Any boaters?

[T.Q.]

Got my first ever boat.

Little starter 17'4" Freeport Skiff*.



Any boaters here have any tips for a newbie so I don't get lost at sea?

It's nerve-wracking learning something new at 46.

* Naming it the King Kamehameha IV is OUT. It would never fit on the side!

[Pahonu]

Got my first ever boat.

Little starter 17'4" Freeport Skiff*.



Any boaters here have any tips for a newbie so I don't get lost at sea?

It's nerve-wracking learning something new at 46.

* Naming it the King Kamehameha IV is OUT. It would never fit on the side!

Congratulations! I'm 47 and a long time sailor myself. I learned to sail over 25 years ago on Hobie Cat and currently have a 1968 Columbia 28 sloop named Irish Mist slipped in Alamitos Bay, Long Beach, where I live. I've sailed up and down the coast and to the Channel Islands with friends and now my son. It's a great life on the water! You don't have as much to learn on a power boat as a sail boat. I say relax, talk with other boaters and don't be afraid to ask questions! You'll pick things up before you know it.

[T.Q.]

Congratulations! I'm 47 and a long time sailor myself. I learned to sail over 25 years ago on Hobie Cat and currently have a 1968 Columbia 28 sloop named Irish Mist slipped in Alamitos Bay, Long Beach, where I live. I've sailed up and down the coast and to the Channel Islands with friends and now my son. It's a great life on the water! You don't have as much to learn on a power boat as a sail boat. I say relax, talk with other boaters and don't be afraid to ask questions! You'll pick things up before you know it.

Thanks Pahonu.

Not knowing what I'm doing (plus such a small boat) trying to wait for calm days to go out.

Bit tricky I find.

Downloaded an app that tells wave heights but not sure it's that accurate.

Went out by myself for first time yesterday and 0.1 meters (4 inches?) waves sure didn't feel like 0.1 meters.

[Mad Kudu Buck]

Nice boat, TQ! I think that's a great first boat. It also looks like you're somewhere nice and warm, so I'm sure you'll have lots of fun.

Yes, it is a bit nerve-wracking boating for the first time. I got my first ever boat (first ever sailboat) about 5 years ago. I instantly took it alone on Lake Ontario in November (no sails, just rowing). If you think 0.1 metre waves are rough, try 3 metre waves.

I've been 20km off shore, out of sight of land, on this 5 metre boat, by myself with no engine. I even jumped off to go swimming, hanging onto the side while the waves lift and drop the boat. It's pretty damn scary. But my opinion is that I'm getting old, I'll be dead soon anyway, so take a risk and just go with it. I could survive all that, then have a heart attack eating a cheese omelette.

[T.Q.]

Nice boat, TQ! I think that's a great first boat. It also looks like you're somewhere nice and warm, so I'm sure you'll have lots of fun.

Yes, it is a bit nerve-wracking boating for the first time. I got my first ever boat (first ever sailboat) about 5 years ago. I instantly took it alone on Lake Ontario in November (no sails, just rowing). If you think 0.1 metre waves are rough, try 3 metre waves.

I've been 20km off shore, out of sight of land, on this 5 metre boat, by myself with no engine. I even jumped off to go swimming, hanging onto the side while the waves lift and drop the boat. It's pretty damn scary. But my opinion is that I'm getting old, I'll be dead soon anyway, so take a risk and just go with it. I could survive all that, then have a heart attack eating a cheese omelette.

Awesome. Great adventures.

Lake Ontario in November? Yikes.

I'm against dying myself so choose to play it safe for a while!

[Mad Kudu Buck]

Lake Ontario in November? Yikes.

At least I'm not as crazy as this guy:


youtu.be/FdmHOZ3dmkY

[Pahonu]

Congratulations! I'm 47 and a long time sailor myself. I learned to sail over 25 years ago on Hobie Cat and currently have a 1968 Columbia 28 sloop named Irish Mist slipped in Alamitos Bay, Long Beach, where I live. I've sailed up and down the coast and to the Channel Islands with friends and now my son. It's a great life on the water! You don't have as much to learn on a power boat as a sail boat. I say relax, talk with other boaters and don't be afraid to ask questions! You'll pick things up before you know it.

Thanks Pahonu.

Not knowing what I'm doing (plus such a small boat) trying to wait for calm days to go out.

Bit tricky I find.

Downloaded an app that tells wave heights but not sure it's that accurate.

Went out by myself for first time yesterday and 0.1 meters (4 inches?) waves sure didn't feel like 0.1 meters.

