late friends on the lake??

[sandm]

so the conversation came up this weekend on being late to the ramp and so I figured I'd see if we are too harsh or if others agree....

our lake that we boat on most of the time has no cell coverage. it's around the foothills and no one has put up a tower. we usually try to go up early to grab a dock, especially on busy weekends or if we are camping we are already up there for anyone that wants to day-trip.
anyone that we invite we tell them that since no cell coverage, it's a 15 minute window. if we agree to noon, then we wait until 12:15 then take off. it's a hard, fast rule that we stick to..

too harsh??

a couple of people have suggested that it's kind of harsh and what happens if you hit traffic, but my though is if you are going to spend the day with others, have the common courtesty to show up on time. you play your trip to ensure that you are there early...

[kaneboats]

I have no problem whatsoever with that. I would think they could get there much quicker than you as they are not towing a boat, didn't have to hitch up, didn't have to stop to gas up the boat, etc. Of course, if it is someone I really wanted to spend time with I'd tell them 11:45 instead of noon.

[Hydrofoiljunky]

Seems fair to me as long as everyone that is coming knows of the 15 minute window. The only thing I personally would change would be maybe a 30 minute window. It's tough getting places on time because stuff does happen.

I know in my area where we go I can't get cell phone coverage, either but what's weird is texting comes through.

[kaneboats]

I used to do one "checkback" on the hour. So if the time was 12, I'd check at 1. This might not be feasible for you though, depending on the distance.

[sandm]

wait, I own a supra :)

ya, maybe I am, and several of my buddies that have boats are the same way. just sounds harsh. we have a good time on our "recreational vehicles" and haven't had a single soul yet complain and go away saying they wouldn't come back.....

the way I see it:
shoes can cause more wear and tear. it's my depreciation.
eat and drink what you like, just no kool aid or cheetoes. they stain.
it cost money. I'll let you go occasionally for free, but they do cost money. pay up :)
we all say be on time as floating around waiting for someone eats up board time and sucks for all on the boat..

like kg says, I've only had one miss it, and he didn't do it again ;)

[clarkro2]

Only rule I have on the boat is have fun, be respectful and take your shoes off before boarding. :D

[moombadaze]

nope not to harsh-I do like the idea of a swing back by and see if ya made it/pickup run--if its possible. But im the kind of guy that would have been at the ramp waiting to help before the boat showed up.

[rc5695]

I agree, not too harsh. I do like the check-back though. That way if something DID happen that they were late, you could still hook-up with them. That way if they were late becuase of their own doings, they can sit and wait for you on their time.

I've been burned too many times, not with boating, but other sports, that people are too irresponsible many times, and I hate wasteing MY time waiting for somebody who didn't have the common curtousy to even call. can't tell its a huge pet peeve of mine can ya? If you say you're going to be somewhere at a certain time, then be there at that time!

[BensonWdby]

I am so glad I don't have to trailer anymore... And our lake is small enough you can see our dock frmo just about anywhere on the lake.. We normally only take a couple out at a time and the rest stay on the dock..

[kaneboats]

You are what's called a "BOAT OWNER". It never leaves you even if you stop owning a boat. It's funny but I have a friend who loves the little sprint race cars (dirt track you know). He didn't have a car but he had a fire suit and he always brought his truck, ready to push start folks and full of gas. They all got to know him and one day they let him drive one of the cars-- he had his suit with him and ready and his helmet too. After a while he became a part owner and driver for one of them. He's never owned a boat. I asked him if he'd like to come out. He showed up at the house an hour early with extra ice and a full cooler to see if there was anything he could do to help. I consider him a "boat owner" too because he gets it. I wish we all had 4-5 friends like that. Heck, I wish we each had one friend like that.

[sandm]

^ well put. that's a guy that "gets it".

and fwiw, I hope to someday get back to florida. and if I should happen to be in the orlando area, I would love to meet ed and get a pull behind a boat using the minimalist surfing strategy as I'm very intrigued. and if that should ever happen, I'd have gas money, yueng's and ed's favorite chip he raves about on here, my flippy floppies and I'd be on time :)

[ian ashton]

Our lake is small enough that its easy to swing in and pick people up, and drop people off. Another nice feature of leaving the boat on the lake is that most of my friends know other people on the lake as well, from hanging with us. So if they are at the marina and we aren't they could feasibly hitch a ride out to the lake to meet up with us. This has only happened a few times, but its nice for sure.

[kaneboats]

That's one thing I miss from the old days. All that "small world" stuff. I only know the folks in about 3 boats on my whole river.

[Sled491]

Not too harsh, and glad it's not my world. We're more like Dave smallish lake, good cell coverage and we don't need to make the most of every minute on the lake.

Ed I'm noticing a pattern with you and your comments towards those who are a little shall we say "anal" about there boats. It then occured to me, you don't have any kids. Not looking to pick a fight with you, I'm just saying.

I feel like you, it is a boat and meant to be enjoyed, but man let those little monsters loose all buzzed up on Kool Aid and snacks and look out! Sometin gonna get broke!

[DOCDRS]

Not too harsh.....more harsh not to invite them at all.........if you're that remote that there is no cellphone coverage then it must take you a while to get there.....they could let you know they were running behind when they left and presumably you would still have been in a covered area. If its a short distance to the ramp well then there was no excuse. If there was no way of contacting you for hours before then a diff story as there can always be emergencies that can come up but then you don't know if they are coming or not. so if 15 mins is what they were told I see no prob. .02 more

BTW what time did they get there?

[sandm]

funny everyone thinks no coverage and must be remote. it's 10 miles from my front door and I live 2 miles from the downtown core of boise(pop 400-500,000 in the valley). it's just around a mountain that no one will put a tower up on. guy running the marina has been approached about putting one up, but he won't allow it since he owns the payphone there and he's making a mint on it with people checking vm's all day..

I don't know what time they ever did show up. we never did talk about it, assuming out of embarrasment for not being on time.. they just said they couldn't make it, but I have heard that they did, just late.

[WaterBullDawg1980]

You are what's called a "BOAT OWNER". It never leaves you even if you stop owning a boat. It's funny but I have a friend who loves the little sprint race cars (dirt track you know). He didn't have a car but he had a fire suit and he always brought his truck, ready to push start folks and full of gas. They all got to know him and one day they let him drive one of the cars-- he had his suit with him and ready and his helmet too. After a while he became a part owner and driver for one of them. He's never owned a boat. I asked him if he'd like to come out. He showed up at the house an hour early with extra ice and a full cooler to see if there was anything he could do to help. I consider him a "boat owner" too because he gets it. I wish we all had 4-5 friends like that. Heck, I wish we each had one friend like that.

That is a good fella. And your right about that. He gets it. As simple as it sounds, that is the best way to sum it up.

[WaterBullDawg1980]

funny everyone thinks no coverage and must be remote. it's 10 miles from my front door and I live 2 miles from the downtown core of boise(pop 400-500,000 in the valley). it's just around a mountain that no one will put a tower up on. guy running the marina has been approached about putting one up, but he won't allow it since he owns the payphone there and he's making a mint on it with people checking vm's all day..


That guy would make A TON more to have a cell phone company pay him to put a tower on his property. But a lot of people worry about the radiation a tower gives off. Funny, bc a baby monitor gives off more radiation than a cell tower. Little known fact.

But like you said there is a big mountain there, so 1 tower may only light up a very small area. Soooo many variables on getting just getting cell reception. The cell phone companies probably don't want the expense of lighting up several towers and then they are looking at how many new subscribers would this actually gain. If they determine its not a lot, then the economics would just not be there.