It's a well known fact that I am not exactly gifted in the driving department and backing a boat trailer...oh good Lord. Dave, the three kids and I were out on the lake for the very first time in our new sailboat and at the end of the day Dave realized that he was faced with a real dilemma. He could leave me with the three kids and his new boat...me who can't swim and had NO clue how to get a sailboat up to the boat ramp and loaded on the trailer OR he could send me up to the parking lot and back the trailer down the ramp. I would like to think it was the thought of the kids and I helpless in the water that tipped his decision to send me to get the car but we all pretty much know he was really worried about his new boat. Soooo....Dave pulled the boat up close to shore and I trekked to the parking lot to get the car and trailer. I eyeballed the ramp on my way to the parking lot and noticed it was 4 lanes wide, piece of cake...I can do this, no problem. Even a total idiot can get a boat trailer to the water with that much space AND best of all there were no other people around trying to load or unload. Pfffftb.....no biggie. The parking spaces were pull through so all I had to do was put the car in drive and head toward the boat ramp. Crap, by the time I get to the ramp there are 3 trailers backed to the water and 5 ahead of me waiting to pickup boats. OK...no problem, don't panic..YOU CAN DO THIS. Finally it was my turn and I moved to the front of the line. My heart was in my throat, my head hurt, my hands were shaking...I AM GOING TO DO THIS. Well, 20 minutes later I am in tears and have managed to get the car and boat trailer across all four ramp lanes. The front of the car is inches from going into the lake and somehow I have managed to parallel park 50 ft of car and boat trailer on a boat ramp. All this time Dave is sitting on the front of the boat watching and pretending he doesn't know me. There is a knock on my window and a DNR officer very kindly asks me if I would like some help? I managed to suppress my first thought which was, "YA THINK???" and gratefully slid over while he took the wheel, helped load the boat and finally got traffic moving again. The next day Dave rented a boat slip.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
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4 comments:
Don't be mad at me if I giggled a little, ok?? It is just that I would NEVER have attempted. I'd have asked the DNR dude for help in the first place! Good for you for trying, I say!
Oh me! That is one thing my husband has never asked me to do. He likes his boat too much.
I give you credit for trying though.
Good story.
Hey Jan.
Hope you had a great Mother's Day today.
Cherrye...it took me a few years but I giggle about that incident too but mostly because I thought I could just get in the car and back 50 ft of vehicle/trailer without ever practicing! geesh, what an idiot
Pam...I had a very quiet Mother's Day but after reading your blog I don't think you can say the same and poor Annie! Annie and I have a lot in common as I can soo see me getting my head stuck in a fence.
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