www.iFourWinns.com

If I'm in the wrong on this one, please let me know, but it's happened twice now this year and had to rant.

Today I wait 10 minutes in the car (organized line) to retrieve the boat. A launch bay clears up and I'm directed to use it and just as my tires are about to get wet a couple pulls up their boat to the dock and starts to tie up. I stop and kindly ask to tie up over in the wating area and mention my wife is opening up a spot right now. They give me a nasty look and move to another open launch bay and as soon as the guy leaves his wife starts swearing at us giving us the riot act that we don't own the launch ramp and they can pull up wherever they want.

Granted the first time this happened and I asked the group to kindly move, they were first timers and were very apologetic.

Feel free to use this thread for other such rants

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-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

Nice. I look at it this way. For all the great people out there who have helped me catch a boat going in hot to the slip. Given me a hand or just a friendly wave, there always has to be a jackass that just doesn't get it.

Today we visited a local smaller lake right by my home. Part of the lake is designated a no wake zone for swimming and some sailboats. I purposely go there to get in the water with my two year old when four different jet ski's and three fishing boats feel thats where they need to open it up all the way. Talk about pissed.

Boy I never thought when I was in college the day would come where I was wanting more lake patrol giving out tickets.

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2008 Four Winns 224 Funship 5.0 GXI/DP Black w/ Tower
2007 GMC Crew Cab Short Bed / Bose Ed.
2007 Fourwinns H180 (SOLD)

"There are no stupid questions, only stupid people"

Yeah, you know I am just soo worn down and dissapointed with the attitudes a lot of people seem to drag around with them nowadays. Seems like some people are just so self-absorbed and can't wait to share thier ugliness with everyone that has the misfortune of encountering them - and thier numbers are growing. We all know them - the ones who gun it and fill the space when you try switch lanes or flip you the bird when they whip out from a parking lot in front of you doing 50 and pulling a trailer or shove thier way past your kid politely waiting to pay for a treat on his own at the cornerstore counter.
I worry more that the high fuel prices will have just the opposite effect and water down the concentration of friendly, consciensious sensible people with experiance such that all that remain will be money burning druggies and marina robbers. Fuel prices keep climbing and half-hearted or over-extended boaters start flooding the used market with high power go-fast fuel guzzlers available for cheap to newbies (like me admittedly). Hope I'm wrong - I've been wrong before.
I sooooo really feel for you guys lining up at public launches; man you really gotta love boating. I don't think I have the kind of patience anymore to deal with that nonsence, and I would probably find a different hobby

Tackleshep - Man I feel your pain. I live on that portion of lake and I see it all the time, in fact I want to rebuild the existing crappy 25' dock extend another 25' for the new toy and then another 25' as an @$$ho!e buffer. I just find it frustrating that I should have to do that but maybe Its me with too high an expectation of common courtesy or common sense - the way I see it.

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2008 Four Winns 210 5.7 GI/SX
2007 GMC Sierra 2500 Crew
1966 Fed-Up Wife

Yep, all part of the package. Boating attracts such wildly different kinds of people - the WAY more money than brains crowd, the "watch this" redneck crowd, and the drunks.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Yep My wife & I were talking about this yesterday. Some moron in his Maxum cuddy decides AFTER taking too long to launch, (thought his wife was gonna put there Explorer IN the lake) to learn how to assyble & put up his convertable top while tied up & the dock! We get in & my wife wants me to wait for him to leave. Now he is on the end of the L/H "L" shaped dock & we're at the end of the staright part. Bass tracker puts in as soon as I park the Jeep, so he's in front & I have the Maxum's Bow sticking out behind me. This is A daul ramp & very busy 11:00am Sunday after a rainy Sat. I tell the Mrs untie , push us off, she wants to wait out the Moron, umm Maxum. I say loud enough to be heard, "No we're not gonna tie up the ramp" she then comments as we're clear "How rude some poeple are" I then told her after we were stowing gear AWAY from dock that I wantted outta there cause therwere actually 2 bass boats in front of us & they were GOING to Get in & under way!!

Also they're not limited to boating. Sat I go to Cub dealer to get 2 new blades, sitting @ counter waiting my turn, parts guy done & is ready to ask me Some POS barges right up "I need 4 oil filters for ****** Kabota" The parts guy looks at me kind doese a hand shuffle towards uss. I just roll my eyes & sit. . Luckily it was Sat & not Fri nite after my $hitty week @ work & Horrible commutes!!! People are so self absorbed

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2008 H190 4.3L Blue W/Red Graphic
2002 Honda CBR954RR BLK/SLVR slightly modded
2003 Yamaha Warrior 350 6spd < SOLD!

I would have to see the marina set-up to weigh in on this, but no need for her to run her head no matter who was in the wrong.

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I'm sooo glad we don't have to use launch ramps anymore.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Launch ramps are great forms of entertainment!
If I lose this boat b/c of my divorce, You'll find me at the boat ramp in a lawn chair with a cooler.

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H210SS 6.2
F150 Platinum

I would've just asked the woman running her mouth, "What are you doing out of the kitchen?!"

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I sit at my slip watching the trailer boat fight every weekend. Saw 3 outdrive drags this weekend and one boat get loose from the dock. Good weekend.

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Set up a web cam at your slip, so we can all enjoy the follies.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Here's the scene:


For reference, I was backing in where the truck is located and 2 of the other 3 had people loading/unloading. The area to the left is for tying up for bathroom breaks, waiting, etc and probably holds 10 boats. There were maybe 4 boats here during the altercation.

Also, it's a 10-15 minute hike to the parking lot.

Google maps view:
Map View

Saw another guy run head on with the dock in a 215 Sundowner. Hope he's not a member here

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-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

When it gets like that, we just hang out and wait for everyone else to get done and get out of the way. Fortunately, most of the ramps in this part of the country don't get nearly as crowded as some of the ones you guys are dealing with.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Now THAT IS a good Idea . . . quick thinking Capt. However, I would definately not get anything done at work.
Ohhh pet575 thats dangerous ground. Of course when I am looking for some quiet time I always bring up the "You should be gratefull to even have a drivers license since there are no traffic lights between the bedroom and the kitchen. That usually gets me a couple days . . .
Wow robbo, thats a lot of launch. It must be some busy there to have crowding issues in 4 ramps . . .

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2008 Four Winns 210 5.7 GI/SX
2007 GMC Sierra 2500 Crew
1966 Fed-Up Wife