Embarrassment

A couple of wees ago I broke down an bought a Fisher 1754 with center console. Previously I had Lowe Big Jon with tiller steer. Anyway, I called my nephew and we carried my new boat to Weiss Lake to try it out. It did pretty well considering the wind blowing so hard and the water was white capping really bad. I did however get to play around alittle and try to get use to driving a boat with a steering wheel. Last week I decided to go to Rocky Mtn project by myself. I did real good unloading, looked like a real veteran boat operater. Wind picked up, I fought the wind and waves with my trolling motor until I just didnt want to do it any more. I decided to leave and come back some other time. I checked to make sure no one was at the dock before I trailered my boat. The coast was clear. I backed my trailer in and at that time everyone on the lake decided it was time to go. Here I am trying to use a rope to load my boat (not real confident on driving on the trailer yet) people waiting in line, the wind keeps pushing my boat back every time I try to push it to the trailer. Finally a lady at the ramp says "if you want to drive it on, Ill pull your truck out for you". Im like gee thanks. I made a couple of clumsy runs at it, the wind kept blowing me way off course. Finally I bit the bullet and told a gentleman that had just pulled up in his rig that they would be there all day if they waited on me and ask him to trailer my boat. You talk about embarrassing. I did feel better when the other guy missed it twice. Everyone was real good about it though, they kept telling me that Id learn. Went back 2 days later and got it first time. There for awhile, I was really missin my tiller steer.

Not exactly easy conditions to learn in.. don't sweat it. It takes me a couple tries on days the water is like glass :roll:

Just hop in the water next time

:LOL2: :LOL2: :LOL2:

I'm sure everyone here has had days like that (I've had multiple!, lol). At both of the lakes I use here, if the wind decides to start blowing, it's always blows across the ramp, never straight-in to help me, lol.

wasilvers said:

Just hop in the water next time :LOL2: :LOL2: :LOL2:

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I've done that a few times. Jumped in and was wet all the way up to my crotch, and pushed the boat on the trailer. Cool water felt pretty good though after a hot day on the water.

Waterwings said:

I'm sure everyone here has had days like that (I've had multiple!, lol). At both of the lakes I use here, if the wind decides to start blowing, it's always blows across the ramp, never straight-in to help me, lol.

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Same here, but I always wish for straight OUT winds, to serve as a brake. I have even purposely backed the trailer crossways on a wide ramp to help with the wind.

99% of the time I use a rope and pull it on the trailer.

Henry Hefner said:

Waterwings said:

I'm sure everyone here has had days like that (I've had multiple!, lol). At both of the lakes I use here, if the wind decides to start blowing, it's always blows across the ramp, never straight-in to help me, lol.

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...I have even purposely backed the trailer crossways on a wide ramp to help with the wind.

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One of my wishes.....wider ramps

Jim said:

99% of the time I use a rope and pull it on the trailer.

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Have tried that also, but ended-up pulling the boat over the trailer fender a couple of times. My wife is used to me coming home wet on occasion, and doesn't even ask what happened. :roll: . That's why I wait for nice sunny, calm days to take the boat out, lol.

It actually makes me feel better to hear others have bad days also. I guess misery does love company. I still ended up getting wet. The guy that drove it on was on the fender so I went in and pulled it over. My big problem is I feel like Im going too fast and then I try to put my foot on the brake and ease it up. lol, I learned there is no brake. My boy was with me this last time so the pressure was on. He called his mom and said "daddy got it on the first try".. I didnt know whether to feel better or worse.

Oh yea, first time I went turkey hunting I forgot my gun

The guys never let me forget it #-o

FishingBuds said:

Oh yea, first time I went turkey hunting I forgot my gun

The guys never let me forget it #-o

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I did that on a pheasant hunt. :evil: :LOL2:

Jim said:

FishingBuds said:

Oh yea, first time I went turkey hunting I forgot my gun

The guys never let me forget it #-o

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I did that on a pheasant hunt. :evil: :LOL2:

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Back in the day when I still deer hunted, once morning I discovered as I pulled the trigger that my gun was empty... DUH!!!


