over we went back to where I had tied the boat only to find it was not there. Apparently it had become untied during the storm and was drifting across the lake. Well, a kind stranger saw the boat and went to retrieve it. This just proves that some of the finest people in the world are fishermen and fisherwomen.


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## deke (Oct 5, 2004)

A buddy and I watched 4 Asian guys pull a completely waterlogged boat out of the water at Tiki. This was an 18' or so inboard, so plenty of space to store water,lol. They barely got the boat out of the water on that steep ramp, when they did it took almost a half hour to drain the water out of the boat, bilge pumping and plugs pulled. We don't know how they got back to the ramp. I think they forgot the plugs, I have never seen so many white and yellow rods in one boat,lol.

In POC, people watching and having a few at the fishing center we watched a grandfather put his boat in and let his 7 year old grand daughter hold the line on that little middle dock between the ramps. The wind was up and it was pulling her down the dock, she wouldn't let go, so we had to run over there jump in the water and grab the front end of the boat before it could get away and the little girl ended up in the ICW. Grampa got back and got in the boat we were holding and took off, no thank you or acknowledgement. He was so embarrassed, all the people there heckeled him hard, it was brutal, but deserved.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I have to agree that boat ramps are an unending source of humor.

I am lucky my wife loves to fish, so I don't make her help at boat loading other than standing on a pier holding a rope while I park or go get the truck. This prevents problems.

She told me when she was young that her dad was launching a boat using one of those tilt trailers. The problems was it did not have one of those chains to limit how far it would tilt. When he disconnected the winch and started pushing the boat off, the boat stood on its transom with the bow pointed at the sky! She and her mom almost split their sides laughing, and pretended they did not know who he was.


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## sdavis (Aug 22, 2005)

*My Story*

Over the years I have had many experiences while fishing with my friends. Here is my list some of adventures.

1. Ran out of gas in the middle of the surfside jetties. Swam the the nearest jetty and hichhiked for gas. My buddie decided to buy 10w30 instead of 2 cycle oil. We started the motor back up and got all the way to the end of the jetties, then the motor died. Towed in by the Coast G.

2. Lost the entire prop while running in the intercoastal. Towed in by the Coast G.

3. Broke a shear pin out in the middle of nowhere. Had to make our own using a fillet knife to cut a stinger spear. Took awhile but got her done. Coast G. not notified.


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## jettech17 (Jan 20, 2006)

buddy and i leave the boat ramp in the dark to do some duck hunting.get to the end of tyhe canal and went to give the mighty 25 the gas and she made some horrible kind of noise,idled fine.....well it takes just a little more than idle to get that flusher to slide back on the lower unit and wrap up in the prop...shot a limit tyhat morning..


same jon boat being launched at the dike on the north side "unprotected" ramp,and tanker comes by...try to tell buddy to "pull back out"..apparently sounded like back up and the boat slid right off as designed.......well,when the water came back in it lifted the jon boat up set it side ways on the pier and the concrete shoring..boat now airborne..only until the second wave came in of course...it was kind enough to set it back down on the ramp for him....

i now own that boat,figured if he couldn't kill it it should last forever


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## gut hooked (Mar 23, 2005)

when i was a kid, my dad dunked me at the dock on a couple of occasions trying to be funny...........just when i'd get ready to step off the bow, bang, into reverse and in I would go...........i probably should have called cps........lol


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## gut hooked (Mar 23, 2005)

anyone who has launched at the end of the dike remembers the hole at the end of the ramp.........so one day the water is way low and i guess the tide was out..........husband and wife try to launch the queen mary..........twin axles.........etc..........with a new pick up truck..........

husband is yelling at the wife to back up the trailer and back it up and back it up....I try telling the guy he's about out of ramp.........and i'm like 10 or so at the time......and off it goes.............and now the truck is chasing the trailer down the ramp...........and the guy is cussing a blue streak at his wife...........and she is scared to death..........anyway............it was kind of funny..........i don't know how they got the truck and trailer out........the best part of the story is that the guy never unhooked the winch hook from the bow ...........very funny...........


