Boating safty classes

Dont involve getting in a boat ?

Yet if you pass one you can get in a boat and take it out with out EVER being in a boat and drive it. Let alone docking/trailering the thing. .No matter how big or small it is.
Yep- thats the goverment.
Or maybe they are worryed about the instuctors safty ?

On a weak end at a boat ramp. Is hands down the best entermend. I'v ever found.
Seen a guy back down a boat remp. Then comenced to up hook the trailer.
Never thought of that. GOOD idea when you run aground.GUESS ?

We used to fish an irrigation reservoir in Nebraska that would drop up to 30' in the summer. This translates to a boat ramp that was about 200 feet long and maybe 16' wide. We watched a guy try to back his boat down the ramp for about an hour before we gave up. We were leaving and already out of the water. That guy might still be there. That was about 15 years ago. LOL

Watching people launch, or try to is great fun, fist fights, cursing, husband and wife screaming, cars and trucks being launched along with the boat, boats sinking cause someone forgot to put the plug in, .......

Its more entertaining watching people trying to load the boat back onto the trailer...

Once saw a husband/wife team trying to load the boat onto the trailer. For some unknown reason, they felt that one of them needed to be wading next to the trailer to maker sure it got on the trailer(cant power load on this lake). Wife was wading and wasnt having any luck getting the boat loaded, so they trade places. Wife backs up and pulls forwards a few times with the truck. At one point the wife nails the husband with the bumper of the truck. Wouldnt be suprised if they are now divorced after ensuing yelling.

My husband always backs the trailer and I load the boat. Last time I was waiting for a couple to unload so we could use the ramp. They couldn't figure out why the boat wouldn't come off the trailer. The man told his wife to keep "giving it gas" in reverse while he continued to back up. He had the entire back bumper of a Tahoe in the water and was still coming. Of course they couldn't hear me yelling that the boat was still strapped to the trailer, so I text my husband to go let them know. He said... Oh well it's an old boat anyways which was a brand new hurricane deck boat.

And yet companies will rent boats out as long as they have a deposit or credit card number. No experience necessary. Government training is pathetic. How many know of red, right, returning? Do they know what the colors mean on running lights? I could go on and on.Unfortunately as a past Coast Guardsman I have helped recover too many bodies that never should have happened.

The other thing is jetskis. Not sure about laws in other states, but in VA you only have to be 16 to operate one. We were fishing a cove and watched two young girls get thrown from one while doing donuts. The water in that area was only about 3 ft deep and is clearly marked. We absolutely will not go out in on the weekend.

Newt...

Reading your post was almost as painful as watching a bad ramp scene. Just kidding.

I agree that any boating class should include some lessons on ramp behavior.

Pete

the one I took 27 years ago did , however it was a canoe .

you do not need a boat license or safety class to drive a boat here in WIS only your drivers license.

since most of the people who take boaters safety here are under 16 there isn't much point to trying to teach them to launch a boat or back a trailer they can't legally drive yet any way.

Regarding trailers, if you can’t back it you shouldn’t be pulling it. Regarding boats, if you can’t load, unload, service and fix it, you shouldn’t be driving it.

Any of y’all ever tractor launched in surf?

https://youtu.be/QFvZJQGPErk

"Any of y’all ever tractor launched in surf?"

Off Deep Creek, maybe?

Jim

My boss at Unique Machine shot a hole in a zodiak boat fishing off deep Creek. Dang Texans.

Landing a large halibut. In his defense, it was big.

Those dang halibut.

Anyone ever put their boat in the water, then realize the plug wasn't in? Admit it, now. That was my Dad's favorite trick, until he realized he wasn't meant for boats.

Jim

More times than I want to admit to.

Dan

When I took boaters safety ,it was online. Didn't even have an instructor.
I get a kick out of people at boat ramps.

Ive been having to kick people off boat ramps...landlocked anglers or campers seem to think the ramp is a great place to hangout and get in the way.

I've had to back up others vehicles/trailers more than a few times at the ramps

They always think im being helpful

I'm not!!!

I just would like to go fishing and they are in my way

Painted the bottom of a new boat with primer and two coats of bottom paint. A day later I lowered it onto a trailer that had carpet covered bunks. Evidently the paint was not completely dry. When I tried to launch the boat it floated the trailer and would not release. Had to jack up the boat and fillet it from the bunks. Felt real stupid.