A couple of weeks ago I watched an operation that I still haven't figured
out. Maybe someone else knows what was going on....

This takes place on the California Delta, near Stockton, at a marina called
"Tiki Lagun". It somehow involves a well known party spot called "Lost
Isle", which is an island bar located about two miles by boat from the
marina. These events occurred a few days before Thanksgiving, just before
dark.

It first caught my attention when a small, low profile ski boat, minus
engined, arrived at the launch ramp. Two guys back the trailer down to the
water and then seem to be having trouble getting the boat off the trailer.
I was surprised it didn't float off, considering it had no engine. On
closer look I could see that the rear tie downs were still attached so I
hollar across to them:

"The tie downs are still on!"

"Yeah, we know" was the response.

Okay. Now I am confused.

They are strugging some more, doing something up at the bow, trying to lift
the bow up. Then they pull the rig up a little bit (the water is COLD and
they didn't want to get wet) and then they lift the trailer off the ball of
the truck, and then pull the truck up the ramp a bit. Then they push the
trailer/boat as far down the ramp as they could.

My curiosity got the better of me.

"May I ask what you are doing?"

"Oh, we are dumb blonds" was the reply.

Then one of the guys got on a PWC tied to the dock, donned a life jacket (no
wet suit or anything), the other threw him a rope tied to the bow of the
boat and he proceeded to pull the rig off the ramp, floating the trailer
under the ramp. As he passed by where I was watching, he said that he was
taking it to Lost Isle.

The best I can come up with is that they need a trailer at Lost Isle. Lost
Isle doesn't have a boat ramp however. They have a beach, so I suppose that
they could get a small boat up the beach that way. Assuming that they have
some valid reason to have a trailer on a small island, floating it under a
boat seems like an okay way of getting it there. There were at least two
mistakes that I thought they were making, however.

1) This happened on what may have been the coldest day of the year. The PWC
driver was not wearing a wet suit. The PWC did not appear that stable, and
he was towing a rig that out weighed him. With the trailer underneath the
boat, it was not stable at anything above dead slow, where the PWC is NOT
stable.

2) It was just getting dark, and there were no lights whatsoever on either
vessel. They were traveling down a fairly busy and narrow channel.

I am still curious why they wanted a trailer at Lost Isle, and then what
they did with the boat afterwards.....

Rod McInnis

"Rod McInnis" wrote in message
...
A couple of weeks ago I watched an operation that I still haven't figured
out. Maybe someone else knows what was going on....

Sounds like an insurance issue to me.

mark

Sounds like an insurance issue to me.

mark


I was just thinking the same thing myself.. Take the motor off and sell it,
Tow the boat into deep water and let it and the trailer sink..

File claim

Steve

"Rod McInnis" wrote in message ...
A couple of weeks ago I watched an operation that I still haven't figured
out. Maybe someone else knows what was going on....

This takes place on the California Delta, near Stockton, at a marina called
"Tiki Lagun". It somehow involves a well known party spot called "Lost


I am still curious why they wanted a trailer at Lost Isle, and then what
they did with the boat afterwards.....

Rod McInnis

Did the driver look anything like this?:
http://www.mugshots.org/sports/oj-simpson.html
Just wondering.. Scotty

I love boat ramp stories. Since I live a few hundred yards from the
one I use, I've got plenty of them, not just from using it, but we
often take walks that go past the ramp. In general, I find three
basic types of "boat ramp incidents."

1. The usual fumble-bum boat ramp dingbats. Rolling boats off of
trailers onto the concrete, burning rubber trying to pull out,
forgetting to raise the engine and driving off with the skeg gouging
the pavement, etc.

2. The guy who can't start his engine. This happens a LOT. Joe Schmoe
lets his boat sit in the driveway for 6 months, then decides to "go
boating." So they're all backed down into the water, packed with skis,
vests, ice chests, fishing tackle, and a bunch of excited people
including the wife, kids, dogs, neighbors, and maybe the boss and his
wife. Everybody has a huge smile, ready to go out and have some fun.

He starts the motor: VRMMmmmmmm. Nothing. "Kinda hard to start
sometimes, heh..." VRMMmmmmmm. Nothing. VRMMmmm. vrmm. vrmm.
vrmm... click and the battery's drained. Boy, talk about ugly
facial expressions (especially the wife's). I see this all the time.

3. The idiot who hogs or blocks the ramp. The ones who sit there
backed into the water, for 30 minutes loading stuff onto the boat,
removing the boat cover, etc. while everybody waits in line.

Or the one who pulls his boat JUST off the ramp, then sits there 30
minutes UNLOADING his boat, putting the cover back on, etc. while
everybody waits in line.

Last summer, I saw the Grand Champion of this type. Our boat ramp is
about 2 trailers wide, OK? So this guy pulls up towing a ski boat, and
parks it ACROSS the top of the ramp, completely blocking it. Three
vehicles, trailers in tow (including me) were waiting in line at this
time, and more were approaching.

The guy got out of his car and casually walked down the 200 foot
walkway to the marina to use the bathroom and buy some munchies. 10
minutes later, he's strolling back up the walkway, and he stopped and
just STOOD there, leaning over the rail, looking at the water and
watching the fish! All this time, half a dozen vehicles sitting just
a few feet away, engines running, waiting to launch. Finally, he
slowly, casually strolled back up to his vehicle, got in, fiddled with
something for a minute, started his engine and drove off, as if nobody
else were even there.

Incredible, some people. I can't find the words for it. Just
incredible.

Ron M.

I use to be at a marina where there was a patio/snack bar right next to the
launch ramp.. On weekend I would join a couple friends for morning coffee
and watch the fun on the ramp..

I don't think there is any story that I would be surprised at..

However. This one isn't funny, it was sad to me..

This fellow backs down the ramp with his BIG SUV and trailer with a pair of
JetSki .. He has one teen and several pre teen kids with him.. You would
think this was a happy family, except during the entire operation he has a
cell phone up to his ear and is chatting with someone on the phone.. Anytime
his kids said anything, you would stop with the cell phone long enough to
scold them, then back on the phone, 'chat and chuckle!'

Believe it or not he managed to launch the Jetskies without ever putting the
cell phone down. The kids didn't seem to be getting anything out of the
whole thing..

From where I was sitting I couldn't see if you continued his cell phone chat
when he mounted the Jetski.. I can only speculate.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions