What incidents on slipways have you seen?

[ashbypower]

The sun makes people do silly things!! Today, we were teaching the second day of level 2, and watched the following, unraval.
Car & Trailer appear on slip, trailer in water someone shouts "OH NO THE B****Y LIGHTING BOARDS STILL ON" trailer removed from water, board removed. Back in water much pushing shoving and cursing, but boat will not budge!! after a discussion female in the partys is heard to say "Should it (the boat) still be fastened to the trailer?
What have you seen?

Keep Safe

[Richard B]

Done the lighting board thing!

Once saw a near dunking of the tow-car... chap had to take a running jump and dive in through the window 'cos he hadn't put the handbrake on

[Pete7]

This might be worth a read,

http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread....light=mistakes

but yes I have done the slipway thingy as well, all part of the learning process, bit like the kill cord, catches most people out until they have learned.

Pete

[Tim M]

Should it (the boat) still be fastened to the trailer?

I'm guilty of that one; about a month ago I spent about 5 minutes trying to shove the boat off thinking that it was stuck on the bunks (there wasn't much water in the river you see!). Finally pulled it out and realised there was a rachet attached to back...

[thorper]

We saw a guy trying to reverse his speedboat into camber dock today with the trailer board on (he would have too if Andy hadn't shouted to his wife). He hadnt given it much thought & was messing on the slip for ages. He eventually took the trailer board out to sea in the back of the boat.

Ricky

[Andy]

There was a time when a guy reversed his trailer off the end of Camber slip, sidewards. he amost lost his boat, trailer and car.

Then on the same slip, I have seen 2 people break their hands on spinning winch handles.

[Tim M]

How do you reverse sidewards?

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by Andy

...people break their hands on spinning winch handles.

I'm sure it's down to forewarning by RIBnet members that I've been spared such a painful injury!

Thank you to all who've issued this cautionary tale.

[simmons0]

Originally Posted by timofengland

I'm guilty of that one; about a month ago I spent about 5 minutes trying to shove the boat off thinking that it was stuck on the bunks (there wasn't much water in the river you see!). Finally pulled it out and realised there was a rachet attached to back...

Also guilty of that one.
And forgetting to raise the outboard before pulling away up the slip.

Oh and while recovering a mates 26ft sailing boat with the mast still up driving through the harbour masters radio, electricity, phone cables etc which were above the slip. Ive never seen a man so angry.
Hehe, we got a christmas card from him later that year just after the completion of the new harbour masters office complete with undergroud cables.

One of the most entertaining recoveries ive ever seen was by one man and his wife at the hamble point slip. Infact there were 2 within about 10 minutes.
I recovered in just enough water, had a shower, changed and sat on the slipway wall to watch someone else do it. The recovery went alright, his wife pulled away up the slipway, got to the top, and just over the crest and onto the downside where she put on the brakes and got out of the car.
Completly oblivious to the boat and trailer storming down ramp on the rope into the back end of their shiny new volvo.

[Pete7]

[Richard B]

whoops!

[Rogue Wave]

I have seen someone make a mistake on a slipway!

I have also had my disco pulled in by the boat when I forgot to put the handbrake on!

[Hightower]

I never have problems on a slip..........Do I pete!

[timboli]

Seen a friend do the strap thing,it was on a shallowly shelving beach and his wife was trying to reverse off using the outboard,he took his discovery deeper and deeper assuming that his wifes inability to reverse off was because of the shallow beach,eventually with water up to the doors,I shouted over to him asking if he had taken the straps off,should have seen his face-Sue did a nice cartoon for him for that one.
I was involved in recovering boats at the local sailing club,there was one 21 ft yacht on a badly balanced(very bow light) 2 wheeled trailer,and I was using the club tractor to drive it around to his pound space using the rear tow bar.
I needed to back it into its space so asked one of the helpers to disconnect it off the rear tow bar whilst I turned the tractor around.
Having done this I asked another helper to reconnect the trailer to the front tow bar,this he did and I proceeded to push the boat not realising that the front tow bar was of the type which is a pin which slots in to a two loops!
the front of the trailer still attached to the ball went up and the boat slid half off the trailer.
Took a while to sort that one out as the launching trolley had no winch!
Moral I guess is know the vehicle and check all connections yourself.

[Bilge Rat]

I've seen a few:

First was a bunch of guys with a grungy looking speed boat, they attempted what could only be described as a "life boat launch" on a public slipway, twat one reverses the boat back down the slip as fast as he can go, twat two's at in the drivers seat ready to gun the engine into life as soon as she hits the water, only twat one driving stabs the brakes far to soon and the speed boat shoots off the back of the trailer and hits the bottom of the concrete ramp, the noise was stunning, and alledgedly could be herd in the town, what i'd have given to have had a video camera that day.

Second was a guy attempting to launch his speed boat with a lenght of wo fully inadequate polly prop line, his wife guides the boat why the twit lowers it from the tow hitch on the car at the top of the ramp, only the ropes far to short so he decides to tie it off and reverse the car down a bit, so he's reversing away nicely as directed by his missus and she waves to stop and he stops but the nice lenght of polly prop rope snaps and away goes the boat with his wife still hanging onto the boat, boat and trailer launched perfectly except the trailers hanging off the bow attached by the bow line and the boats floating at a strange angle above, and funniest of all is his wife hanging on for dear life to the side of the boat. i nearly shit myself laughing at this one.

