Tips for new boat owners

[barbless]

What do you carry in your boat for safety and mandatory items? Floatation devises for all, loud air horn, whistles for all, flags, flares, fire extinguisher, hand pump, oars or paddles, throw rope, tow rope, extra pull cord? Just to name a few. Boaters be safe out there. I've had to rescue a few over the years in not so great of weather. I will try my best to not leave someone stranded.

[Freedom55]

Here's a tip, "Don't stand up in a canoe". Seriously, your first boat shouldn't be the longest, widest, or deepest with the most powerful engine in the fleet. Start with something you can launch and put in by yourself when the weather changes; and it will.

Free

[tallieho]

With the newish laws on drain plugs.Make sure you drain the boat.Then next would be to remember to put it back in,before you relanuach your boat.

[AlbertanGP]

A Garmin InReach on any waters without cell service and a PFD for everyone on board. The rest is just fluff to avoid a fine IMO if you have any common sense. Keep in mind though that all my boats have at least two forms of propulsion...an outboard and a 36v electric system.

[Lornce]

Carry an extra drain plug.
Pack extra clothing socks and rain gear.
Don't hog the boat launch, pack up the boat with coolers, skis etc. before you launch to give others access
Don't let anyone sit on the bow of the boat, especially kids. Have seen some horrendous accidents with people falling in and being hit by props.
Check the weather often.

[mlee]

Along with all the other stuff mentioned....I always bring a booster pack on the boat. Ive got one of those small Noco 2500a lithium deals.....has saved my ass on the water and back in the parking lot.

[Robins36]

EXTRA FUEL!!!

I had an oops last year with my new boat… gas gauge fluctuates and depending g on where you have all the weight can change what your gauge shows. So, either learn from me… or learn the hard way for yourself.

Daryl

[-JR-]

Tip #1 Learn how to back up your truck with a trailer in a parking lot before
going to a Boat Launch !

[58thecat]

Tip #1 Learn how to back up your truck with a trailer in a parking lot before
going to a Boat Launch !

This.....most things are covered but practice, practice and more practice and this includes boat prep so when you back down you launch and leave smoothly and in a timely matter not to plug up the ramp.

If you can when a boat launch is empty practice efficient loading of the boat too

Get into good efficient habits by yourself and with your partner, both need to know how to do this.

Another biggie is run your motor, double check batteries, charged etc at home not at the launch again running into issues and plugging up the launch.

Prior to heading out check the weather and even then keep an eye in the sky, if on the water and it looks bad leave immediately don’t try to get that last cast cuz sure as poop there is a dozen doing the same and will make the mad run in just to get caught in the storm and a plugged up boat launch of chaos.

Enjoy.

[elkhunter11]

Tip #1 Learn how to back up your truck with a trailer in a parking lot before
going to a Boat Launch !

And take off the cover and tie downs, and put everything that you want in the boat, before reaching the boat launch.

[Donkey Slayer]

I attach my drain plug to the hand winch. I will always see it if I forget to install.

[barbless]

Drain plug for sure and an extra one as mentioned. Forgot to put in as mentioned. Not fun!!!! Great comments here for sure. One tip if your new to trailers or boating. When you practice backing put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and which ever way you want your trailer to go move your hand that way. I want it to go left move your hand that way, same as to the right. Not a lot of turn either way. The shorter the trailer, the less steering. Can you say jack knife. 10ft tent trailer LOL How do I know?

[Red Bullets]

Tip #1 Learn how to back up your truck with a trailer in a parking lot before going to a Boat Launch !

A trick that someone showed me regarding backing up any kind of trailer.

When starting to back up put your steering hand on the bottom center of the steering wheel. From that hand position the trailer will turn the same way you turn your hand. If you turn your steering hand left of center the trailer will turn left. Same with the right. Try it out and practice.

[AlbertanGP]

A trick that someone showed me regarding backing up any kind of trailer.

When starting to back up put your steering hand on the bottom center of the steering wheel. From that hand position the trailer will turn the same way you turn your hand. If you turn your steering hand left of center the trailer will turn left. Same with the right. Try it out and practice.