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## coachlaw (Oct 26, 2005)

I don't have any cool stories like that because we always used a hoist. I never saw a rusted trailer until I moved to Texas. I sure do enjoy all these stories though. - Coach


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## donf (Aug 8, 2005)

You made have heard this urban legend, supposed to be true.
Brand new Bayliner, first time boat buyer, first time out gets his boat in the water, and it won't get on plane, He calls the dealer, who sends out his best mechanic, after trying everything, he gets in the water to find the trailer, firmly attached to the boat.


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## pelochas (Jun 15, 2005)

long time ago at tx city back when that marina still had the boat unloader and loader to drop your boat in the water and back on your trailer, watch a new boat being brought for a test drive with a potential buyer, well both didnt know very well of those rocks a few feet ahead and they may a quick left turn and right into those rocks, they were lucky enough to be that close so that the guy could lift that boat with holes back into the trailer. im guessing the buyer wasnt impress.


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## Capt. Throwback (Jun 30, 2006)

seen a few funny boat ramp stories. launched at a ramp and saw a few boats tied at the marina only to come back from fishing and find one of them sitting three feet lower. turned out they forgot to put the plugs in, launched and docked. the boat sat and sank.


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## Mullet (May 21, 2004)

*two more*

I got two of them.



*First one*: This past January Hop and I had just started to motor off from Fat Boys when we heard a loud splash. A husband and wife had just launched their boat. She was holding on to it while he parked the truck. Apparently the wind pulled the boat away from the dock and she wasn't strong enough to stop it and ended up taking a bath.

It was very cold and windy that day.



*Second one:* This happened when my son was 7 years old. We had been down at the dike wading around Mosquito Island and had noticed a boat full of people that launched next to Curl's was having some sort of problem. They were out about ½ mile. You could here them revving the engine and throwing out a big rooster tail but not going very fast. They made their way back to Curl's dock and when they got there everyone (there were about 12 people in the boat, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, etc.) tried to get out of the boat at the same time. The boat tilted to one side took on water and sank. Most of them went swimming. Apparently they left the plugs out and had taken on water. Now this was only the beginning of the story. As funny as the first park was later things got dicey later. 

My son and I had loaded everything in the truck and were getting ready to leave when we noticed that the same people that had sunk their boat were now trying to put it on the trailer. We decided to watch. It was about a 20 foot long boat and heavy, made heavier by being filled with water. They ran the winch cable all the way out and hooked it to the U-bolt in the bow. The owner of the boat, a male approximately 40 years old and around 250lbs starts cranking on the winch. He is putting everything he has into it and not making much progress. This is where I tell my son he is about to see some one die and he is going to learn a good lesson because that cable is either going to break or the u-bolt is going to rip out of the boat and smash him in the head. Then the owner's brother another male, 250 lbs starts to help him on the winch. Now I tell my son you might see two people die. They had pulled the boat partway out of the water and it was angled up at about 30 degrees. When the owners other brother, cousin and nephew get in the water behind the boat and start pushing as the other two are at work cranking the winch. Now I tell my son he might see five people die when the cable breaks impaling the two at the winch and the boat falls on top of the three in the water.

Well to make a long story short, luckily they manage to get the boat out of the water and no one got hurt. 

Lesson well learned.


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## bobber (May 12, 2005)

Mullet I liked your cliff hanger tale at the ramps. Lucky no one died.!


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## bryster (Jun 10, 2006)

the urban legend was repeated to me by someone who swore they saw it... Lady who had just bought a boat. Got it onto the ramp, disconnected the trailer from the truck, and took off...This was at Inland marino on Lake Conroe.

He told me this story while I was awaiting 'rescue' from my own ineptitude.

My truck has door locks that lock automatically when the engine is started. 

I had pulled in a bit crooked to hook up the boat. Fired up the truck with my door open so I could see, and backed it up just right. Stepped out of the truck with the engine still running and slammed the door.

I was staring at my truck idling and the doors locked. I called a buddy who swung by my house to pick up spare keys, a total of about an hour later I was able to get in and drive it out. (It was a cold day and I was the ONLY on out there. I would've broke a window if it was crowded.)

Now I have a spare truck key on the boat key ring, and a spare boat key on the truck key ring 

My uncle once didn't have the transom straps in place. Coming up a hill outside of Decker lake in Austin the boat let the trailer and slid down the road.
Enough people stopped to help put it on the trailer. I was pretty young but I'll never forget the site of the boat sliding along with the plume of fiberglass dust in the air billowing behind.


