You can not make this sh*t up...

[OldSkool67]

This is one of those stories you read about on the internet and wonder it its true, well it is.

First I will set the scene. Its 6:30am I decided to put the old flatback in the freshwater canal down the street for a quick couple hours of bass fishing. I live in Cape Coral and we have hundreds of miles of canals and lakes to bass fish. Its quick and easy and its an good reason to drink beer at 7 in the morning. So its foggy out, Im pitching at some docks in the lake down the street from the ramp and there it is, the poster child of yankee boating gone wrong. If you cant tell from the picture this guy has his boat strapped to his trailer with multiple straps and has put it on the lift.. he strapped the trailer to the boat, unhooked the trailer from the truck and drove it to his house and put it on the lift, trailer and all. This guy has some balls or is just plain stupid, Im not sure which one. The dock is about a quarter mile down the canal from the ramp. Even if there is a good reason could you ever imagine trying to put this plan in place? BTW I didnt assume he was a yankee (and theres nothing wrong with northerners) I just read the New Hampshire plate on the trailer.

Now I dont mean to insult you fine yankee boaters out there, you all are fine boaters. We down here in Florida seem to get the guys that never boated a day in their life, move to Florida buy a house and a boat and think they some how are infused with the knowledge and knowhow to boat and navigate the waters in southwest Florida. Not that they dont have the right to enjoye the waters here like we do, but take a class or something for the love of god. I often wonder how they even made it to the ramp. little own got the boat in the water.

[bondobill]

I be a yank.......... but will agree with ya here.
You can't fix stupid !!

Bill

[RickK]

Can't think of any other way to get a trailer on the lift than the way you said.  That is unbelieveable  

At least it isn't an Aquasport  

[fitz73222]

I'll bet getting it hooked back up to the tow vehicle on the ramp would be even more fun to watch! Lets see; get a good half throttle start up the ramp, trailer tries to come up the ramp, propeller breaks loose as she climbs the ramp, down she goes or even better, the skeg hits the ramp, stops the trailer from climbing, busts the skeg off and maybe a blade or two on the propeller. Maybe he's got that figured out; drive the boat to the ramp, leave the engine in gear to pin it on the ramp. Hook a snatch rope to the trailer and yank her out 6 feet behind the truck and then break the skeg off with the engine running dragging up the ramp and run back real quick and shut it down before the engine overheats. Keep an eye on this guy, these are the people you read about... Good stuff!

[gran398]

I'll bet getting it hooked back up to the tow vehicle on the ramp would be even more fun to watch! Lets see; get a good half throttle start up the ramp, trailer tries to come up the ramp, propeller breaks loose as she climbs the ramp, down she goes or even better, the skeg hits the ramp, stops the trailer from climbing, busts the skeg off and maybe a blade or two on the propeller. Maybe he's got that figured out; drive the boat to the ramp, leave the engine in gear to pin it on the ramp. Hook a snatch rope to the trailer and yank her out 6 feet behind the truck and then break the skeg off with the engine running dragging up the ramp and run back real quick and shut it down before the engine overheats. Keep an eye on this guy, these are the people you read about... Good stuff!

Thanks for this scenario bro, I have been looking at the photo and basically scratching my azz  

I have some observations/empirical questions/mysteries:

He loads the boat on the trailer at the ramp, straps the boat to the trailer, backs it all back down, unhooks the whole enchilada from the truck, walks down the trailer tongue, climbs on the boat. Leaves the truck at the ramp, cranks up, idles/floats down to the lift, gets the cluster on the lift.

Got that part, even though its nucking futts.

So riddle me this....HOW did he run the boat with the boat cover strapped on? Did he levitate to the lift to install the cover? Swim to the lift? Dangle from a tree? Hire a giant squirrel?

This is a real brain tickler.

Sure hope he doesn't own a firearm.

[fitz73222]

I'll bet getting it hooked back up to the tow vehicle on the ramp would be even more fun to watch! Lets see; get a good half throttle start up the ramp, trailer tries to come up the ramp, propeller breaks loose as she climbs the ramp, down she goes or even better, the skeg hits the ramp, stops the trailer from climbing, busts the skeg off and maybe a blade or two on the propeller. Maybe he's got that figured out; drive the boat to the ramp, leave the engine in gear to pin it on the ramp. Hook a snatch rope to the trailer and yank her out 6 feet behind the truck and then break the skeg off with the engine running dragging up the ramp and run back real quick and shut it down before the engine overheats. Keep an eye on this guy, these are the people you read about... Good stuff!

