Boat launch etiquette

quinner wrote: Trailers should be what forms the line not boats, Like many at the public launch, he was clueless

Exactly how I have always operated.

I'm siding with GottaSki and try to go about my business with minimal interaction.

If someone needs help sure I'll jump in otherwise you do your thing I'll do mine. I have little patience at the ramp.

SNobsessed wrote: You can't change the past but can change the future. Next time pull up beside other boat on the water & see what his plan is. Glad for you it didn't escalate.

Have to agree with this, a friendly Hi, and a little conversation as you're getting next to him to see what he's planning/thinking.

Who knows what the reply back would have been, but he at least wouldn't think you were cutting in front of him without at least asking.

Who knows, you might have ended up helping him since he was alone

You can't change the past but can change the future.

Next time pull up beside other boat on the water & see what his plan is.

Glad for you it didn't escalate.

I've been around boats most of my life. I can launch/land in a few minutes. I'm also a non-confrontational person. If there is a clear order I am supposed to follow, I do, but I also don't like waiting around if there is no reason to.

Tonight at the launch I was heading in for the evening. A boat was in front on me (red) between 2 buoys (blue), but generally I don't consider the boats waiting there to be "in line" for anything except a dock spot, which there are only 2. I assumed the boat in front was waiting for one of those, or waiting for his buddy to back in a trailer.

The launch also has these side bumper things on the outside edge of each launch spot (green). They are wide enough to walk on but have no tie downs. People use them all the time as extra dock space as long as they don't need to tie off.

So, without thinking about it, I just went around him and grabbed a spot on the side bumper to go get my truck. Once I was backed in, he had just gotten his dock spot (he was alone) and was heading to the parking lot. I realized he was mad. I said I'm sorry, didn't need a dock spot so thought I would keep things moving. I said I'd be out before he got back. He said "Bull*************** and you know it. You passed me in line."

I was pulling out as he rounded the corner to back in his trailer, no problem. So I went and parked to pull the plug and clean up. That took another few minutes.

When I was ready to leave he pulls up right in front of my car and blocks me from driving forward, clearly as retaliation. We had my 3 kids and the neighbor kid with, I didn't want to stick around and attempt another apology, so I just backed up (quite easily) and left. He gave me a G-rated thumbs up as I passed by.

Next time I guess I will be more careful and talk with other boaters at the launch, but until he started acting up, I really didn't think I had done anything wrong. I only took space that was not being used.

What do you think? Did I budge?