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## Fishspanker (Feb 8, 2005)

That KILT tournament on Conroe was legendary for boat ramp and boating stories. Any time you get 3000 boats on the water and 2500 of them only go out maybe twice a year you get things happening you just can't believe.


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## Bueno Suerte (Jun 27, 2004)

Mark this on your check out list - 

Check to make sure that someone at the ramp has not pulled the pin out of your reciever while you were out fishing. Someone did that to me, quite a mess. 

What kind of a evil low life would do that?


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## Porky (Nov 1, 2006)

The same scumbags that decided spare parts are better & cheaper when stolen
from someone else. But it is sure fun catchin' them in the act.


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## troutslayer (Feb 7, 2006)

We used to go to the Park in Lake Houston and watch the boats at the ramp .....great entertainment...one day a couple came up and put mom and the kiddo in the boat and launch it. dad takes the truck around the 1/4 mile loop to put up the truck...while he is gone the wife trys to start the boat but it would not cooperate. meanwhile dad comes back and starts giving a little advice on just how to start the boat as it gets farther and farther away.....well dad gets a little peeood and starts to yell....mom gets a little peeood and she starts to yell back.....well I guess it was bound to happen....the ole female dog calling came out along with the word stupid ( kindalike the previous thread) and mom gets the kiddo in the front of the boat........takes off her bathing suit and starts laying out butt nakid in the front of the boat.....dad is beside himself with anger.......he is jumping up and down on the dock screaming at the top of his lungs for all to witness.....but it aint helping his cause......finally he jumps in and has to swim about 100yds plus to get to the boat.....my wife and I were rolling watching all of this sh*&


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## Hop (May 21, 2004)

Mullet said:


> *First one*: This past January Hop and I had just started to motor off from Fat Boys when we heard a loud splash. A husband and wife had just launched their boat. She was holding on to it while he parked the truck. Apparently the wind pulled the boat away from the dock and she wasn't strong enough to stop it and ended up taking a bath.
> 
> It was very cold and windy that day.


If i remember right it was a new shearwater that wasn't fully rigged yet.. Looked to be 22' or so.

I can't imagine anyone leaving their plugs out of the boat!!! ROFL! if i remember right it was something like.. "HOP!! HOP!!! I FORGOT THE PLUGS!!!!111one"
ROFL!
--Hop


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## Viking48 (Jan 24, 2006)

Have seen many but two stand out. First was years ago when a young couple arrived at the campground launch with a brand new I/O runabout. Spent several hours cleaning and waxing before launching. Put the boat in, went to park the trailer and yep - forgot the plug. Pulled it back out and spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning and waxing their new boat again. 

Second was at GYB when a guy with an EZ Load trailer (boat supported by rollers rather than bunks) backed partially down the ramp and then started to unhook the winch cable. As soon as he released the catch, the boat slid off the trailer right onto the concrete - pretty big boat too.


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## BTK (Mar 9, 2007)

Dad and I had 2 springs fail at the same time once. We were on the way to the ramp when we heard a loud bang and then, the truck came to a screeching halt. I jumped out to see the axel rolling backwards towards the street. The frame was flat on the ground. It was a small glass boat so, wasn't to bad. Luckily dad and I are both great engineers.



Step 1. dump the boat on dry pavement.



Step 2. Go get the axel.



Step 3. Lift the frame up and role axel back under frame. "bend at the knees boys!"



Step 4. Fasten axel to frame with combination of bailing wire barbwire.



Step 5. Prey for forgiveness for all the bad things you ever did and make extraordinary promises to God that you will do if he gets you home.



Step 6. Drive home. SLOWLY&#8230;&#8230;


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## wading_fool (May 3, 2005)

I have several that stand out in my mind.....First one was at Canyon Lake, guy pulls up with his what had to be new to him boat with the tilt trailer that you could aslo extend the tongue length, well he backs down into the water gets out, pulls the pin that extends the trailer. Man that boat took off, luckily he had transom straps still connected or that would of been a bye bye trailer..........Second one happened and Choke Canyon South Shore boat ramp, guy rolls up with his brand new bass boat, still has paper plates on it. Well years ago the South Ramp was gravel for most of the way down it, that boat slides right off the trailer and about half way down the ramp just making the most god awful sound as it slides across that gravel. Seen several vehicles sitting roof deep at the Port A ramps as well


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## kenner27 (May 29, 2006)

i wonder how many people have sat at this computer and read one of these posts and was like "haha that was me"!


