Ramp Etiquette

[Old Scaley]

Ok, just throwing it out here. Not saying that this happened to me, but looking for some ideas from boaties about bringing your boat into a crowded ramp.

Let's say you have been out on a gloriuos Sunday morning at the mouth of the river, you have a couple of snapper in the esky and you are feeling pretty good about life in general.

You come back into the fishos island ramp and it is choc-a-block. Half the ramp is occupied by a boat side-on to the ramp with 2 cars facing the water and trying to jump start the boat. All the spots are taken on the pontoon except one on the far side of the pontoon. You are on your own, so you take that spot and get your trailer. Take your turn at getting the trailer into the water and then return to the boat.

You try to manouvre the boat around all the stationary boats tied up to the ramp and have to climb out to the front of the pontoon (in front of the pylon) to lead your boat around the others tied up to the inner side of the pontoon so you can put your boat on the trailer. When you are at the point of the outside part, leaning well forward so that you can bring the boat around, the current grabs the boat (and you may or may not have been nudged by one of the people who insist on fishing on a crowded pontoon) and end up going face over apex into the water. On the way into the water, your stainless watchband catches on something and tears a big hole in your arm and causes a lot of pain and swelling.

You are now in the water, still holding the lead rope for your boat and have to swim with one bung arm, towing a boat against the current, back to the pontoon. :blush:

Now (finally) here are my questions:

1. Should the people standing around their boats offer to help a lone boatie who is obviously struggling to get the job done?

2. Once they see said boatie in the water, should they offer to help or stand around laughing?

3. When you see the same guy trying to get his boat onto the trailer with one good arm and the other one p*ssing blood, should you offer to give hime a hand?

Your views on these questions and how the whole crowded pontoon thing should work are welcome. Just in case it happens to you or someone you know. :whistle:

[Binder]

As a general rule of life, regardless of where or when, soon as you spot anyone is in trouble, you should help out.

Second your example bloke went in the drink there would have been no doubt a hand was needed.

[muzz]

Wow you would be pretty disappointed in the human race after that

[batman]

mate

that is just terrible I would be very dissapointed with those people. I am not sure what it is but boat ramps seem to bring out the worst in people.

Chin up, you will be more the wiser for the experience!

[tugger]

I still remember skiing at moogerah dam one day with my brother in laws boat and it wouldnt start towards the end of the day and we were 500m from the ramp we started off pushing it along the bank and noticed a storm moving quickly towarsds us. Everyone decided to pull out before the storm hit and we ended up about 7th boat in line with still another 3 or 4 behind us to pull out at the ramp when we got hit buy heavy rain and gale force winds.

Lightning started cracking all around us and the ski boats started sinking all around us so i helped the guys spin there boats around to face the huge waves crashing onto the shore. We were standing up to our arm pits in the water to keep the ski boats from being smashed and sunk our boat had alot better freeboard than the rest.

The lightning was deafening and to close for comfort and i never noticed any of the men leaving the rest of us behind as they pulled out they all stayed until every boat had got back on trailers it was true aussie spirit we alled helped each other it was good to see even thougfh it was bloody scary

[big al]

well one should have hoped in the boat and drive it to the trailer then get out :cheer: i did that and still fell in the water al

[Gloomy Samurai]

I would like to say "unbelievable" Scaley, but unfortunately I can believe it. The ignorance of others can be unbelievable at times.

On a much smaller scale, there is a little ramp at Dohles Rocks where you can launch a yak or a small tinny. I was going in there one day after a session and some wanker cast his line right across the top of me.

I looked up at him expecting a "sorry mate, didn't see you" but the deadhead just stared back at me daring me to do something. I did, I cut his line for him.

At one level I sort of feel sorry for them. I wonder how empty their lives are that they don't even seem to have the most basest understanding of manners and helping someone out who needs it.

Andrew

[ellicat]

Let's start at the beginning.

When you have been out on a glorious morning and have a good feed in the esky, a fisherman should not return to the ramp. He must sit for a couple of hours savouring his achievements and not contemplate returning until he hasn't had a bite for over 1 hour. He should be getting a bit bored before starting the motor up.

It would seem that this was your friends first mistake.

Next, you (or your friend) should never come back at a busy time. This may mean waiting until after dark, but this is what a good fisherman should do.

Never wear a stainless watch band fishing. That is ludicrous. The reflections could scare a fish, blind a decky or even a friend himself. Very dangerous behaviour.

When, obviously inspired by Australia's Silver medalist Olympian, you (or your friend) dive into the water at the ramp it is best to do the 'Pencil' dive method or even a 'bomb' dive method. The flat on the face can be extremely dangerous as the water is shallow and there may be rocks (or even a previous diver).

