SpringTime Boat Circus

HOGTIDE · 03-31-2001, 07:48 PM

What a show. Didn't go out til 8am today, but the things I saw while launching and loading were unbelievable!

Count 'em...3 guys in a row back their trailers,, with boats aboard, down into the side of the dock. Crunch dock ...crunch boat and trailer.

Count'em (part 2)..3 boats in a row decide to run out, not observing markers in the boat channel, and ran fast aground. One guy literally tore off the bottom of his motor...no, not the lower unit...the entire bottom half of his motor. About $10,000 worth of 200hp Mercury.

When loading, a guy in a 20 Reinell comes into the end of the dock, rather than hitting reverse to slow the boat down...he gives it full throttle forward, smashes the bow through the end of the dock and runs nearly the entire craft, 2/3's of it up on the dock. Boat teeter-totters until the bow points straight up and the rearend drops back down into the water. He lives.

I got the heck out of there, while one husband and wife team stood at the ramp yelling at each other.

Welcome to beautiful, quiet, relaxed Columbia County. We are so proud of our new ramp and docks. Please relax a bit and try not to turn our facility into a pile of Woolmanized Wood Chips.

Maybe the $2 ramp fee should be changed to a $1,000 deposit!

Bait O' Eggs · 03-31-2001, 08:14 PM

Thanks Hog, that put a smile on my face.

The guy ahead of me pulling out today, tore one of his trailer lights off when he backed into the dock.

I cannot catch a springer, but my equipment is holding up [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Jellyhead · 03-31-2001, 08:19 PM

Hogtide,

Good to see you out there today. I know what you're saying about the ramp!!! It's amazing how people do more damage to their boats at the ramp then on the water. Did you ever see a boat bounce off a trailer before the county fixed the Scappoose bay ramp. I did. OUCH!! The guy took off out of the water with a flat bunk trailer and bounced a 16' Glass boat right on the ramp and dragged it about 10' by the safety chain and destroyed the lower unit on the old Merc.

If A guy needs some cheap entertainment, take hog's advice and go to the Scappoose bay ramp at about 2:00-5:00pm any weekend during salmon season. Who knows, you might even learn some new words to add to your vocabulary

DF · 03-31-2001, 08:38 PM

And this is why I keep my boat down in a slip IN the water already. No launch. No problem [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Jellyhead · 03-31-2001, 08:55 PM

Dustin,

I'll agree with you on having a moored boat for ease, and hassle free fishing. But, alot of guys fish different places every weekend, or not frequently enough to warrent mooring. (Not to mention that nasty green stuff that grows on your boat!!)

I once fished a bass tournement out of Scappoose bay in September. It was the peak of the fall chinook run. The tournement drew over 100 boats. There were 100 bass boats launched sucessfully before daylight, and the salmon fishermen, too. The reason why---Everyone made sure they're boats were water ready before launching. Plugs were in, Nav. lights installed, motor primed, key in ignition, Back off trailer, tie off, park, and go fish.

It amazes me how many people will back almost all the way down to the water, forget to pull their straps, back in, OOPS, forgot to put the plug in. Pull back out, install plug, Jacknife while backing in again, then, DEAD STARTING BATTERY.

Just the opposite is true while taking out. Couples yelling at each other, wife trying to drive boat on trailer, husband shouting direcitons. Luckily my boat has guide on bunks, All I have to do is back my trailer in the water till the trailer fenders are 3" above the water, and drive my boat on to the trailer, two cranks on the trailer winch, attach safety chain and GO!

It takes me a max of 5 min. to load or unload my boat by myself. Sorry for ranting here, but it just amazes me to see all of the boat wrangling that goes on at public launches.

Aaron

boater · 03-31-2001, 09:01 PM

it amazes me too, these are the same fools that dont know how to release a native fish.

HOGTIDE · 03-31-2001, 09:06 PM

Hey Jelly,

Liked your boat. That thing goes like a rocket! Glad you gave me a boat description so I could recognize you...yer not the cute lil' redhead boy I remember in my "Jammin' Salmon" class! We have a couple other ex Salmon Jammers on this board that e-mail me from time to time. You guys appear to have turned out to be a bunch of nice young men. It pleases me to hear from you! Even 'DUSTIN' is presently one of my students....only,we're just tryin' to "jam" some 'Geography' in that boys head, at this time. We'll explain the fish-tech stuff to him later!

Jellyhead · 03-31-2001, 09:40 PM

Hog,

Waddaya mean CUTE?!?

Saw more action down at 72 today than I did in the Channel. Just not on my rod. Gonna give it another go tommorrow.

It's funny how facial hair makes a guy ugly [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Aaron

Beer Waggin · 04-01-2001, 06:28 PM

You should have been at the Fishery this morning and this afternoon. Same dance, different song. I watched a guy back his trailier down to load his boat, get out of the truck, un-tie his boat from the dock, load his boat, secure it to the trailer, pull out and then proceed to park right in the middle of the road that leads you out. A little mud slinging got me around him and up to the pavement where I pulled over and cleaned up before hitting the high-way. And it's only going to get worse. Be courteous to these wise people, for they don't seem to know any better. Sorry, this is one of my pet peeves.

Up-4-Air · 04-01-2001, 07:58 PM

If you want to watch the human zoo, visit the Chinook ramp on a Sunday afternoon in September. Fishermen trying to get out, jet ski's and ski boats both coming and going, husbands yelling at wives and visa versa, kids in life jackets crying, dogs pooping on the dock while the owners of course don't notice. Family fun at its best. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]