SCARY THING AT POMONA

A Couple of friends and I were loading are boat back onto the trailer at the lighthouse marina boat ramp Tuesday when a couple of elderly gentleman arrived and were backing there gorgeous brand new candle apple red aluminum bass boat (first time on the water) down the other side of the ramp. We heard a noise and looked around to see that the boat had came off the trailer and slid all the way to the bottom of the ramp.The one old boy grabbed the rope and it pulled him down to the concrete. I rushed over to him just knowing that he had to be injured. But he jumped right up saying that he was OK. Praise the lord. There was one nasty gouge and several scratches. made me sick and was not even my boat! We always unhook are boat before backing in but we might have to rethink this. Maybe it was just new and waxed up I don't know. By the way the Ranger was at the Marina and rushed over to help. Sometimes I don't think these guys get enough credit for the job they do. I know that sometime or another we have all been aggravated at them but just think what things might be like without them.

ouch I never untie front of boat until in the water. I know it take just a bit longer but it sure saves a major headache. Did you all help pick it back up into the water or trailer?

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Originally Posted by ragnar

ouch I never untie front of boat until in the water. I know it take just a bit longer but it sure saves a major headache. Did you all help pick it back up into the water or trailer?

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We were able to get it into the water. They were able to shake it off and head on out on the lake. True Fishermen!

I've the scar from when I was very young and that very thing or similar happening to my pops boat. He unhooked the safety chain off the front end of the boat. In short the winch gave when he hit the brake on the truck backing it down the ramp. I caught the winch handle to the elbow as the boat slid off the trailer. Pretty much screwed up a week of vacation for me. I have owned a boat since a junior in high school and never unhook that safety chain til it's backed in the water and hook it up before pulling it up the ramp.

I never unhook my boat till it's in the water either. Everyone always tells me it won't slide off the trailer, but there is always a first time!! I don't mind taking the extra few minutes to wait till it's in the water to unhook it.

Makes me wonder how mine has always stayed on. I never have mine hooked backing in or pulling out. Mainly out of habit from TX bass fishing when it was Katy bar the door in an out of the water.. but now that I'm a dedicated crappie man I'll need to change that habit.

Bummer on the ignogaral out for them fellas

I have seen it a few times (not mine thank goodness). New boats are slick but any boat can slide off especially in the winter when bunks are frozen. Glad no one was hurt.

Need to have front end hooked in winter time as the water freezes on the bunks and is extremely slick, this is experience speaking here. ouch.
In summer just need to look at the ramp if steep be hooked if not then will be okay, if the brakes are not stomped on.

If you all could have been at Long Shoal ramp at Truman about 4 years ago, my wife could have showed you how to stomp the brakes and unload a Crestliner prematurely! They apparently have a mighty tough transom

Watched a guy unload his ranger after yelling at his wife to stop. She stopped and boat promptly unloaded well short of the water.

With my first little boat, years and years ago, probably my first nervous time at the ramp--I stopped at the top of the ramp, got out and unhooked the front like I was seeing everybody else do. The boat promptly rolled right off into the pavement. Well, I didn't realize that I had 'rollers' and everybody else had bunks! Little 12 foot aluminum with a 6 HP so I just picked it up and pushed it back on the trailer. Never unhooked again up there even when I got heavier boats and bunks! This debacle only slightly worse than my "forgot the plug" story in same boat! That little thing was worth a million dollars of experience!

I hear scout out that leaving the plug in the boat is bad on trailer?