Dump Station Observations

philh wrote:

phil-t wrote:
Just as much fun as watching a busy boat launch. :)

I used to waterski at least 3x per week during the summer. One the weekends I sat at a friends house across from the state park ramp. Didn't dare turn it into a drinking game, we'd be toast in an hour.

The neighborhood private launch was steep, narrow, and literally a canyon down to the water. Not sure who I disliked more, the guy that used the literally canyon walls to let the trailer tires skid back on to the ramp, making it muddy, or the guy who didn't stop and let the water drain off a bit before soaking the ramp, which was shaded by trees... slippery algae growth.

Ex wife and I had a routine anywhere but home, she couldn't see over the top of the tailgate to back the trailer up. Any other ramp she could handle. She'd put the trailer in the water, and I'd drive on the trailer and off we'd be. 15 seconds at most.

One holiday weekend at her parent's cottage, we did our usual routine that we had done dozens of times before, she backed the trailer up, I drove the mostly flat bottom boat onto the carpeted trailer bunks, and honked the horn for her to pull out. Except this time, her speed across the cement bars that made up the ramp hit the natural frequency of the trailer suspension, and the boat slid off the trailer... right in the middle of the ramp, on a holiday weekend. How the mighty can fall :)

I worked for a boat yard years ago. Ive had my own boats forever too. not a boat trailer novice. I go to pick up a customers boat and the lady running the private boat ramp "you forgot your saftey chain". I sort of rolled my eyes as i hooked it on just to not hear her complain. sure enough i pulled the trailer out and the 30yr old winch cable snapped and the boat rolled back about 2 feet. her nagging saved my a** lol. we had to shove the boat forward once we pulled it out. luckily it was a roller trailer. or maybe thats why it moved? lol

it can happen to the best of us lol.