# Ramp etiquette



## wildh2onriver (Jul 21, 2009)

Good point mischief. Seen both privates and commercial trips guilty of etiquette ignorance and other common sense issues.


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## Wavester (Jul 2, 2010)

If only the commercial trips would follow these rules.




mischief said:


> With rafting season upon us, and after already encountering some very clueless boaters on the upper c, I just wanted to refresh everyone on using the ramp. Thanks and happy boating
> 
> When using a boat launching site, you should be organized before you approach the actual launching area. If rafting, have the raft inflated, the rowing frame ready and most of the gear in the raft before you move to the river's edge. Canoeists and kayakers should put their lighter items into the boats before approaching the launch area. Fishing rods should be rigged and unrigged well away from the access ramp. Once in the water, clear the area as soon as possible.
> 
> ...


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## BoilermakerU (Mar 13, 2009)

Wow. It only took three posts for one side to take a shot at the other. There is no shortage of clueless boaters - commercial or private. There are also some very efficient, couteous and even helpful boaters as well - both commercial and private.

Does EVERY thread have to turn into and us vs them thread?


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## Mr. Shlitzenturkey (Jul 8, 2009)

BoilermakerU said:


> Does EVERY thread have to turn into and us vs them thread?


Yes Syrup IS better than Jelly


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## Salto (Mar 16, 2004)

Are you saying i should stop setting up my groover on the ramp?


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## ridecats (Aug 8, 2009)

Also, try not to spread out the picnic on the take-out ramp.


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## Gumbydamnit (Apr 2, 2008)

So what's the etiquette when someone isn't following boat ramp etiquette? There was a group blowing their boat up by hand right on the boat ramp last weekend, so I pulled my trailer down right by them and they thought I was the asshole. So instead of me unloading my raft directly into the river and pulling out of the way (usually takes about 30 seconds) I found four guys to help me carry it around the dumb asses on the ramp. I didn't say much to them, b/c I don't really like arguing w/ someone who obviously doesn't have a clue. Durango's 32nd ST. put in is always a cluster [email protected]#.


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## smoes (Jun 25, 2007)

correct me if I am wrong but I go to the river to slow my life down, not to get all anxious and uppity.
If you are in a hurry to get on the river and some greenhorn gets you all spun out before your oars are wet then maybe you should stay home


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## WillYates (Aug 3, 2007)

If there is a dumb ass blowing up their boat on a ramp I will ask nicely then still drive the trailer down. That's why they build ramps. I actually go raftin to get outside and to get a little action. If you want peace... Go to the beach.


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## Gumbydamnit (Apr 2, 2008)

Hell yeah I'm anxious to get on the river after a day of work! I have "streamlined" my launch and takeout buy building a trailer, so I don't think it's too much to ask to use the ramp, yes it's a ramp not a beer drinking, boat inflating picnic area. If that makes me "uppity" then so be it.


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## tango (Feb 1, 2006)

....what bunch a bellyachin' boat ramp bitchin' pussies...... if somebody is in your way, go talk to them.... instead of writing on the internet about it....


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## smoes (Jun 25, 2007)

tango said:


> ....what bunch a bellyachin' boat ramp bitchin' pussies...... if somebody is in your way, go talk to them.... instead of writing on the internet about it....


bwaahahah!!!!


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## SimpleMan (Dec 17, 2009)

You've all heard of "road rage," well this is ramp rage. Quitcherbitchin. When exactly during American life do you see Americans following etiquette or being considerate? In traffic? On the ski slope?


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## caspermike (Mar 9, 2007)

Good post minus what people aren't taking away from it. Etiquette goes along way as does respect for others smoe.. this post was copy and past from blm. Nobodies whinning except you crying about not.wanting to follow rules.. this is common sense. If you can't think ahead enough to get out of others way. I know you might not get to be selfish all day. Than don't consider yourself a boater.. gallatin has had problems at the takeout already people holding on to rafts and standing in the water waiting for the guides to quit jabbering and get the hell out of the way. Public boat ramp means others have just as much right so don't be that d bag. Funny how couple buzzards can undermine the real purpose of a thread. Kinda like gore thread..


