Not so obvious launch rule

I really ticked off a guy the other day at the launch. I’ve only had a boat for 2 years so I’m still figuring things out. I have not seen this issue addressed here in the couple years I’ve been following the forum, so here it is. Maybe this will help someone.

So two of my little kids and I were done with our boat ride and we motored back to the launch. This particular launch (not on Lake Erie) has 3 ramps. When we arrived, 2 were pulling out boats while the 3rd was vacant. So we pulled into the 3rd and tied up while I went to get the truck.

On my way to the parking lot, another truck arrives at the ramp with an empty trailer and the driver starts yelling at me, all red in the face. I walked over to find out what’s his problem. He says I took his ramp. He’s really mad about it!

I’m confused as to what boat he’s going to try to pull out because there weren’t any other boats there when I pulled up to the dock. But I look over to the water and sure enough, there’s another boat waiting in the wings.

Well I’m not in any hurry and I’m not all worked up like this guy. I told him I’d move my boat and he could go first, no problem.

But he keeps yelling. He said I’m supposed to tie up at the courtesy dock off to the side and then go get my trailer. He said the ramp belongs to whoever gets their trailer there first.

Silly me, I thought the dock by the restroom was for people to go to the restroom without blocking a ramp.

I’ve used about 20 different launches across 3 great lakes and multiple inland lakes and rivers on nearly 100 trips to the water so far. But I’ve never seen any signs posted about who gets to use the ramp first. No one has ever told me any such thing before. I’ve had people cut in front of me now and then when it’s really busy, but nothing a little patience couldn’t fix.

So my first thought was that it’s really arbitrary to say the first one to get their trailer to the ramp gets to go first. You could just as easily say that the first one to get their boat to the ramp should go first. In fact, I will block the ramp a lot longer if I have to park he boat way off to the side and walk to the parking lot from there, block the ramp with my truck, walk all the way back to the courtesy dock, drive the boat over to the ramp and then take it out. That’s about as inefficient as it can be.

But after further thought, I realized there is only one lane from the parking lot to the ramp. Trucks have to go in single file. So if all the ramps become occupied by people who then get their tow vehicle stuck in line behind others, we have gridlock. The trucks in the front of the line wouldn’t be able to put in or take out because in their way would be boats belonging to trucks behind them in the tow vehicle line. And most of the launches I have been to do indeed have a single file lane from the parking lot. Come to think about it, I have seen gridlock once or twice.

So the guy was right. As inefficient as it is, the ramp does belong to whoever can get their trailer there first.

Many thanks to the one guy who clued me in. I wasn’t being a jerk on purpose, I just figured you must be in the restroom, or waiting on stuff from your car, or trading out riders or something. I was just trying to get out of everyone's way quickly. But I was wrong. My apologies to anyone I may have cut in front of.

Can't say I have ever used a ramp with a courtesy dock in my 60 yrs of boating, so I would not have known either. My curiosity is....where are these rules posted ? Have been to many ramps that have specific traffic patterns and have always found a little map or instructions posted for all to see. If nothing is posted, how is one to know what the rules are ? Not long ago, I took the boaters safety course with my grandkids so they could operate my boat. No discussion or rules at all about courtesy docks ! I often run into new boaters and offer help or try to educate them on my experiences, but to get into a shouting match when no rules are posted.....what ever happened to manors ?

I don’t know why guys get so upset, I figure with little kids they should be more respectful of you and give a little bit of a pass but some people flip out over things be patient the the chips fall where they may!

4 ramps where I usually launch....if the ramps are somewhat busy, I'll use the courtesy dock, and go get my trailer. But, if the ramps aren't busy, I'll just pull up to the ramp, and then go get my trailer. It's a day by day decision.