When swimming in the Brisbane River, at no time bleed into the water. It is a well known area for bullsharks. You could be putting not only yourself (or friend) at risk, but all those that will follow you to get their own vessel to land. Shame, shame, shame.

Now to the questions -

1. In most instances yes. But not if they can't swim. It also depends on how cold it is.

2. This depends entirely on whether they are mates of your friend or are just the general public. The general public should help straight away. Mates should help when they think you (or your friend)are in trouble, but not before they have regained their breath from laughing and patched their split sides.

3. I know my First Aid rules and there is no way anybody should approach an obviously bleeding person (especially a fisherman) without a full latex body suit. Best that someone lives to tell the authorities what happened. It is a very stressful time for bureaucrats in Qld at the moment.

:silly:

Steve, Sorry to hear you got injured.

Hope you are up to date with your shots.

Excuse me for it bit I admit that I laughed quite a bit as I was reading your friend's tale of woe.

I still can't fathom why they didn't put enough thought into the pontoon so that it was in the middle of the ramp. That way - 2 sides to use plus the sandy bit/beach that used to get used.

[ellicat]

well one should have hoped in the boat and drive it to the trailer then get out :cheer: i did that and still fell in the water al

:woohoo:

[Old Scaley]

Let's start at the beginning.

When you have been out on a glorious morning and have a good feed in the esky, a fisherman should not return to the ramp. He must sit for a couple of hours savouring his achievements and not contemplate returning until he hasn't had a bite for over 1 hour. He should be getting a bit bored before starting the motor up.

It would seem that this was your friends first mistake.

Next, you (or your friend) should never come back at a busy time. This may mean waiting until after dark, but this is what a good fisherman should do.

Never wear a stainless watch band fishing. That is ludicrous. The reflections could scare a fish, blind a decky or even a friend himself. Very dangerous behaviour.

When, obviously inspired by Australia's Silver medalist Olympian, you (or your friend) dive into the water at the ramp it is best to do the 'Pencil' dive method or even a 'bomb' dive method. The flat on the face can be extremely dangerous as the water is shallow and there may be rocks (or even a previous diver).

When swimming in the Brisbane River, at no time bleed into the water. It is a well known area for bullsharks. You could be putting not only yourself (or friend) at risk, but all those that will follow you to get their own vessel to land. Shame, shame, shame.

Now to the questions -

1. In most instances yes. But not if they can't swim. It also depends on how cold it is.

2. This depends entirely on whether they are mates of your friend or are just the general public. The general public should help straight away. Mates should help when they think you (or your friend)are in trouble, but not before they have regained their breath from laughing and patched their split sides.

3. I know my First Aid rules and there is no way anybody should approach an obviously bleeding person (especially a fisherman) without a full latex body suit. Best that someone lives to tell the authorities what happened. It is a very stressful time for bureaucrats in Qld at the moment.

:silly:

Steve, Sorry to hear you got injured.

Hope you are up to date with your shots.

Excuse me for it bit I admit that I laughed quite a bit as I was reading your friend's tale of woe.

I still can't fathom why they didn't put enough thought into the pontoon so that it was in the middle of the ramp. That way - 2 sides to use plus the sandy bit/beach that used to get used.

Thanks Brian, my friend was p+ssing himself reading your well constructed reply. I have to agree with all points made. Thankfully someone's female partner did help to some degree. She offered to hold the rope while my friend got back up onto the pontoon, and later helped apply bandages so that my friend could get home without bleeding all over the car.

I also agree that putting the pontoon in the middle of the ramp would have been a great idea.

[marty]

It never shocks me that people that fish around boat ramp and pontoons can be ignorant, as I tell myself they have never owned a boat so don't understand what they are doing and how much trouble it causes for boaties. But when fellow boaties act like that then I do get somewhat shocked. It has got to the stage where I will generally launch before dawn most trips just to avoid these sort of people, but unless you stay out till dark you are likely to have to deal with them on your return.

Jacobs Well ramp is a classic - on the weekends it seems the locals come down just to watch the circus as people launch and retrieve all manner of boats with all manner of experience.

The situation you described is almost unbelievable - luckily it is only hypothetical!

[max pwr]

Your friend must have stumbled across a rare collection of society's bottom dwellers and if it's not a hypothetical scenario it's a sad state of affairs allright. I've only encountered helpful folk at ramps and I would hope to not find myself in your friends shoes ( cos they'd be wet ) guffaw. Ahem.

But on a serious note , do you reckon the water temp is on the rise?

[Old Scaley]

Surprisingly, it wasn't that cold. I agree that generally people are keen to help when they see another boatie in trouble. I guess that is why I was so disappointed that day. There were dozens of people around and no-one offered any help except for that one kind lady. I have been launnching and retrieving boats for years on my own and have had plenty of offers of help. I have also spent a bit of time thinking about what I could have done differently, but can't think of anything really, except to offer a deckie spot next time I think it will be chockers at the ramp.