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## SimpleMan (Dec 17, 2009)

I just don't see this as the big problem that so many boaters seem to believe it is. The Pumphouse put in, which sparked the first comment I think, is always a zoo. Most on the Poudre are the same in the summer on a weekend. So it is! Is it important to reiterate etiquette concerns early season? Yes, definately. Is it also appropriate to tell this guy and others to lighten up and chill when at the ramp? Also, yes. Both are solutions to the problem: good etiquette or patience with those that lack it.


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## smoes (Jun 25, 2007)

Ok, ok.. arent most of the buzzards on here of similar like-mindedness? Arent you just preaching to the choir here? Of course I dont camp out on the ramp... Ok, maybe I did last summer when my girlfriend was smokin hot and always wore that french bikini thing.. But that was just one summer; ok, maybe a week, but it felt like a summer!! god, she was perfect... mmmmm


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## smoes (Jun 25, 2007)

does anybody else find it really hard to spell "etiquette"? Thats a really tough word to spell


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## gannon_w (Jun 27, 2006)

So thread about complaints, etiquette, arrests etc are always the most popular...I bet for 9:15pm tonight this has 1000 views!


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## jalthage (May 11, 2006)

I've seen both sides...Commercial trips are big, that's just the nature of the beast, it's not their fault. Private "groups" can be a mess as well, friends boozing instead of helping, dogs running everywhere...
I actually like it when I'm setting up my boat OFF TO THE SIDE of the ramp and the commercial groups come down. Usually get at least one comment from the younger paying customer to the effect of.."oh, man I wish they served beer on OUR boat" Then my dog usually pee's on his foot.
Good times.
PS: Go on Monday.


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## Fallingup (Feb 27, 2010)

Lets face it.. the upper C is always a cluster. People who are seasoned boaters know what to do.. others either have no manners, are clueless or dont give a shit. Mostly the latter.

Some people dont want to spend their time on the friggen boat ramp, they actually want to get on the water.

Yes...if you want peace & quiet go to the beach!


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## smoes (Jun 25, 2007)

we're gonna be at 1000 by noon.. if we get to 2000 by midnight EST ill print the patches...


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## Cutch (Nov 4, 2003)

If you don't want to wait in lines at the boat ramp, then all you have to do is paddle a kayak or canoe or SUP or IK instead of a massive rubber barge. Seriously, if you are actually in a hurry, then paddle a craft that accomodates being impatient, and thus doesn't require the use of a boat ramp. If you choose to float the slowest craft on the river, then you should probably expect to have to wait for the slow people to move their massively slow craft on and off the boat ramp. I agree that etiquette is important, but being stuck waiting at a boat ramp rigging is the primary activitiy of rafters, and thus kind of expected for all that go rafting.


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## Canada (Oct 24, 2006)

*Groover etiquette*



Salto said:


> Are you saying i should stop setting up my groover on the ramp?


 Set up no. Empty yes, Mid ramp near the water every time. This will help insure people keep moving!


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## mischief (May 5, 2009)

Cutch said:


> If you don't want to wait in lines at the boat ramp, then all you have to do is paddle a kayak or canoe or SUP or IK instead of a massive rubber barge. Seriously, if you are actually in a hurry, then paddle a craft that accomodates being impatient, and thus doesn't require the use of a boat ramp. If you choose to float the slowest craft on the river, then you should probably expect to have to wait for the slow people to move their massively slow craft on and off the boat ramp. I agree that etiquette is important, but being stuck waiting at a boat ramp rigging is the primary activitiy of rafters, and thus kind of expected for all that go rafting.


So if you get a flat tire on the interstate, do you shut the road down while you change your tire? Just asking :wink:


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## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

*always a competition*

To kayakers - boaters suck. slow, big, in your way
To boaters - kayakers suck. fast. tiny. and in your way
To privates - commercials suck. fast. pushy. and boats filled with gapers. and in your way
To commercials - privates suck. drunk bastards that they wish they could join instead of working. and in your way.
To those with trailers - the inflate/deflate crowd sucks.
To inflate/deflate crowd - trailers suck. their jealous!

We get it. These topics never die. 

Back to what was brought as the topic: If a newbie is hogging the ramp, go talk to them. Maybe even point them in the right direction. Maybe you can show them how to make their setup more efficient. If it's an obvious ramp hog that knows what their doing, just ask if you can get by. It's really not that hard. They might be annoyed, but I bet they won't say no. We've grown to be such a society that bitches way too much instead of just being cordial enough to ask a simple question. Even if these people aren't going at your speed, they are out there to do the same things you like to do.


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## gbmaz (Oct 7, 2007)

jalthage said:


> I've seen both sides...Commercial trips are big, that's just the nature of the beast, it's not their fault. Private "groups" can be a mess as well, friends boozing instead of helping, dogs running everywhere...


[rant/]My favorite is the sh*t show every Sunday afternoon at the Big Eddy takeout on the Chama. You row up to the beach and there are dozens of people milling about and someone has their kids building sand castles in the middle of the takeout blocking the landing (even though there is plenty of room on either side for the kids to play). There seems to be a complete and total disregard for the fact that other parties exist and might want takeout. 

We generally run small cats and can just carry them up past the mess and derig in peace, but sometimes even for us we cannot find a way through all the folks milling about while their friends who brought them rafting do all the work of de-rigging the boats. Often it seems to just come down to a basic lack of common courtesy. I go out of my way to be nice to other boaters - I clear out of the put in as fast as possible and I try to be organized and have a plan for the take-out so I can clear the landing for others.

This is not an issue of type A personalities want "charge" on to and off of the river (with the exception of the occasional d-bag). For me it is understanding that other people's time in on the river is just as important as mine. Maybe this is there one chance to get out and play between double shifts at work and raising a family. Maybe they have a 6 hour drive home followed by work the next day at 6am.[/rant]


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## spencerhenry (Jun 21, 2004)

two rivers park in glenwood seems like a training ground for people who cant read or just want to be dicks. signs all over say "no parking, loading zone" yet almost every time i go there, there is a vehicle or two parked there not loading, not unloading, just parked. or there is the guy that backs his truck in to the ramp area, then has to go get his boat, screaming at his wife who cant back the trailer down the ramp. they finally get the boat on the trailer and before pulling up out of the way for the next guy, they have to transfer all their gear from the boat to the truck, stow their oars, grab another beer, tie the boat down, and shoot the breeze for another 5 minutes. all the while there are 2 or 3 other vehicles waiting to back down to the ramp. not to mention the occasional person who drags their boat up onto the ramp, and then disappears for a half hour or more.

just remembered some people from last year on shoshone. i ran it once, and when walking back up to get my truck i decide i am going to run it again. on the way up i see a boat upside down on the far side of the river in an eddy. on my way down the river, i pull in near their boat, right it, and secure it to my boat to head down the last rapid (running 8,000cfs). i see a couple of the boat's occupants walking up the path. so i manage to get across the river and hold myself where they can get their boat untied from mine and up on the path. when they finally have their boat i continue on to grizzly. i tied my boat up in the water and walked up the ramp, here are a couple of the people from the recovered boat. i ask if they can give me a ride up to my truck at shohone. they look at each other like i am asking for a kidney, and say "we are going the other way"


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## Gremlin (Jun 24, 2010)

A couple of weeks ago, I pulled up to South Canyon with my trailer to back down to Supercat. Whitewater Rafting had their van blocking the ramp after loading their rafts and pulling them up to secure them. Plenty of room to pull aside left or right. I was patient and fine with their poor etiquette and waited for them to finish. When I got down to Supercat, my friend who was waiting for us to return, told me the guides were telling their customers that private rafters are responsible for the majority of casualties on the river because, "they drink too much." 

Whitewater Rafting, focus on your own behavior.


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## SummitSurfer (Jun 23, 2010)

I live pretty close to the Upper C and boat it once a week, sometimes twice a week and on occaision 3 times a week.
I am a private boater and VERY conscientious of making sure I'm courteous and considerate to those around me. When at Pumphouse I'm typically on cloud 9 and can't wait to get on the water or the mere fact I get to boat so much. So, I'm generally pretty tolerant of those around me.
With that being said, I will typically will walk up to campers on the ramp, with a smile on my face and ask "Hey, you guys mind if I sneak in real quick and unload my trailer?" they typically are very courteous back. Occasionally you will run into people giving me a go to hell look, but it doesn't bother me too much.
Now, to my point.....it is my "opinion and observations" that 9 out of 10 times of my experiences where people give me a go to hell look or camp on the ramp is the commercial boaters. On rare occasion I've seen them actually do there safety spiel/talk on the concrete ramp.
Occaisionally I see a rookie private boater, clearly new to the sport from the way he rigs unloads and seems to be lost, sit on the ramp and make sandwhichs. I will typically help a fellow boater by walking over, start friendly small talk then tell them they should probably clear the ramp.
You catch more flies with honey than vinigar.
Commericial boaters; if your one of the ones I mention above...come on guys, you should know better its your profession.
Private boaters; keep in mind, commercial boaters are trying to make a living and put food on the table. 
Tolerance, respect, consideration, courtiousness go along way! Remember we are all out there to have a safe and good time.
Happy boating,
****


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## smoes (Jun 25, 2007)

SO CLOSE... post this shit on your Facebook so we can crest 2K views before midnight!!

bitchin', bitching, guys!


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## tmaggert (Aug 18, 2008)

Gremlin said:


> Whitewater Rafting, focus on your own behavior.


Are you just referring to the trailer parking situation here? I work for WWR and there hasn't been a river accident involving WWR in 37 years. As a private boater myself I know I am 200% more likely to have an incident privately than commercially. I am much more cautious with others than myself.

First of all, we never pull down the ramp at South Canyon. I've also never seen one of our vans/buses park anywhere but on the side where they are out of the way. Maybe they started to pull out and then noticed an issue and jumped out real quick to correct. I'm not saying you didn't see what you saw, I'm just surprised.

Did you ask the driver to move? I'm sure they would have been more than gracious to comply. Also, how long did it take for them to secure the rafts to the trailer? 2 min? We try to be as quick and proficient as possible. The commercial guides actually only have a certain amount of time to be on ramps no matter what size the trip is. I believe it is 15 min from the time the tires stop till they move again. Can you unload 20+ boats, their passengers and gear in that time?

I can tell you that all the guides (I can think of) who would have been on the river a couple of weeks ago own their own boat. They hate inconsiderate boaters as much as the next guy. We try and be as considerate as possible. If you ever have an issue LET THEM KNOW!! Call/walk-in to the company and tell them. Maybe they don't know they're doing it or the procedure slipped through the cracks in training but they'll try and correct it.

You might also want to check the statistics for river incidents who are most involved? I don't know of one involving a commercial company, unless you count the Glenwood Canyon Resort Zip-Line (owned by Rock Gardens) incident last summer, on the Shoshone-New Castle Park but all the incidents on AW are private boaters (alcohol wasn't mentioned). Maybe the guide made up a reason to make their guests feel better/safer on the river but was honest about most of the incidents being private boaters.

Also think about all the fees you DON'T pay (other than taxes) compared to the costs of a commercial permit. Ever used the pumps a Sho or Grizz? I believe they were actually paid for by the companies to try and keep the ramps clear and efficient. Yes I get pissed at the commercial guys when I'm out on my own but I also know that without them our facilities wouldn't be as nice.

One final note, if you want to avoid the commercial crowds (in G'wood area) talk to the forrest service and find out their launch times. Each company has a certain window in which they can launch and most are right around 9, 12, 1 & 4. Plan about 2.5 hours for a trip then they'll be at the takeout.