Another time, (and this is justice done) i watched a dick head jet skiier backing his ski on the trailer down the launch ramp, instead of reversing the car the dick thought he could walk the trailer down, the slip way was wet and greasy and off couse you guessed it he sliped and gravity took over, the trailer and ski took of and wiped out a second jet ski at the bottom of the ramp, before hitting the water turning turtle, you can image they were not happy bunnies.

Another slightly related incident i witnessed, donky Dad and his pikie kids with there 8k jet ski racing it off the bottom of the slip way, whole family watching as little jim bob decides he's going to pull a rooster tail down the inside of the inner harbour but instead of the thing going straight he's given it far to much power and the ski went verticle throwing him off the back and the ski onto the rock harbour wall everyone in the car park ducked for the impending explosion but the only explosion that day was from Dad as he dragged the knackered lumps of what was his prized jet ski back up the slip way.

Once watched a guy pull his boat and trailer out of the water and as he's towed it up the slip he has a lobster pot and 20 metres of rope dragging behind him wrapped around the lower leg, funny he says "that explains why it was going so slow" strange thing was though that the pot contained a live lobster, and he proclaimed it was all he'd caught all day.

Moral of all these stories is i suppose that if you do this and you use public slipways with these morons for long enough then eventually sods law dictates its goin gto happen to you at some point.

[TQBoater]

I always say the best free entertainment is to sit on the harbour wall on a busy day.

Still gets me how people go out and buy a boat/jet ski and think they can do it all without any help or training.

[Jono]

All, I can say to the folks who post here.. remember one thing........Funny it most definitely is but ....."There, but by the grace of God".....

I admit to having a good giggle sometimes, then look over my shoulder, lest fate be sneaking up with a loaded stick......

[Andy]

Originally Posted by timofengland

How do you reverse sidewards?

The slip has a drop to the side, he took his trailer too close to the edge and the wheel fell off the slip ... the trailer landed on the axle and stopped. BUT it was one hell of a task to get it back out and there was an incomming tide to race against. The boat almost lost its will to stay on the trailer.


See here for pic of slip: http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk/images/locations/19.jpg

[TQBoater]

Originally Posted by Jono

I admit to having a good giggle sometimes, then look over my shoulder, lest fate be sneaking up with a loaded stick......

I do have a laugh at others but always offer to help if they are stuck, some take it some don't but I've also been beaten with that stick myself

Last year when selling the old boat we had loads of people come to the house to look her over. As always I would start the engine and run it a bit and they would go away never to be seen again.

Finally one couple decided they would buy her after a trip out on the water. Due to commitments on both sides and the weather the only chance to launch was going to be on a low tide one weekend. Those who know Paignton will know you takes your chances on the sand at low tide in the harbour mouth.

There wasn't just enough water to float her from the trailer and I wasn't going to take the car any deeper but some big chap offered a hand to get her off by brute force. However instead of pushing off the trailer he lifted the bow straight up which bent the ends of the trailer behind the wheels into the sand. With no trailer left under the back she floated free no problem, but now we had no way to get the boat back home.

With the trailer stashed out of the way we all got the boat and went to start the engine only to find the battery was flat. All the times starting the boat in the drive had taken it's toll and it had not had long enough to charge up again.

At this point the couple left and we thought Mr Beadle was going to appear with his cameras in tow.
We had a 2hr wait for the tide to get back on a mooring in the harbour then get the trailer sorted.

Strange thing is after all that they still bought the boat a few weeks later.

[codprawn]

Given the potential dangers of a slip why do so many members of Joe Pubic insist in larking around at the end of the slip?

Yesterday went around looking at some suitable launching points for my boat(When I find one). Hobbs point in Pembroke is a brilliant launch site - steep concrete slip straight into deep sheltered water - pontoons so you don't even need to get wet.

The place was packed - people all over the slip - the pontoon was jam packed with people fishing - not one boat launcher in site - pretty obvious why!

Went to look at a few more - all the same - plenty of beach but everyone lurking around the slip!

One funny I saw was at oxwich beach - Gower. There was a Shogun trying to recover a Wilson Flyer - a wave swamped the boat just as they were getting it on the trailer - the boat was sitting on the trailer at an angle and was full of water. Instead of trying to empty the boat they tried to drag it up the beach - after some wheelspinning they managed to dig the shogun in really deep.

They ran off to get help as the tide was coming in fast. A bloke with a battered old L reg (original L) white Range Rover couple up a chain to the shogun and dragged the complete outfit up the beach - the rescue party were stunned when they got back! Don't know how they managed to straighten the boat.

And talking of jet skis on the same beach I have seen quite a number swept away as the tide has come in - anyone who leaves £4000 of kit on a beach and goes to the pub deserves what they get - normally I would have dragged them further up for them but it is people who abuse the sea who cause the probs!