MacGregorSailors.com

So, I admit that one of my favorite pastime is watching YouTube videos of Russian drivers and Rednecks with boats. Regarding the Rednecks, there are a lot of videos showing them trying to get the truck, trailer, boat and kitchen sink out of the water. But, what I never find is a video of how they turned their truck into a submersible object to begin with? Anyone here has any idea how something like this happens? Any link to videos?

Did ya see me?

jbpatents wrote:So, I admit that one of my favorite pastime is watching YouTube videos of Russian drivers and Rednecks with boats. Regarding the Rednecks, there are a lot of videos showing them trying to get the truck, trailer, boat and kitchen sink out of the water. But, what I never find is a video of how they turned their truck into a submersible object to begin with? Anyone here has any idea how something like this happens? Any link to videos?

It's either a failure/ missuse of brakes or transmission. Or of insufficient traction on the ramp surface. Or beer.

When backing down the ramp slope and stopping, the brake pedal needs to be applied first, (then the parking brake if it is used, which it should) then the transmission placed in park, then the brake pedal eased off, in that order. Not doing it that way can allow the weight of the boat trailer and vehicle to pull the whole ball of wax down the slope (by gravity) and into the drink. Note that parking brakes are often less effective in reverse, so needs to be set firmly.

If it's iffy, I like to put a chock underneath the rear wheels of the vehicle. I did that the first times I launched the Mac because it was the largest boat I had launched up to that point.

The parking pawl of a transmission was not meant to take the strain applied to it on a steep slope, (even without the weight of a trailer) and can pop out without notice and let the vehicle roll back into the water.

A buildup of slime at the wrong place on the ramp can make even the best launching procedure useless at preventing sliding in some situations.

A few pointss:
1. 4x4
2. Low Gear
3. A quick but respectful prayer for wisdom & Success [This Should Be #1}
4. Respect: For gravity; Slime & tidal range & time

If I step out of the beast at the ramp, I always chock the front wheel. I have the chick on a piece of line which loops onto the mirror so I don't drive over it when leaving

Catigale wrote:If I step out of the beast at the ramp, I always chock the front wheel. I have the chick on a piece of line which loops onto the mirror so I don't drive over it when leaving

Chick !! Mmmm Not the Admiral right ? , or r u saying she,s on a leash
just saying !
J

The reason you never see a vid of them going under is because they never know that they are about to go under. If they KNEW they were going to put the whole rig into the water they might think to take a vid but really, if they suspected that was going to happen they probably would not launch in the first place.

Most guys that put the whole thing into the water do it because of an equipment failure like brakes or tranny or tire traction - in Mexico we saw it a lot because many of the ramps were just a sand beach. If you sit at a sandy ramp in Mexico and vid people launching your will get a shot of people going under if your patient enough. In Mexico we used to help push the backs of the cars and trucks to help them get the boats out of the water without slipping back into the drink.

The reason there are so many vids of rigs coming OUT of the water is because when a guy backs all the way into the ocean with the water over his head in his truck or motorhome everyone for a mile around runs over to the ramp to get a picture. It's always big news AFTER it happens. No one knows WHEN it's going to happen.