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## caspermike (Mar 9, 2007)

smoes said:


> SO CLOSE... post this shit on your Facebook so we can crest 2K views before midnight!!
> 
> bitchin', bitching, guys!


You ever find yourself jabbering to yourself, well that's all you are doing except on a internet forum. Go troll somewhere else. Since I can tell you probably have none except on Facebook..


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## Mr. Shlitzenturkey (Jul 8, 2009)

What about Fishing Guides and Rangers and car insurance and pickles and........


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## Gumbydamnit (Apr 2, 2008)

> What about Fishing Guides and Rangers and car insurance and pickles and........


Not sure what you're talking about, but if they're not launching a boat then they too need to stay off the boat ramps.


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## glenn (May 13, 2009)

caspermike said:


> You ever find yourself jabbering to yourself, well that's all you are doing except on a internet forum. Go troll somewhere else. Since I can tell you probably have none except on Facebook..


Dutch Word of the Day: Smoes


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## scooby450 (Dec 4, 2008)

Human nature. Everyone has seen an accident on the road but they rubberneck anyway. Don't ski in Arizona, if you get off the lift there will be people 'rigging' in the ramp. Same at the river. I have never had a bad experience with commercials but I sure 'hear' about it on MB a lot. Sometimes I sense an attitude....I guess even guiding, after a while, can become a job and make someone jaded. I think most of these events come from rookies. Sure, occasionally there are people that are wrapped up in themselves and cause problems but I think that if you talk it out you - most boaters will abide by reasonable requests. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.


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## Gremlin (Jun 24, 2010)

tmaggert said:


> Are you just referring to the trailer parking situation here? I work for WWR and there hasn't been a river accident involving WWR in 37 years. As a private boater myself I know I am 200% more likely to have an incident privately than commercially. I am much more cautious with others than myself.
> 
> First of all, we never pull down the ramp at South Canyon. I've also never seen one of our vans/buses park anywhere but on the side where they are out of the way. Maybe they started to pull out and then noticed an issue and jumped out real quick to correct. I'm not saying you didn't see what you saw, I'm just surprised.
> 
> ...


I'm referring to the fact that the guide talked shit about private boaters in front of my friend who was staying with the rafts and then blocked the ramp to tie the raft down. Probably, they didn't expect me to show up at just that moment. I didn't consider it a big deal, nobody was waiting behind me. I waited patiently and didn't say anything. Had I known at that time what my friend overheard, I would have let them know how inconsiderate they were being.

As far as avoiding the crowds, I try. If you add up all the commercial companies and the number of launches they do a day and break it down into 15 minute intervals, you will find that mathematically you cannot avoid commercial groups on a busy weekend at Grizzly or Shoshone.


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## smoes (Jun 25, 2007)

caspermike said:


> You ever find yourself jabbering to yourself, well that's all you are doing except on a internet forum. Go troll somewhere else. Since I can tell you probably have none except on Facebook..


somebody is not getting a patch..........


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## ItsMe (Jul 26, 2009)

What size burn is best for blocking a put-in ramp? Also, related, which cooler is best for keeping my things cold while I block a ramp? Which canned beer tastes best while blocking the ramp? And lastly, I still think ark guides are douche's, them and poudre guides, heck, shoshone guides too, I guess all guides are douche's

One more thing, I think someone should change the picture on the main page from those lame waterfalls, to someone sitting on a ramp, because that's way cooler.


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## ridecats (Aug 8, 2009)

In a pure form, that 98% of boaters can understand and live with, ramp etiquette boils down to seven simple words. IT'S A CHOKEPOINT; DON'T BE A DICK.


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## gbmaz (Oct 7, 2007)

ridecats said:


> In a pure form, that 98% of boaters can understand and live with, ramp etiquette boils down to seven simple words. IT'S A CHOKEPOINT; DON'T BE A DICK.


Exactly!


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## RiverCowboy (Mar 14, 2011)

Sometimes a dick can be the cause of a chokepoint...that's my humor for the day.


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