Boat Ramp Debachle

[Patrick S/V Shangra-La]

My first sailboat was a Huntre 23, it came with a trailer with the extending tongue to allow the trailer to get into deeper water for the draft of the keef with out flooding the car. Before my first attempt at launching the boat, so I could look like a pro, I practiced stepping the mast and setting the boom several times. I had it down pat.On a busy Saturday, we took my fine craft to a boat ramp on north Tampa Bay. I stepped the mast and set the boom as people watched, answering questions of several by-standers. Now ready to launch, I backed the boat onto the ramp, but then remembered that I hadn't extended the tongue. I lowered the landing gear on the front of the trailer, told my wife to pull the pin as I rocked the car back and forth, and replace the pin as the next hohe in the tongue came into view. But I forgot I was still on the ramp!!I rocked the car back and forth, the pin came out as it was supposed to. Then the boat rapidly rand down the ramp towards the water. I jumpped out of the car, ran towards my run-away boat, and because I had not placed the car in park, it began rolling forward. My wife quickly ran to the car and stopped it. Stamding knee deep in water, I reatteached the tongue, hooked it back into the car and tried to launch the boat. Only to find that with the out-going tide, it was now too shallow to get the boat off the trailer.Red-faced I unstepped the mast went home and tried again the next day at another ramp, this time successfuly, and with much more humility.

 

[Landsend]

We all learn by our mistakes....

but, sometimes we provide interesting entertainment for others. Boat ramps are always interesting places to enjoy a little cabaret.

 

[abe]

If it makes you feel any better....

First time I took my Capri 16 to a local lake....towed by a Mercedes E420 (that was a joke on its own) we also gave them a show they will never forget. After rigging the boat I had to drive through a parking lot full of oak trees. Needless to say, one of the trees took out my mast...luckily nobody was hurt and the Benz was okay. I had two choices...call it a day or the show must go on. I took down the broken mast, untangled the lines from the tree, took off the hardware, and took my mastless sailboat back to the lake where we had an uneventful launch. We motored around the lake for a few hrs..wife, son, and self and had a great time.It is not what happens, but how you deal with these situations that will in the long run makes you a better person. Not only that, your attitude and examples rubs off to those around you....most important your son or daughter.abe

 

[sailaway78]

Lessons Learned

Patrick, lessons learned the hard way are never forgotten. And don't feel embarased, each and every one of us has done things that make us feel like the dumbest of the species. There is no better teacher than experience.

 

[CalebD]

Stuff happens when trailering

Many years ago I used to sail my Viking 14' daysailer (circa 1960) a lot as it was the only boat I owned. Once, after a nice long sail and several adult beverages I was pulling the boat up the ramp as it began to rain. Big raindrops were hitting my windshield as I drove up onto the parking lot by the ramp. In my condition and because of the rain I had failed to notice an overhead power line so eventually I just heard a large crash. I stopped and looked back only to see that the mast had been snapped above the deck (keel stepped) and the power line was doing a dance but had thankfully not broken.The mast was repairable and was re-welded but my conscience was quite aware that I could have fried myself. Overhead power lines are a potential menace to any trailer sailor.

 

[Tommy T]

Humor

On days when I am lazy (most days recently) and want some good humor, our marina has a small patio bar right across from the boat ramp. I can sit there for hours and have lot of entertaiment watching people trying to launch or retrive their boats. I recently put my Hunter 23 on a trailer. It took me and my son-in-law less time to get the Hunter on the trailer and up on the hard than it took 2 young men to get a jet ski on a trailer. Watching them was really lot of entertainment. I do beleive that there was some spirits consumed before they tried to get the jet ski on the trailer.

 

[ed]

do some research on ramps in the area

do to the wisdom of those who design ramps and use them there is an unseen hazard waiting for you on many tampa area ramps.many of the ramps are short. the concrete does not extend very far out from the shore. So then along comes the powerboat with the drive on trailer. He drops his twin 200 hp outboards in the water and drives the boat on the trailer, works great for him, but the hole he creates at the end of the ramp is a trailer trap for you. If the wheels of the trailer go off the end of the ramp into the hole you got a big time problem, that often results in tearing the wheels axle and springs off the bottom of the trailer. Sooo-- you need to do some serious ramp research before you extend your trailer into the abiss..Check to see how far the concrete pad goes out beyond the ramp and how deep the water is. Use ramps you know are safe.. Talk about a problem, boat in the water on a trailer with no wheels under it is a really bad day!