[birdwatcher]

I watched a boater tie a heavy bow rope to the back of a trailer. I stopped and ask him why? He told me this way he does not have to get his feet wet while launching the boat. He said as I slowly pull the trailer out of the water the boat will follow. Then when the trailer clears the water I can stop and pull the boat to the beach. We talk for a few minutes and he got in his truck back the boat into the water to the proper depth. The boat floated off the trailer just like he said it would. Then, I guess he forgot about the rope and pulled the trailer out of the water very fast. The next thing I saw was a boat sitting on the ramp completely out of the water. He stop after feeling a major pull on his truck. After a few words came out of his mouth he looked over at me and said what am I going to do???? I wanted to launch my boat but the ramp was now closed. There were 5 other boats waiting to lanuch after me. He told me I guess I will just wrench the boat back on the trailer. This will invole draging the boat on the concerte ramp. I stopped him and sugested that we get the other 5 boat owner that was waiting to launch to help. So he back the trailer up to the boat and we lifted the bow enought to get the bow on the back of the trailer. Then I told him to back up slow. As he backed up we lifted and wrenched his boat back on the tailer. Well the good news was the ramp was now open again. The bad news was the bottom of this boat got to be rebuilt. The moral of this story is never loan your boat to someone that does not know how to launch a boat.