boating pet peeves
 

I thought about this yesterday. I was in a corner parking space. So the car on my right back end would be beside me when backing straight out. I'm lucky in that my cars curb side mirror automatically trims to curb view. So backing out I saw the mini vans trailer hitch sticking out. If I didn't have the auto adjusting mirror, would not have seen the hitch. I would have backed out and the hitch would have scraped the side of my car. That's my biggest pet peeve, people that have a hitch receiver as apposed to the ball on the top of the bumper. Its removable for a reason. So when people leave the receiver on when not towing, tick me off. I've also have walked into them in busy parking lots.

The second is jet skis at the launch ramp. I hate it when they gun them onto plane right beside the ramp and courtesy dock.

I always leave my hitch in so be careful around me.

my boating pet peeve is loud music at raft ups. People should be courteous - not everyone wants to hear Kanye's latest **** played at volume 11.

Good luck with the hitch thing, mine stays in. Someone rearends me the hitch takes the impact not my bumper.

Everything here has a hitch with receiver and ball on it. Been this way forever.
Many lakes/ponds/rivers/ATV trails/Snowmobile Trails/ Mountain Biking trails / no trash pickup so everyone has to go to the dump/etc/etc.
Most houses have a trailer or two or three :)

Plus it's great to have when rear ended. :)

90% of my boating pet peeves happen at the boat ramp.

I'd say the guy in front of you at the ramp taking 15 shots at backing the trailer in. Then has 10 people and nobody knows how to get in the boat.
And my hitch is alway in. And it's big so stay clear.

Biggest Pet peeves for ME by far

retail boat part sales and 99 % do not buy from you after all the help and not knowing their engine serial number.

caller as it goes exactly like this

I need a starter

Ok for what app ?

for my boat

OK what do you have ?

V 8

V8 what ??

Chevy I think ?

I have to deal with this everyday. And no one knows their engine serial number ever.

In a no wake zone on a river or channel, already pushing a wake, and someone has to ride your ass.

People being morons on the boat ramp. Taking up too much space, taking forever, cutting in line to get to the dock. Camping out at the dock playing with their dicks while others are waiting to get up there. Etc.

Also ****ty boat mechanics.

My new house is just around the corner from the public boat ramp so rather than watching the morning news we just sit on the deck and watch. Every weekend there are fist fights, arguments, trucks blocking people in and cutting people off ... no ramp etiquette.....but it is entertaining.

1st is like stated above. Ignorant fools that cannot back a trailer and load/unload their pile of crap in a timely and courteous manner.

2nd, no wake means no wake. Kids on jet ski's and morons who don't have a boat that properly idles and come through plowing and making a wake.

3rd people in the wrong area of the raft up or island. There are family areas then there are party areas. Don't bring kids to the party area if the music and half naked women offend you. Goes the same for don't let the drunk women and obscene music happen around the kids in the family section.

3rd, down right lack of courtesy for other boaters. When someone is fishing or broken down they want you to either idle past or run by wide open. DO NOT drop to 2000rpm and make a 4' wake thinking your doing them a favor by slowing down.

​​​4th, arrogant boat owners. Just because you are dumb enough to go out and extremely over pay for a new "bay" boat, does not give you the right to treat someone in an aluminum fishing boat or older boat with a demeaning attitude. Some of us would honestly rather be in a 30 year old boat that is still in good shape than have pissed away 85 grand on a pile of wood and glass that will rot in 10 years.

5th and final. People who have disobedient dogs on their boat and think that it is OK to let them wander around. I don't know about you guys but I have dogs. I love them. I have kids and love them. My children do not touch other people's boats because they have been taught not to. My dogs don't touch other boats BECAUSE I LEAVE THEM AT HOME WHERE THEY BELONG!

My hitch stays in - watch your shins pal.


anything and everything at the boat ramp

I boat a lot on a small crowded lake - blows my mind why people think it's smart to tube/ski up our north channel where it is literally the tightest part of the lake. Its gotten to the point that I hardly run my boat when I'm there, just get to the cove and relax.

