Unwritten Boat Ramp Rules

Backing your boat down the ramp, especially when there’s a line of boaters ready to start their day who are waiting behind you, is one of the most stressful aspects of boating, right up there with docking in a tight slip and navigating a tricky inlet. Add in the fact that everyone around you has a phone with a camera, and your potential launch-ramp mishaps could be one click away from going viral.

That said, there are things you can do to help yourself and to make others more sympathetic to your ramp experience. Every boater should be mindful of these tips when they get to the ramp, so take a hard look at these unwritten rules of trailering and become one of the best practitioners of launch-ramp etiquette.

Always Be Prepared

First and foremost, when you get to the ramp, pull to the side and prep your boat for launch before you even consider starting to back down your trailer. This includes unhitching the bow safety chain, taking off any canvas still in place, turning on your battery switch, setting dock lines if you plan to tie off to let in your crew at the dock, putting in the drain plug, loading up your coolers and fishing gear and water toys onto the boat, and taking off your transom straps. Also, checking to see if your engine turns over while you’re in the water at the ramp is a bad idea. Make sure your engine is in working order and will start quickly before you even leave your house. Doing any of these things after you’ve already backed your boat down the ramp is a major faux pas, and is sure to earn you some ill will from your fellow trailer boaters.

Don’t Block the Ramp

Even if you launch your boat quickly and get your tow vehicle out of the ramp space in record time, you’re doing anyone who’s waiting no favors if you tie off your boat inside the launch area so that it’s blocking their ability to back in their trailer. Try to tie off at the end of the dock or on the outside of the dock to load your crew so that others can get in and out of the water too.

Wave Hello

If you see someone you know at the ramp, don’t stop your unloading process to have a morning chat and a cup of coffee. Give them a quick wave, and save the conversation until you’re out of the loading and unloading zone.

Read Next: Staying Safe at the Launch Ramp

Parking Matters

If you have guests coming in separate cars, make sure they do not park in the elongated spaces specifically set aside for tow vehicles with trailers. Many ramps have signs designating them as trailer-parking-only spots, but some people still insist on parking their trailerless cars there because they’re often closer to the ramp. Still, you’ll earn a lot of ill will—and possibly a parking ticket—if you take up a trailer spot with your car on a busy weekend.

Cutting the Line

If there’s a line of trailers patiently waiting for the opportunity to unload, there is surely a guy looking to jump the queue. If it happens at Disney World or at the fast-food ­restaurant, it’s going to happen at the boat ramp. Don’t be that guy.

These are just a few of the things people do that drive their fellow boaters crazy. If you follow these unwritten rules, you’re more likely to be viewed as a launch-ramp hero, not a social media sensation.

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