How to launch a boat- By D'Arcy Egan

LEVELAND, Ohio - "Ramp rage" is sweeping the shoreline of Lake Erie and many of the popular Northeast Ohio reservoirs, a state of frustration brought on by unnecessarily long waits at local launch ramps.

Ramp rage is not the result of crowds of boaters launching or retrieving their trailered craft, or the mind-numbing heat wave. 

It's provoked by boaters who don't know the rules of the ramp or, worse yet, are appallingly indifferent to the fact they're inconveniencing boating brethren. 

When you buy a boat, seldom are you taught the boating rules of the road or launch-ramp etiquette.

I've watched many dozens of tournament fishermen quickly and efficiently launch boats in predawn light. Once the boat is in the water, the skipper leaves the launch ramp area. He either motors into the water a few yards away or ties up to a courtesy dock away from the ramp. After his partner parks the tow vehicle, he is quickly picked up at the courtesy dock and they're ready to go fishing.

There are seldom long wait times, or spates of ramp rage that can turn nasty.

Norm Marek sent an email the other day after an ugly experience at the Avon Lake Launch Ramp. There are two lanes for launching a boat or retrieving a boat. Marek wanted to launch his boat, and had been waiting quite a while because other boats were tied up at the launch dock, effectively blocking the ramp. A courtesy dock was nearby, wrote Marek. No one was using it.

Marek's driver angled the boat so it could be launched around boats tied up to the launch dock for an inordinate amount of time. Tempers flared. Marek was told, in no uncertain terms, that he was in the wrong despite launch etiquette mandating boaters not tie up to launch docks for any length of time.

A big surprise over the years has been the large number of boaters who don't utilize courtesy docks, located a couple of dozen yards away from the ramp. Some don't know they exist. Marek pointed out while the launch docks were clogged with boats - a sure way to slow the in-and-out flow on the ramp - the courtesy dock designed to smooth ramp traffic was empty.

"I've seen one jet ski take up 28 feet of launch ramp dock," said Craig Lewis at Erie Outfitters in Sheffield Lake. "I can only hope some boaters get the idea after they keep getting yelled at by guys like me. There was a boat tied up at the Sheffield Lake launch dock for more than 20 minutes the other day so someone could take a bathroom break."

When boaters arrive at a launch ramp, here's what they must do before get into the launch line:

• Remove all tie-downs except the winch hook attached to the bow, and disconnect the trailer wiring plug.
• Load all gear, from fishing tackle to coolers and life jackets.
• Make sure the drain plug is in, batteries are charged, fuel levels are good and boat lights work.
• Attach stout lines to bow and stern cleats and have a boat hook ready.
• Tell the crew what's expected of them while launching.

When you're ready to back the boat down the ramp, follow these rules:

• Back down the ramp until the boat motor's cool-water intakes are submerged.
• Start the engine and let it idle for a few moments to prevent stalling.
• Remove the trailer winch hook from the boat's bow eye.
• Finish backing the boat down the ramp, lower the drive unit and slowly back off the trailer and head to the courtesy dock to wait for the tow vehicle driver.

When you're back at the ramp, follow these guidelines:

• Tie up at the courtesy dock and drop off the tow vehicle driver.
• Understand the tow vehicle's place in line determines the order boats will be retrieved, not where a boat is tied to a launch dock.
• As the trailer is backed down the ramp, the boater should leave the courtesy dock or an open water area and slowly motor to the trailer.
• The boater can slowly drive onto the trailer, or the tow vehicle driver can winch the boat on the trailer.
• Raise the motor's lower unit so it won't scrape the ramp.
• Head for an open area of the parking lot before unloading any gear, removing the drain plug, plugging in trailer lights and attaching tie-down straps.

It's always entertaining to watch the boat launch follies on a Saturday afternoon at busy launch ramps along the Lake Erie shoreline. Tow vehicles and trailers can jack-knife while backing down the ramp. Tie-down straps might still be attached, keeping a boat pinned to trailer. A missing drain plug always earns a few hoots. Tow vehicles can go too far down the ramp and get wet.

If you're a new boater, head to an empty parking lot and practice backing up. Use the side mirrors. It takes a while to learn the moves, but speeds up the process.

At the launch ramp, make friends with fellow boaters. Ask for launch help when it's needed. Volunteer a helping hand when others struggle on a windy day. And be sure to stow the ramp rage, even when a boater deserves to be slapped silly with a day-old sheepshead.