Willard - CRAZY Night!

[RavenBlackbird]

It was an absolutely crazy night at Willard. At 6:45-ish a 35 MPH wind (with some gusts up to 50 mph) came up and blew everyone off the water. I thought I could wait it out but soon realized that it was best to get off and get off quick.

I fought my boat (the 19.5' open bow power squadron one) for 45 minutes in the south marina waiting to get on the dock. I had a few moments of frustration wondering what and why it could possibly take so long to get a boat out of the water. A few boats spent ~30 minutes in one of the slip spots while 20+ boats were waiting to trailer.

One boat was parked in a slip spot and obviously it had been tied there for a long time with no owner in sight (two ropes and two bumpers). I would have thought the trailer was going for some repair and the boat was left while the repairs happened, but right in the 1st trailer parking spot was a truck-less trailer. Both the boat and trailer had the same branding so I assumed they were a pair. WOW! I can only hope that the owner had a good reason to occupy a slip spot for an extended period of time (like an open heart wound or a compound fracture that required him/her to nicely tie off the boat, disconnect his/her trailer and drive to the hospital).

Since I was the only driver (for the boat and the truck) I deliberately waited until most boats had pulled off and when I finally got on the dock, I RAN to my truck and hurried up to the docking area only to find extremely rude members of the power squadron WIPING THEIR BOAT DOWN in the docking area blocking others from getting their empty trailers down to get their boats on. Talk about COMPLETELY oblivious...

While waiting for a spot on the dock, I saw a BRAVE tooner come in and several small boats. Obviously, I let them go ahead of me.

I own both a 14' fishing boat (1973 MirroCraft) and a power squadron boat (1995 Glastron SSV 195) and I have read many posts with disparaging comments about power squadron group and often wondered why the P.S. was getting a bad name. Well, they lived up to that bad name tonight. Most PS people were sensible and safe, but a few really spoil it for the rest.

I managed to get off safe and did a final check on the water and saw most had made it off as well and finally the docking area was clearing.
[signature]

[Tin-Can]

And now you may better understand the issues many of us have encountered with the folks that seem to have more boat than brains or consideration.
I have absolutely no problem with any boat owner based solely on the type of boat or use they put to their boat. Have even run into a few (a very few) but a few inconsiderate boat anglers. But it seems a large majority of the boat operators behind the wheel of some fancy, expensive, wake board, or ski, or cuddy cabin cruiser, drive their boats with the same disregard that many her drive their cars or trucks.

Just my experience the past 13 years, and my 2 cents worth. [fishon]
[signature]

[wiperhunter2]

Welcome to the world of boating at Willard, what you saw was pretty much the normal when the wind comes up there, everyone wants to get off at the same time. I rarely see that when I fish there but it does happen at times, the best thing I can tell you is watch the weather reports and don't go out when they are predicting windy conditions there. I know that everyone can't do that and they get out when they can but winds like that can be a killer, IMO taking a chance, isn't worth risking your life. I got out yesterday morning with no problem before those predicted winds come up, did not see any boat tied up to the dock or a trailer in a parking spot there, that wasn't hooked to a truck. IMO the guy that left his trailer parked in one of those few parking spots by the ramp, should receive a ticket. He could have just as easily parked at the bottom. There is a easy way to explain why that happened though, he might have been camping there and they don't like trucks with trailer blocking other from getting into their camping spots but still thats no excuse to park in that upper lot[crazy]. I wish the parks folks would be a little more pro active, maybe have an officer there when things like that happen but I can't remember ever seeing one when conditions are bad like that. Not sure you would get an answer but the number for Willard bay state park is 435-734-9494 and if you have a marine radio, get on channel 16, they usually monitor it and will reply, if you ask for help.
[signature]

[PACKFAN]

WHERE THE HELL WERE ALL THE SO CALLED PARK RANGERS, THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO BE AROUND TO HASSEL THE FISHERMAN[mad][mad][mad][mad][mad]
[signature]