General Outdoor Discussion
Boat launch idiots!
My old man and I have backed over probably 25 of those old metal minnow buckets back in the day.
We would get out of the car to load the boat, and always take the minnow bucket to the back of the boat while we undid the buckles, cleats and engine. And we would typically forget about the minnow bucket....till we started backing up.
I'll bet we singlehandedly kept Frabill in business during those early years!
I have a couple but this one sticks out in my mind. More of a fishing day fiasco than a boat launch story. You ever have those days where everyone is aggravated and nothing goes right? Back in 1995 I was 16, my mom, dad and I were on a little camping fishing vacation. Something set my dad off early that morning and he was in a pissy mood before we left the camp site to drive to a nearby lake to fish. We hit the bait shop to get minnows and snacks. Dad tells me “I’ll fill up the gas can u go in and get minnows”. I come back out and noticed the strap across the boat came loose so I set dad’s favorite antique metal minnow bucket down to tighten the strap and we hit the road. We pull out and dad biffs the curb a bit with the trailer tire ticking him off even more. Anyway we get to the launch start loading the boat and dad says “where are the minnows” I say “I dunno” then realize I probably left them sitting in the parking lot when I tightened the strap. So back to the bait shop we go. Get back don’t see it anywhere so I go in and ask the lady if anyone saw a minnow bucket in the lot. She chuckles and says yeah, bends down behind the counter and picks it up. Well it wasn’t a curb we hit it was the minnow bucket! Great, now I have to show dad his now smashed minnow bucket. He gets out with steam coming out of his ears grabs the bucket and puts it in the back of the van and says “you drive”. Back to the launch we go, I pull out of the lot and just get going, look in the rear view and say “why does the boat seem so far back?” Dad looks and yells “ stop, the boat came unhooked!!!” Well I stop and the boat keeps rolling and the tongue smashes right into the van. We were only going about 5mph but that was enough to put a huge dent in the back door of the van. We get out and look and the safety chain broke where it was bolted to the boat from being old and rusty. Oh man that was a day!! We looked back later and laughed about it and thanked god that it didn’t come loose at 60mph. I couldn’t make this story up if I tried!!
As I was walking to my boat at the end of the dock after launching, I once kicked/stumbled upon a cleat that was midway out on the dock and put on a show for the others around. I don't know how I did not end up in the water but I could have maybe won $10k on the funny video show as I tried to regain my balance and upright posture. I basically rumbled and bumbled and stumbled about 15 feet right into the boat and just drove away like nothing happened.
BJD, I used to fish Delevan every weekend and every other Friday as it was my day off. One Summer Friday I arrived at the launch and prepped my boat, waiting for the boat in front of me to launch. It was a Cadillac SUV pulling a 22 foot boat, both fairly new. It was obvious they had no clue how to launch the boat as they were all over the place backing it up, kind of like the Family Guy episode if you ever saw it. Well they got out of the truck and walked over to me and asked for me to back it in for them. It was a woman and three of her friends! I happily obliged, and launched their boat for them. They were very grateful and I suggested they take it to an empty parking lot to practice, so they could do this on their own next time.
Kayaker 8,
I always take my paddles apart and store them right inside the kayaks, along with a PFD. That way neither get left behind. I have sit-in yaks though. That obviously wouldn't work with a SOT kayak.
I have never understood how people forget to put their boat plug in...every time I take my boat out, I drain the livewell right on the boat ramp, pop the plug out to make sure there is no water in the bottom of the boat (my boat doesn't leak, but in rough water, the livewell can slop over and get water in the bottom of the boat), and then I reinstall the plug. I don't leave it out because then I don't have to worry about forgetting to put it in before I launch! I carry a spare in my glove box, as my boat plug is a 5/8" livewell-style plug and not the standard 1" boat plug, so if I would ever lose mine or it would break, I wouldn't be able to be saved by another boater with a spare. I have had my boat since 2009 and the spare plug is still in the package. $4.00 is cheap insurance tho!
After driving 30 miles with 3 kayaks, unloaded the kayaks, then realized the paddles were safe and dry in my garage still...
So afternoon picnic and then home.
Now typing up a checklist and after trying it out, will print out a final copy and laminate it, keeping it with my PFD. This will help also when loading to return home.
Now just have to remember the PFD.
I had a brain fart moment many years ago with my first boat. One day ready to come off lake, I pull anchor in front of boat. Take off and boat seemed a little doggy. Get to dock and put boat on trailer, as i was pulling out and getting out of way i saw people looking at me. Got out, walked to strap down boat and forgot that i put the back anchor in and didn't pull it up. Dragging 15' behind the boat was the anchor and a big ball of weeds. Yes I was a idiot. lol.
