Dock Ramp Ediquitte

STIHLBOLTS

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Oct 3, 2006
1,985
Panama City Beach Fl/ South Ga
Boat Info
2004 - 220 Sundeck
Engines
5.0L w/Bravo 3 Drive
First off some basic ramp etiquette:

Departing:
1. Do all your loading of the boat either at home or in the staging area, not as the boat is being put in the water.
a. Check if you have to remove your trailer electrical plug.
2. Once your boat is in the water:
a. Turn on your blower.
b. Lower your stern drive.
c. Unhook the strap and safety chain.
d. Start your motor and back away and move a way from the ramp to the dock so the next person can have the ramp.
3. Have your passengers standing by and ready to board.
4. Depart the area at no wake speed.

When returning:
1. When approaching the landing / dock / ramp area make sure to come off plane prior to the no wake buoy. Remember your wake will keep going even though you are not.
a. Turn on your blower.
2. Drop off your driver to pick up the truck and trailer and let your passengers disembark.
3. Back off the dock and wait on the water for the trailer to be placed in the water and load.
4. Loading:
a. Turn motor off.
b. Bring up the stern drive to trailer position.
c. Hook up safety chain.
d. Hook up front strap, pull boat snug to bow roller.
4. Pull far enough out of the ramp area so you don't block other loaders and start your check list for the ride home.
a. If you took your light plug out, remember to put it back in.
b. Do not wash our clean your boat while near the ramp. Other people are waiting to use it. Save it for your return home.

It's not hard guys, but you would be so surprised at how many bone heads just don't get it..... :smt009 Or maybe you do. :smt021 :huh:

What do you guys think about making copies of our list when we are finished and passing a few out on windshields at boat ramps when you go. Think education of the masses might help? :smt024
 
That's a good list.......most of the things you need to know to get through life are learned in Kindergarten.....be nice to others....respect others stuff...etc... etc.
 
Not trying to hijack your thread Richard but many of us have seen the ways NOT to do loading and unloading. Maybe some of those would be interesting also. One of the ones I always find controversial is "power loading".
 
STIHLBOLTS said:
.
4. Depart the area at no wake speed.

May we please add: Return to the ramp docks at NO WAKE SPEED? (Sorry for shouting.) Thankfully, I don’t need to use boat ramps any longer; however I did use them for 10 years. One thing that always got under my skin would be the hot shots that would race back to the ramps and drop down from 50 to idle speed right at the no wake buoy. Why don’t they understand that their boat may slow down but guess what? - the large wake keeps on going.

Very frustrating to be loading and have the boat lined up just right on the bunks or rollers only to have it repositioned by some dumb dumb’s wake.
 
Unplug the lights before backing into the water. I quess I'm still old school about backing into the water with the power on.
 
Many trailers now have the 5th prong that unlocks the surge brakes. Also the newer trailers are getting the completely sealed LED lights that don't have the same issues that earlier lights have.
 
Greg,

Power load is when you power your way onto the trailer once it is set on the bunks you give a little gas to push your boat up to the trailer. If you are on a concrete ramp no problem if you are on a soft (sand) ramp than doing this will put a nice size hole in the area and enviormental guys get pretty angry.

Personally we never power load even on concrete ramp. We drive it up in idle and kick it into neutral as we get close to the bunks. I usually park the bunks in the water deep enough that I can coast most of the way, then clip the hook, and winch it the remaining couple of feet. Never really see the point of doing it (power loading).

Wesley
 
First Born said:
Greg,

Never really see the point of doing it (power loading).

Wesley

Wesley with the smaller/lighter boats you don't really have to worry about it. Never really had to do it with my 15 to 17 footers. With the weight of 240 do it any time I can now. :thumbsup:
 
STIHLBOLTS said:
Many trailers now have the 5th prong that unlocks the surge brakes. Also the newer trailers are getting the completely sealed LED lights that don't have the same issues that earlier lights have.

Have not had a problem yet with Brakes as long as I don't pull the plug until I'm almost in the water. The grade of the ramp and the weight of the boat keeps the trailer surge brakes from engaging.

Ye I know about the new lights its just the thought of ducking wires in the water with the power on them :smt101
 
I may just print out this list and save a copy to hand out if I think someone needs a refresher course.

Last fall, my family and I waited for 15 minutes while this couple pulled their boat out and washed it. Literally.

They docked the boat and I saw the guy go up and get his truck. He pulled down the ramp and loaded. As he was pulling up, and I being ready, I pulled up to a point where he could get out of the area and I could begin backing in. And there I waited. My family had already walked down to the dock (5 others). They got a front row seat to watch.

I'll usually use the hose to wash off the saltwater, but not pull out the brush too, interior and exterior while there are peopled staged to go! And if I have to, I'll just do all that at home, since I run the engine with the muffs on anyway.

That still bugs me... :smt001
 
ah erhim... :smt017 Doug, this is boat ramp etiquette 101...please go down the hall and too the left for Marina Etiquette. Thank you. :thumbsup:


Seriously, that is worthy of it's own thread. Please open a new one up and I will place it as a sticky. Thanks. :thumbsup:
 
STIHLBOLTS said:
ah erhim... :smt017 Doug, this is boat ramp etiquette 101...please go down the hall and too the left for Marina Etiquette. Thank you. :thumbsup:

Seriously, that is worthy of it's own thread. Please open a new one up and I will place it as a sticky. Thanks. :thumbsup:

I take this as a HUGH complement to my post. Thank you!

It did not exactly fit under sport cruisers. Hope I picked the right category.


Post moved to here

http://www.byowneryachts.com/forums/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=19311#19311
 
Remember to raise the engine before pulling the boat out of the water on the trailer. Saw that once on Lake Mead. Husband screaming at his better half as the lower unit grinds and imbeds itself into the concrete ramp...I think they're still there trying to get it up.. :smt021
 
power loading done right is done at just over idle speed (700-800 RPM) with engines in gear. If it will not go on... trailer is not deep enough. Creating a wake and churning the water up with 4,000 RPM to push the thing on the trailer is simply ridiculous and really lets the boat owners lack of experience show through.

Launching or retrieving a boat should take about 30-45 seconds from the time your bow crosses the end of the trailer (loading) or from the time the trailers tires hit the water (unloading). True with my previous 220BR. True with my 280DA. Dropping the truck person off on the dock does not require docking if you wish. Just simply come alongside and stop the boat so the truck person has an easy step onto the dock (220BR). The 280 I simply turn around and stop the boat within 6 inches of the end of the dock. This way you never tie up the dock just waiting.

Also.... if you must use the dock use your lines... the human lines are dangerous and unnecessary. Why do people have the wife, and kids physically hold the boat on the dock..... it would be much less effort to simply utilize your dock lines.

my 2 pennies... great topic Richard! Are there really non-concrete/non-asphalt ramps?
 

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