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## Gospel Truth (May 22, 2007)

I'm from the north and fished alot of rivers. Was by myself and launched into a river with with strong current. Normally not a problem but i forgot to attach a rope from the boat to the trailer. Pulled the truck out and noticed the boat was floating away, FAST! Jumped in and literally had to swim and jump in. Luckily no one was there to see.

Another time, fishing in the dead of winter, launched in a cove where the current was slack. The main river had current so was not frozen over but the launch area had what I thought, was a thin layer of ice. I backed the trailer down in thinking that the ice would break as soon as the tires hit. It was thicker than I thought and the trailer actually rode out on top of the ice. It stayed on top for about 8 feet and then finally broke through. This broke both lights off the back of the trailer. I pulled trailer out and got in boat, used an oar and broke the ice enough to turn the boat around and then literally used the front of the boat as a battering ram to break through the rest of the 50 feet of ice out to open water. It was only a 16 foot aluminum jon so I wasn't worried about a few dents. It was actually a great day of fishing that yielded some huge walleyes and pike. My dad sure was mad though when i came home with no lights on the trailer.


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## sofa king (Aug 25, 2005)

I am by myself getting ready to load my Majek RFL(Flat bottom boat) back on to trailer, back trailer into water. Get out to go get boat, boat is down four or five slips, by the time I untie and back out of slip and pull up to my trailer, there is a Kenner sitting on my trailer, I tell the guy, hey you are on my trailer, he looks at me like I am crazy. I just float there and wait to see how long it takes him to realize what he has done. He starts looking for his partner to hook the strap, then he notices that his partner is next in line to back into the ramp, he has a hard time getting his v-bottom off my trailer, then tells me " I Told You I was On The Wrong Trailer"


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## ike491 (May 27, 2007)

A neat way to spend a morning is to set at the boat ramp on a busy day. You will have some funny stories to tell your grand kids.


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## trashcanslam (Mar 7, 2006)

wading_fool said:


> Seen several vehicles sitting roof deep at the Port A ramps as well


Yep. My favorite was a few summers ago at the Port A public ramp. A jeep wrangler trying to launch a 25'+ sailboat. Jeep came out of gear and the whole set up rolled into the water and all you could see was the top of the roll cage.

I've got pictures at home I'll post up later.


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## BTK (Mar 9, 2007)

sofa king said:


> I am by myself getting ready to load my Majek RFL(Flat bottom boat) back on to trailer, back trailer into water. Get out to go get boat, boat is down four or five slips, by the time I untie and back out of slip and pull up to my trailer, there is a Kenner sitting on my trailer, I tell the guy, hey you are on my trailer, he looks at me like I am crazy. I just float there and wait to see how long it takes him to realize what he has done. He starts looking for his partner to hook the strap, then he notices that his partner is next in line to back into the ramp, he has a hard time getting his v-bottom off my trailer, then tells me " I Told You I was On The Wrong Trailer"


o my god that was funny!


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## Mullet (May 21, 2004)

*It happen to me*

Thanks Hop that was me.

A while back I was launching at the midway ramp at the dike. It was a very low tide and I had tied the boat to by eyehooks on the truck, backed down and as I was trying to pull the trailer out of the water my rear tires were spinning on the slime. Every time I let my foot off of the break the truck would slide backwards.
This was a helpless fealing. It was on a weekday and there was not many people out. No one at the ramp.
I sat there for about 20 minutes with my foot on the break when finaly another boat pulls up with an F250 4WD. He kindly unhooked his boat and pulled me out of the hole.
I was very thankfull and ready to repay the favor at anytime.


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## BTK (Mar 9, 2007)

Mullet said:


> Thanks Hop that was me.
> 
> A while back I was launching at the midway ramp at the dike. It was a very low tide and I had tied the boat to by eyehooks on the truck, backed down and as I was trying to pull the trailer out of the water my rear tires were spinning on the slime. Every time I let my foot off of the break the truck would slide backwards.
> This was a helpless fealing. It was on a weekday and there was not many people out. No one at the ramp.
> ...