Sail boaters in my way will be my last :)

Not much annoys me while boating. However I don't understand how picky some are of wet feet on their boat! It's a boat, WTF!!!

if you start leaving your hitch in you would get use to us that leave ours in. I have 3 ball mounts that fit my trailers for ball size an hight. One will always be in the hitch.

My boat is slipped in a marina in a narrows between 2 lakes. The gas dock I use is in the channel....only gas dock on the lake that has non-ethanol fuel that passes a water test. the channel is a no wake zone. pet peeves...PWC's that think they need the whole channel...Big a$$ed cruisers that think they need the whole channel. People who don't know what no wake means. Fueling at the gas dock some clown will blast past...fuel all over the boat, in the water and the rocking boat against the dock. traveling through the channel at night and flood lights from oncoming boats right in your face.
Take the bait ? enjoy Orillia?s fish fest | The London Free Press. turn hard to port at the red channel marker is the entrance to the canal to my slip. This time of year, water depths are 4.5 feet through there.

Oh and the guy with the 60' Bluewater Intercoastal who ties his tender, a 23 foot wake boat off on the port side of his boat and barrels through the narrows

Yup, I wish I could mount one on the front of my truck as well.
Way too many people park by sound, and wait to here a thump before stopping.
If you are hitting your legs on a hitch sticking out the back of anyones truck, you are walking to close to the truck.

If you are so close to the back of my truck, driving in either direction or walking for that matter, that my hitch bothers you - you may be a pet peeve of mine. Just saying. I have a few others as well. ;-)

They make front hitches. A few of my customers have them.

Biggest pet pev is the bar not having enough slips... come on we're freakn thirsty...

and my hitch stays in, sorry

Our marina is to quiet.

Jet skis.

My hitch stays in, and has saved me from a few facebookers in traffic when they're not paying attention. Their stupidity becomes just their own problem.

Geesh- how about those people who lack personal responsibility and want to blame someone for leaving their hitch in. ��

I leave a nice rusty ball on it so don't walk too close...

I'm with the majority with the hitch thing. Mine stays in. I back up by feel. When I feel a bump I stop. LOL. I could write a 10 volume set of pet peeves on the water. Tops on the list is just plain STUPID IRESPONSIBLE people. That covers most of the boating world. I'm not just talking about crusiers, blow boats or dingies. There are plenty of go-fast boaters that fall into that category too.

I have been traffic rear ended 5 times in the last 30 years, since I started leaving my 3 ball receiver in I can claim kills on an Impala, an HHR and a Fusion; the HHR destroyed his water pump and possibly his block. He did ding my tailgate though.

Biggest used to be bringing a non boater along. They don't bring booze, no food, no gas money, always bring someone else, don't help wipe the boat down after, etc.

I say used to because I won't bring non boaters out anymore lol.

Lol. You certainly wouldn't like me then. I NEVER remove my ball mount. I'm hooked up to something 2-3 days a week with my truck. I have a hitch for a reason....to use it.

I don't get boaters that complain about their guests not helping out with gas money. Some make this thier life's passion to educate non boaters on how to properly help pay for gas on a boat they don't own. If I can't afford the gas in my boat then I shouldn't own one. I don't invite someone to my house for the evening and ask them to help out with the electric bill.

Own a boat, get an anchor.
Own a boat, get some fenders that are actually functional.
Own a boat, make sure you have enough lines that are the proper size.

Boat ramp stuff could go on forever. Pretty much everyone pisses me off there.

Other than that I'm pretty passive. :)

Having to pay to dock at the marina because the restaurant is not part of the marina.
Or living in a county that has more coastline then most states and home of the US naval academy but yet it has not a single public boat ramp. They say they do but the 2 or 3 they are talking about are in county parks that you have to pay to get into. Also you are subjected to park hours (sometime after dawn to dusk).

Im with you. I'm going boating either way and going to burn the same amount of fuel either way. Plus, if your a good enough friend you're coming along with me than you're a good enough friend that we don't ever owe each other money.....

I agree for the most part on gas $$$ comments, but when one is say in early to mid 20's and springs for a boat, a lot of the time you have a gang that comes with you every time. A little much to pay for the fuel every time...worse when you are the one bringing the food, booze, and etc. Of course this all depends on the situation - how far boating and etc,etc.