Skoonce, invest in a good pair of hip waders. I use a rope to pull mine on and frequently have to get in the water. In teh summer I don't mind getting wet, but this time of year, brrrrrrrr.

As to driving over the fenders, my trailer has some guides on the back - they are not real sturdy, but I have hit them before and they didn't break. All I have to do (at worst) is ease the nose in there. Anyway, after getting wet the first two time I loaded, I came up with my system - which works for my boat.

1. get the trailer within a couple of feet of the dock (basically as close as I can get without hitting the lights on the dock - so I can reach over and muscle the boat around.
2. don't put the trailer too low in the water - then once I ease the nose about where it should go, it will stay there.
3. the trailer guides keep the rear of the boat from blowing around too much
4. I have to center my V on the center roller if I missed the first time, I hop onto the dock and muscle it there.
5 Hop in the boat and fire the motor up and ease up the trailer and hook up the crank.
6 Crank her up the last few feet.

It takes less than 2 minutes to do this by myself usually I'm done before the next guy can retrieve his car from the lot. A helper mostly just centers the boat for me and hooks the crank up.

Knock on wood, so far I haven't gotten wet since the first 2 trips! :wink:

wasilvers said:

As to driving over the fenders, my trailer has some guides on the back - they are not real sturdy, but I have hit them before and they didn't break. All I have to do (at worst) is ease the nose in there. Anyway, after getting wet the first two time I loaded, I came up with my system - which works for my boat.

1. get the trailer within a couple of feet of the dock (basically as close as I can get without hitting the lights on the dock - so I can reach over and muscle the boat around.
2. don't put the trailer too low in the water - then once I ease the nose about where it should go, it will stay there.
3. the trailer guides keep the rear of the boat from blowing around too much
4. I have to center my V on the center roller if I missed the first time, I hop onto the dock and muscle it there.
5 Hop in the boat and fire the motor up and ease up the trailer and hook up the crank.
6 Crank her up the last few feet.

It takes less than 2 minutes to do this by myself usually I'm done before the next guy can retrieve his car from the lot. A helper mostly just centers the boat for me and hooks the crank up.

Knock on wood, so far I haven't gotten wet since the first 2 trips! :wink:

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Pretty much the same way I do it... on the ONE place I go that has a dock at the ramp. Most do not.

That sounds like a huge P.I.T.A. I love the fact that I just throw my little tin can in the back of my truck.

Henry Hefner said:

Pretty much the same way I do it... on the ONE place I go that has a dock at the ramp. Most do not.

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Without at least a mini dock at the ramp, I don't know how I could launch and retrieve it without getting wet.

FishingBuds said:

Oh yea, first time I went turkey hunting I forgot my gun

The guys never let me forget it #-o

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I launched my boat one time and when I arrived at my fishing spot, realized that I left all my fishing rods in the back of the pickup. I felt like an idiot back at the ramp going back to my truck to get my rods.

wasilvers said:

Henry Hefner said:

Pretty much the same way I do it... on the ONE place I go that has a dock at the ramp. Most do not.

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Without at least a mini dock at the ramp, I don't know how I could launch and retrieve it without getting wet.

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One place I fish (jigster's been there ), they have a decent dock, but it's about 20'-30' from the dang ramp. Piss-poor design thought went into that! I can hear the planners now: "Hey, we have a boat ramp, let's put a dock in....................waaaay over there!" ](*,)

happens to the best of us. My 14' boat is light enough if its on the trailer crooked I just pickup/slide the rear over to where it needs to be. Least you didn't forget to put the plug in

You'll get it, everyone starts out like you.

FishingBuds said:

Oh yea, first time I went turkey hunting I forgot my gun

The guys never let me forget it #-o

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I've got a Ruger Model 77 in .270 and a Ruger 77-22 in .22. Both look nearly identical. I went deer hunting one day and only after I arrived did I realize I had brought the 77-22 and had .270 ammo.