Yha, that happens alot in freeport. I have pulled out a few people. I had it happen in my jeep and i was so scared by the even that I swore off 2wd trucks for life. 4wd for me!

What sucks the most and most people don't relize it is, your e-break only works the back tires so if you apply that you are going to slide into the water. trying to drive out only makes you go deeper. the only thing you can do is wait and prey someone will show up.

someone threw a large carpet in the ramp at the other side of the river. it seems to help. not sure what will happen when it gets rotton but for now it is cool.


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## BTK (Mar 9, 2007)

Was at the east lock boat ramp putting in the new brazos last year when a fine looking 21 foot boat comes pulling up. It looked like a cross between a scoter and a cat. Big 200hp motor on the back of it.

 Well one guy got off to get the trailer and the other guy was waiting. We were putting in so the guy strikes up a conversation. It didn't take long for me to realize this guy was toasted. Well, his buddy backed the trailer down and he started to drive the boat on the trailer. He pumped the throttle once and the boat started to swing wide. He turned the motor as far to the left as it would go and ROMPED it. The boat jumped over the trailer slammed into our boat and beat the **** out of the his trailer with the SS 4 blade prop. I'm talking for about 4 or 5 good seconds while the guy was stumbling around. The impact didn't hurt our boat just scuffed the glass a little but let me tell you I was some kind of mad. My dad was on the way back and saw me screaming at this guy. After I vented a little I was good. I felt they had done enough damage to themselves, I could leave them be to self destruct. 



I saw the owner of the boat a few weeks later at the same boat ramp. He said that he had to have the lower unit rebuilt and had to buy a new prop. The boat had, at some point gotten a hole ripped in the bottom that he had to get fixed also. I really didn't have anything to say that was constructive so, I just smiled and asked him how much beer did you bring with you this time? He didn't answer me but, his face turned really red.


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## wading_fool (May 3, 2005)

trashcanslam said:


> Yep. My favorite was a few summers ago at the Port A public ramp. A jeep wrangler trying to launch a 25'+ sailboat. Jeep came out of gear and the whole set up rolled into the water and all you could see was the top of the roll cage.
> 
> I've got pictures at home I'll post up later.


I seen that one as well, last year there was also a 4door that jumped out of gear and rolled in roof deep. It idled for awhile before it hiccuped and died lol


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## GulfSharkFishing (Apr 25, 2005)

Last winter I took out my father-in laws 17ft CC G3. Great day on the water with a lot fish caught. At the end of the day I headed back to the boat ramp. As I pulled up to the dock to tie off I dropped the throttle stick into reverse to slow the boat and ease into the dock for tie-off. Just then the the boat throttles even faster forward. BANG!! The boat charges into the dock and bounces off attracting the attention of all those at the baitstand. What the hell, im thinking. I put the boat "back" in forward gear to swing around for another attempt. Everyone still watching at this point. Once again I drop the stick in reverse to ease in. VVVROOOM!! Just like last time the boat throttles forward and BANG!!! into the dock it charges again. I thought I was going crazy, I know I put the boat in reverse so why the hell is it charging forward. I get back into open water and test out the reverse which is now forward. During the day the throttle/shift cable had broken and now the boat had no reverse just two forwards. The third time I just glided into to dock at a nice slow pace and tied-off. I can only imagine what the folks at the baitstand/ramp where thinking. Idiot.


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## trashcanslam (Mar 7, 2006)

trashcanslam said:


> Yep. My favorite was a few summers ago at the Port A public ramp. A jeep wrangler trying to launch a 25'+ sailboat. Jeep came out of gear and the whole set up rolled into the water and all you could see was the top of the roll cage.
> 
> I've got pictures at home I'll post up later.


This was Summer of 2005. Poor guy had attracted quite a crowd on a Saturday afternoon, and you know they don't take too kindly to sailboats down there.


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## hoosierplugger (May 24, 2004)

Back in '99 my wife and I were returning to the ramp at the yacht basin and there was a big crowd at the dock and a wrecker on the ramp. Some guy had submarined his trailer & truck and the tow truck driver had to strip down to his shorts to dive in and get a tow hook on the truck.

That scene haunts me enough that every time I launch alone I double check I'm in Park with the break on.


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