Boat Ramp Accidents

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One more I just remembered. We were at San Carlos Lake in central Arizona close to Easter, good fishing. There was a tournament going on that weekend, we had launched amid all the tournament guys, and I was waiting in my boat for my partner to return from parking the truck. I heard yelling and looked up to the dirt ramp where a truck was pulling out and dragging a bass boat up the ramp with the front tie down strap still attached. A bunch of us guys got out and were able to lift the front of the boat onto the trailer and slide it far enough on to get into the water. There was a lot of damage to the bottom of that boat, as he had drug it about 50 yards up the ramp. Truth is stranger than fiction, Ranger 621
 
I put my Super Duty in 4WD low range before putting it in park. More resistance against rolling backward. To retrieve my 270 Sundeck, I just take my foot off of the brake and it idles up the ramp.
I was a park ranger in the 80's at a state park with a lake, and there is plenty of good entertainment to be had by observing.
 
I have looked for 2 days now trying to find the picture when I used my Subaru Impreza to launch and retrieve my 2050 Bayliner at Bullfrog. I was fueling it up before putting it back into storage when a guy asked "how does do on the passes". I kept it in BF storage years ago so didn't have a long way to haul it. Sq
 
I was at Lake Havasu in 1979 and we were preparing to launch our ski boat. We noticed a bow rider sitting right at shoreline with a large hole punched in the front. The ranger was at the dock so we asked him what happened. It seems after the grandparents went to be that evening that the grandson took the boat out for a joy ride. He came right up to the dock pretty much full speed grounding the boat. Then the ranger pointed out the boat that was under the bow rider. Oops!!! Can you say grounded for life. That would have been an interesting conversation with the grandparents after they woke up.
 
Site 6 launch at Havasu is legendary for this happening. It is VERY steep, and Havasu ramps all seem to have this slime coating that is from algae forming. If you ever are brave enough to launch with a 2wd truck at Site 6 ramp.......you're probably going to get towed out. It is guaranteed you won't have traction.
 
I used to launch and retrieve my 26 foot sea ray with a 73 three-quarter ton Chevy 2 wheel dr pickup at state line. Made the mistake one time of asking a lady standing around the dock if she would hop in the bed of the truck because I needed the extra weight. Took three weeks for that black eye to heal
 
I think best thing would be to have a laminated cheat sheet
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We have a pretty long gap of time between spring and fall boating; I did start creating check off lists a decade ago. As we perfect our routine, I edit them a bit. I have boat loading lists for camping as well as driveway and launch prep. We often camp for a few days out in Last Chance and rarely see anyone else, I feel the need to be quite self-sufficient. It used to feel like overkill until I started watching the videos on instagram's "the Qualified Captain." Oh my!

I'd rather check my list than do something stupid and expensive, and we virtually never have any guests help us launch or retrieve, that takes you out of your routine and leads to mistakes.
 
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The Qualified Captain on Instagram: "Never been a big jeep fan anyways....hello spring ! #qualified #sundayfunday #boatrampchamp #wtfisgoingonhere #whenyouarebackeduponcarpayments #andjustlikethat #anotheronebitesthedust #itwastimeforanewoneanyway #i

24K likes, 587 comments - thequalifiedcaptain on March 28, 2021: "Never been a big jeep fan anyways....hello spring ! #qualified #sundayfunday #boatrampchamp #wtfisgoingonhere #whenyouarebackeduponcarpayments #andjustlikethat #anotheronebitesthedust #itwastimeforanewoneanyway #insuranceclaim...
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We were at Havasu at Site 6 one spring and some guy had some spillage from his older 2-stroke PWC - you could see the slick on the surface of the water at the ramp. I just about slipped and fell on my can as I was trailering up my boat but caught myself, I watched in my rear view mirror as some poor guy that was just getting out of his truck on the ramp to trailer up slipped and fell. Been down there a few times since then, but that was the only time I found it really slick there.

I've seen the videos online from the Site 6 show, I wonder if at least some of it is folks at or over the towing limits of their rigs?
 
Rivergoer said:
My numbskull (and thankfully former) neighbor sank his lime green Scion xB (photo below).

I happened upon his abandoned sunken vehicle at the ramp down the street from my house (Colorado River, Parker Strip). A few inches of the roof visible above water, the floating 3-seater watercraft was still attached to the dual-PWC trailer. The Scion’s flashers were visible underwater...apparently the computer didn’t like H2O much...

A few minutes after I found it, the owner returned on the other PWC. He’d apparently taken the ski out for a quick jaunt up the river, leaving the Scion parked on the ramp with the e-brake on.

Well, a few wakes rolled in while he was gone, lifting the remaining jet ski on the trailer. This provided enough lift to get the Scion’s rear wheels off the ground. Front-Wheel Drive, Manual transmission, stick in Neutral, no e-braked rear wheels in contact with pavement...down she went.

Once in the water, the rear end stayed afloat long enough to let the whole shootin’ match roll out about 2 car lengths. Long story short, next time I saw that car it was sitting on a flat-bed tow truck with water still draining out the doors.

Scion xB
View attachment 11915
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That's an ugly car, so no big loss (personal opinion!!)
 
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