Thanks for this scenario bro, I have been looking at the photo and basically scratching my azz  

I have some observations/empirical questions/mysteries:

He loads the boat on the trailer at the ramp, straps the boat to the trailer, backs it all back down, unhooks the whole enchilada from the truck, walks down the trailer tongue, climbs on the boat. Leaves the truck at the ramp, cranks up, idles/floats down to the lift, gets the cluster on the lift.

Got that part, even though its nucking futts.
 

So riddle me this....HOW did he run the boat with the boat cover strapped on? Did he levitate to the lift to install the cover? Swim to the lift? Dangle from a tree? Hire a giant squirrel?

This is a real brain tickler.

Sure hope he doesn't own a firearm.

Looking at contingency plans, I was going to recommend that Oldskool orders a 3' X 4' piece of aluminum 6061 T6 1/2" thick plate from McMaster Carr and builds a flip down gull wing barrier he can get behind to protect his head and upper torso as he idles by this fellows dock. This would protect him from flack, debris and small arms fire in case this guy likes to tinker with gas grills, gun repair or making his own fireworks for the 4th of July!

[seabob4]

I can just see a new thread started on THT..."Help, my boat won't plane...prop?"

[saltfly]

I know that can happen. Saw a guy with a new boat on the Severn river, when I lived in Maryland, about 15 years ago. He backed his boat down the ramp, then unhooked the trailer, right in front of me and 7 other boaters waiting to put in. parked his truck got in the boat and started it. Tried to bring it up on plane. None of us could believe what we were seeing. So we all just sat their and didn’t even try to launch. Then the guy comes back to the pier and calls the dealer to complain that the boat doesn’t go fast enough to ski. Since the dealer was just down the road, he came up to see what the problem is. By this time everyone sitting their had no interested in going out, but wanted to see what was going to happen. Once the dealer got there. He took one look and told the guy go get his truck and take the trailer out from under your boat. This is the truth. The guy just look at him and said “ you mean it doesn’t stay their?” What is sad, that guy was allowed to breed. So what is scary, they are out there. :(  

[Capt. Bill]

HHHHHMMMMMM... .......So your saying we're suppose to take the boat off the trailer first   I never saw that in the brochure......

Other than that I'm speechless....

[gran398]

Unbelievable.

I know its not gonna happen....but as a public service, wish the dealer would have hooked it to HIS truck and taken it back.

[flounderpounder225]

This verifies what my friend and local Dealer had told me once.  He had a customer who he sold a brand new Boat, motor and Trailer to, the guy kept calling him, telling him that the boat had no power and would not get up and plane.  Finally one day Kenny told the customer he would come down to the boat ramp and take the rig for a ride and see what was happening.  when he got to the ramp and walked out on the dock, he saw to white poles sticking up out of the water next to the boat.  YES... the guy was launching the entire rig into the water and trying to go... I always wondered about the total validity of the story... but now... I don't wonder anymore, obviously there are at least two people in the boating world that have done this...

[pigbike]

Maybe he launches in one place and pulls out somewhere else. He just wants to take the trailer with him.

[gran398]

Yea....maybe he's an undercover agent

[saltfly]

Well some times even boaters that know better do dumb things. I know I have for gotten to put my drain plug in. And even how sad this may sound. I’ve done it more then once. But I have a friend who is a mechanic. A friend of his who is a experienced boater, was having trouble with his motor. The guy is a good mechanic in his own right, on cars. But my friend  lent him his test prop, so he could run the motor with a load on it in his yard.  I was their when he brought the prop back. He told Joe that the motor run worse and wouldn’t even come up on plane. Joe and I just looked at each other and laugh our fool heads off. Then Joe told him, Its not for running your boat out on the water. But for testing in the drive way, so you can load the motor, to see what mite be braking down. So even people that know do dumb things some times. My friend Joe works on boats all the time, and he told me you wouldn't beleive what people who know better will do.

[dirtwheelsfl]

Half of this country should not be allowed to breed!