There's always lots of motion out on the water. Calm days still have motion from other boat wakes, tidal bore, etc... It's definitely not like being on land. Some people get sea sick on very mild days. There's just constant motion. That being said, I tend to sleep like a baby when on the hook over night. The motion rocks me to sleep, I suppose. Under sail the motion is often dampened a bit by the sail pressure. Power boats feel everything. Beam seas are the worst in terms of motion, from my experience, but a following sea can feel pretty scary as far as control. I've been in 15 foot swells on the beam with little wind to ease the roll and it's no fun. I've never been puking sick on a boat in my life, but that experience was the most motion sickness I've felt.

[T.Q.]

Didn’t die last night.





Thanks for the interesting replies and encouragement guys.

[Pahonu]

Didn’t die last night.





Thanks for the interesting replies and encouragement guys.

Looks beautiful! Hope you enjoyed yourself and weren't too stressed. You know what they say, the worst day on the water is better than the best day on land!

[T.Q.]

Didn’t die last night.





Thanks for the interesting replies and encouragement guys.

Looks beautiful! Hope you enjoyed yourself and weren't too stressed. You know what they say, the worst day on the water is better than the best day on land!

The real stress for me is what if something goes wrong. I would have no clue what to do out there. Other than than I’m pretty careful as I’ve only driven it a couple times.

When I said I don’t know what I’m doing... I REALLY don’t know what I’m doing. Still don’t even know how to properly trim yet.

[Pahonu]

Didn’t die last night.





Thanks for the interesting replies and encouragement guys.

Looks beautiful! Hope you enjoyed yourself and weren't too stressed. You know what they say, the worst day on the water is better than the best day on land!

The real stress for me is what if something goes wrong. I would have no clue what to do out there. Other than than I’m pretty careful as I’ve only driven it a couple times.

When I said I don’t know what I’m doing... I REALLY don’t know what I’m doing. Still don’t even know how to properly trim yet.

Do you have Boat US towing? If not, you should. It's ridiculously cheap compared to a tow out of pocket or, even worse, a salvage situation.

[T.Q.]

Looks beautiful! Hope you enjoyed yourself and weren't too stressed. You know what they say, the worst day on the water is better than the best day on land!

The real stress for me is what if something goes wrong. I would have no clue what to do out there. Other than than I’m pretty careful as I’ve only driven it a couple times.

When I said I don’t know what I’m doing... I REALLY don’t know what I’m doing. Still don’t even know how to properly trim yet.

Do you have Boat US towing? If not, you should. It's ridiculously cheap compared to a tow out of pocket or, even worse, a salvage situation.

Not in the States. Down in the Bahamas. Have to rely on the goodwill of strangers.

[ConchRepublican]

Got my first ever boat.

Little starter 17'4" Freeport Skiff*.



Any boaters here have any tips for a newbie so I don't get lost at sea?

It's nerve-wracking learning something new at 46.

* Naming it the King Kamehameha IV is OUT. It would never fit on the side!

Congrats T.Q., break a fin!

I'll be watching this thread . . . my dream is to live down south in a house with it's own slip and one day take a boat and skip down the Keys for a week. Captained (piloted?) a boat for the first time last summer. Rented one in Key West and went out with a few friends (one owned his own boat and is a scuba diver so I had backup) and it was a blast. It was a very different experience, but awesome. I have always felt comfortable on the water though never had much experience, never even been fishing. My grandfather was a longshoreman and came from a family of fishermen in Newfoundland so I guess there's something in the blood.

[Nifty911]

My second boat was a 17' fish and ski. I spent a lot of time in it but eventually had to sell as I ran out of time to spend on it. While 17' is a good size, there is a big difference in that and a 21' (or more). I personally wouldn't take mine out beyond 5 or so miles.

My advice, and I'm serious...

Always let someone know when you go out, and what time you plan to return. I know people involved in two different incidents where they spent the night IN the water after they capsized.

Get one of those GPS transponder things. They weren't around when I was boating but I read they are life savors now.

Always check the weather before you go out, and right before you go out. (See the story about Jupiter FL and the two kids who went missing)

Learn how the motor operates if you don't already know. Late one Friday afternoon, my bro n law and I had a scare. The boat began to cut out every 30 sec or so. Fortunately for me he knew enough about motors to nurse it back in. (This was before cell phones).

Make sure you have all your docs if you get stopped, and at some point you will. If you fish, pay attention to the limits. They search boats up here pretty thoroughly. Total PIA if something isn't legit.


Also, if you have anyone with you, make sure aren't walking around and stuff while you're at speed. Friend was thrown own of a boat while on a lake when they hit a wake. Some accidents involve head injuries when people get tossed.

[Amian]

Didn’t die last night.

Thanks for the interesting replies and encouragement guys.

Great pics, looks like a blast.

Don't know how to sail, and never even saw the ocean until I was 13, but there is something romantic about the sea. Also, sailors know how to tie loads of sweet knots.