Your friend must have stumbled across a rare collection of society's bottom dwellers and if it's not a hypothetical scenario it's a sad state of affairs allright. I've only encountered helpful folk at ramps and I would hope to not find myself in your friends shoes ( cos they'd be wet ) guffaw. Ahem.

But on a serious note , do you reckon the water temp is on the rise?

[wheel fish]

Boat ramps turn generally turn normal people into mindless twats. no consideration, people fishing from the ramp pontoons who intentionally cast there line at you prop because they are ticked off that you are trying to come along side a pontoon that is there for the purpose of tying up, and they have to move.

Marty those locals ARE there to watch the side show at Jacobs Well. I have spoken to the 2 guys and their weekend entertainment is to stand on the jetty for the pontoon, above the ramp and get to watch a comedy sideshow for free. they are there every good weekend.

[bootyinblue]

I love nothing more than pulling my boat out early at Jacobs Well then buying an icecream and settling in to watch the debarcle that occurs on the ramp every afternoon. Its a 4 lane ramp so you think there would be some sort of easing of the pressure, but no its on for young and old.

I used to gauge what was going on and pull my boat in at the end of the 'queue'. Collect the car and hopefully everyone has moved down in line with the corresponding cars to some extent.

But nope, it always happens that someone with a huge tub has to put their boat right next to the ramp and then proceed to have a picnic on the benches there. If you aint launching or recovering, get your boat out of the way!

Then just as the mug punter gets to the top of the line, in would scream some jet ski riders on a tandem trailer. Back straight down as no one ties them on anyway, and proceeds to rev the guts out of them on the trailer before reversing each one off and parking it back on the ramp next to the trailer.

If you are good at searching on here... check out Bootys Top 5 Ramp Indescretions for a laugh.

[madmullet]

Now (finally) here are my questions:

1. Should the people standing around their boats offer to help a lone boatie who is obviously struggling to get the job done?

i make an effort if anyone is struggling with thieir boats, trailers, reversing ect. do for one, as you would like one do for you

2. Once they see said boatie in the water, should they offer to help or stand around laughing?

if they stood their laughing when i was in the water, once i got out i would give them a freindly nudge into the water, that is poor effort

3. When you see the same guy trying to get his boat onto the trailer with one good arm and the other one p*ssing blood, should you offer to give hime a hand?

commom sense with alot of people have gone out the door, just like politeness. i once say a guy slip on a ramp and on hit way down, catching something on the trailer cuting him pritty bad. i tended to the boat and my wife tended to him. no one else helped.

i have sutterly bumped afew people into the water when try to pull the boat around with the rope, as you goi behind them, pretend to slip forward and bump them into the water. :evil: :evil: :evil:

i for one do break this rule from time to time of cast neting from a boat ramp where it clearly states no fishing, but this isnlywhen its not busy. the last time myself, rick and basstracker launch our boats at colmslie, their were 4 guys on the jetty fish and they had to go past the sign , anyway i launched my boat and told them to move polightly, they didnt, brad launched his and when coming over to the jetty, these guys still didnt move and evan after some words, still didnt mnove, so i grabed each one pf their lines and got the knife of my him and went cut, cut, cut, and cut and then brad and i blasted them and they just staired at us and pulled faces like we were in the wrong.

quote]

[Bommie]

boatramps and petrol stations

[bootyinblue]

boatramps and petrol stations

I have written about them too.... Suggested that all petrol stations have entry and exit arrows painted on the forecourt.

[Often Debaited]

i think some people who fish off a pontoon need to be educated..... in most cases the boat that is pulling up to the pontoon has right of way so the people fishing need to clear off while you sort your boat out...whether comin in or leaving....and at best it is common sense to give someone a hand if you can see they are struggling ....especially with one arm! if all else fails then a few polite words to them gets them to understand.... "you D@#$%ead"

[marty]

..... in most cases the boat that is pulling up to the pontoon has right of way so the people fishing need to clear off while you sort your boat out...

in most cases there is a sign stating that exact point - of course they would need to be able to read for that to be relevant

good forecast this weekend (especially Sunday) so the ramps will be extra busy

[Scope]

That's a sad tale Steve,

Personally, i would never stand by and watch anyone struggling with their boat (or anything else for that matter)

They'll get what's coming to them one day when its their turn.

On a happier note, a few years ago a bloke helped me skulldrag my 4.5m tinny through the mud at the toondah ramp when I came back too late at low tide one day. He turned out to be a afo bloke by the name of adambris.... So there are helpful people out there

[ellicat]

That'd be the same Adambris that just got himself a new yak !