Don't
Be That Guy!
 |
You head for the launch ramp
on Friday afternoon to spend the last couple of daylight hours in your
boat. The wind in your face, the water rushing against the hull, and the
purr of the motor will flush away a tough work week. You stop at the edge
of the launch ramp parking lot and get your boat ready for the water.
As you pull up to launch, you look down the ramp and see "That Guy" again. |
You know the one. He's blocking both lanes, parked three feet from the water. You glance at your watch as he fiddles with tie-downs that should have been removed before he got to the ramp. Then, unbelievably, he begins to transfer his cooler, PFDs, towels, and other stuff to his boat. He puts in the drain plug and squeezes the bulb on his fuel line.
Finally, he unplugs his trailer lights and backs his boat into the water. The person with him just sits in the vehicle while That Guy beaches his boat and walks back to the ramp. By the time That Guy moves his trailer from the ramp, he's robbed 15 minutes or more of precious daylight from you and the four boaters behind you.
Anyone with a shred of ramp etiquette will spend as little time as possible launching or loading from a ramp. Nearly everything involving launches should be done before you back down the ramp. The best place for these tasks is either at the edge of the launch-ramp parking lot or on the side of the road leading to the lot.
Another no-no: Never block the turning area at the top of the ramp. Obstructing people from swinging past the ramp so they can back down is as rude as blocking the ramp itself.
As soon as the boat is launched, a second person in the vehicle can usually pull the trailer clear of the ramp. If some difficult maneuvering needs to be done, the rig's owner can finish parking it after the boat is in the water and tied up.
Many boaters are inconsiderate simply because they don't know how to launch a trailered boat. Either they're new to boating or, like the old saying, instead of 10 years of experience they have one year's experience 10 times.
Be Courteous and use good launch ramp etiquette, so you, won't be... That Guy!