I'm using above as a good example, but there are other situations that may warrant the same.

================

Now, literally inviting people out on the boat...is a different story.

Yep...big pet peeve of mine!!!

Agree, if I can't afford the gas I have no business owning a boat. There can be exceptions for trips and stuff but that's rare.

I also always took my hitch out, because I ran into it a few times. But I don't want my family or friends running into it either.

On the other end of the boat ramp spectrum pet peeve is the people that sit and watch and don't offer to help out in certain situations . When my wife and I had our first son I was still trailering my boat. I remember coming back to the dock in the afternoons, my wife was holding our new born so I pretty much had the bulk ( all) of the work to do , which I had done Before just takes a little longer , and there would be people there mouthibg off to me. I'm a pretty thick skinned guy but those moments for ne were tough. So firm that day on whenever I saw someone having trouble I offered to help instead of sitting there watching . Problem solved the following season when I decided to put my boat in rack storage . Best money spent

I left my hitch in my receiver for a while once. Since I live in the northeast the salt did a good job of permanently attaching to two together. I don't leave the hitch in anymore. I have no idea if it's true and I'm sure it would vary by state but I have heard you can be ticketed for leaving a hitch in place when not towing.
edit- looks like the law about leaving the hitch in might just be an interpretation of the obstructed license plate laws. Don't feel like spending the time to verify it.

We have one rusted in place on an old Jeep Cherokee.

a friend of mine rear ended me and it bent the pin in the hitch. I was able to dreamel it off and beat it out but it was an unpleasant morning

I forgot to comment on the hitch and fuel.
I have 3 trucks that stay hooked to my boats. If they get unhooked it's to pull another trailer or maybe go loafing with the family in. Hitch never comes out.

Fuel, I'm a guy in my mid 20s with 2 kids and very expensive hobbies. I look at it like most of you. If I cannot afford to go I don't go. I may have had someone help on fuel a time or two but it was their idea and it was a lot of fuel.

I got a Tweet from the State of MA just a couple of weeks ago that said no plow frames and trailer hitches can be left on a truck if not in use. I have never heard about the hitch rule before.

Surprised not seeing more complaints about Jet Skiers .

Common to read about boat ramps and people that do not know how to back down - then taking up the whole boat ramp -- plus load the boat up with coolers, food - people and so on instead of beforehand entering the boat ramp. Very dumb people across the board.

Anyways for the ones who know Grand Prairie TX - If you ever get a chance to head to Joe Pool Lake - you can sit even outside at the restaurant and watch the boaters and people at the ramp, By far this lake has the most yoyo's I have ever seen attempting to boat.

For the ones whom have been there - Know exactly what I am talking about. I have seen everything that could go wrong actually go wrong at Joe Pool Lake boat ramp. . You actually at times can not help yourself from laughing.


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Anyone that turns their music up extra loud as they leave or approach a boat ramp is an idiot. If it's rap or techno they're double idiots.
People making fun of other peoples boat type or brand are idiots. I sail, I fish and have fun.
Rental jet skis should be outlawed.

rain, the scum line and other people.

oh and if you walk too close to a truck and are worried about the hitch, you are worried about the wrong thing,
sooner or later one of those "put it in gear and jam on the go pedal before the ignition key even springs back to run
people" will run you over then pull back into the parking place (running you over again) to see what that was.
bystanders yelling STOP will only make it worse because the driver will stop on top of you, roll down the window and yell
obscenities back at them, before pulling back into the parking place.

happy labor day, safe fun boating for everyone

This happened to a friend many years ago.......
Launched his boat and parked the car and trailer. End of the day he got in his car to go retrieve the boat, he put her in gear and moved forward but the trailer stayed still. While out boating, some clown jacked up his trailer and stole his hitch! It was only secured by a cotter pin and a clevis pin, no lock, but you wouldn't expect to have it stolen.

When I go boating with friends I always make it clear beforehand, I supply the boat, the fuel and soft drinks, if you don't bring food then we won't be eating and if you want alcohol, you'd better bring it with you. Had one friend bring what looked like a bottle of water but was actually Vodka. Late in the the day we worked him out. He's never been invited back.

RR