It's funny because I read this years ago after already becoming quite proficient at backing a trailer up. I tried it and it put me right back at square one. Tried it with a few friends that can back a trailer up better than me and it messed them up as well. But I agree, if you no have no experience and are starting from scratch it's the more logical way to go. I make my living looking upside down and backwards and test in the top 1% for spatial perception, so backing up wasn't much of a trick for me. It sure did make for hours of entertainment in a lawn chair at the old marina in Joussard for several seasons watching others though. ;)

[dutchman]

Ok buying the boat is easy. Then look on the list for all the safety gear to buy.
But what about operating? That mandatory boaters license doesn't teach a person one thing about how to operate the vessel.
One piece of advise for newbies, is take someone along on your maiden voyage that knows boats.

Starting at the launch, plug, tiedowns, Don't start the motor when it's not in the water, all the buttons and switches, what's that blower for?. How and why to trim, etc, etc, etc.
I've offered several times with my newbie friends, just to give them an overview of operating. They are always appreciative.

[graybeard]

A trick that someone showed me regarding backing up any kind of trailer.

When starting to back up put your steering hand on the bottom center of the steering wheel. From that hand position the trailer will turn the same way you turn your hand.
If you turn your steering hand left of center the trailer will turn left. Same with the right.
Try it out and practice.

I believe the key is as RB stated with your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel.
What works best for me is to have your palm facing down....IMHO

[Mayhem]

Tip #1 Learn how to back up your truck with a trailer in a parking lot before
going to a Boat Launch !

And take off the cover and tie downs, and put everything that you want in the boat, before reaching the boat launch.

Could not agree more on this. Get yourself lined up as straight as you can with the launch before backing up. Slow down, and make sublte corrections with the steering wheel. Now, the other side of this is the guy trying to back up an empty trailer at the end of the day and load...Simply dropping your tailgate so you can see the direction the trailer is headed helps a lot.

[AK47]

I would say that nothing helped me more to learn backing up and loading the boat then guide poles on the trailer. Makes your life so much easier. Best 80$ ever spent.

[EZM]

Always have soap, toilet paper, antiseptic spray, first aid kit in boat. There are all kinds of different emergencies on the water !!!

Agree on taking time to practice backing up the boat. I also installed the guide poles on my trailer, for me it was about the empty trailer and not being able to see it backing in always.

I am a conventional hand position and look out side mirrors and over my shoulder guy. I find slowing it down helps when it's one of those tricky "S" maneuvers to back into a tight spot ....

For me the longer the trailer, the easier it seems to be to maneuver. I recently rented a U-Haul trailer to move my son back to Seattle. That little 6x12 trailer was much tougher to back up compared to my boat - I had a good laugh at myself as I had to reset a couple times ..... just like I was learning all over again !!!!

[jzz]

I am a new boat owner and I am learning about boat operation. Question for driving a boat at a windy day, what is the wind speed you feel unsafe to drive your boat in a lake? I say over 20Km/hour, I will not take my boat to a lake. What do the experience boat driver do? thanks in advance

[elkhunter11]

I am a new boat owner and I am learning about boat operation. Question for driving a boat at a windy day, what is the wind speed you feel unsafe to drive your boat in a lake? I say over 20Km/hour, I will not take my boat to a lake. What do the experience boat driver do? thanks in advance

That depends a great deal on the boat, and on the lake, a lightweight 14' aluminum boat, is far different than a deep hull 18' boat that weighs five times as much. And a small lake sheltered lake is far different than a large lake as far as waves go.

[Coiloil37]

I carry all the mandatory safety equipment for where I fish;

V sheet, flares, epirb, horn, vhf radio, 27 megahertz radio, two fire extinguishers, type 100 pfd’s, nav charts, compass. Plus two bilge pumps, one on a switch and one on a float and switch, extra drain plug, extra prop, floating prop wrench and nut w/split pin, for ground tackle I have a sarca and reef pick with 8 m of chain and 300m of rode, drogue, socket set, wrench set, screwdrivers, pliers etc, fuses, wire and wire cutters, crimps, spare iac for the engine, spare set of spark plugs, spare fuel line, spare fuel filter, rain gear, spare clothes, first aid kit, vinegar for the jelly fish stings, gravol, Advil, soap, baby wipes. The list goes on.

I don’t see anybody at the ramp who isn’t pro reversing, launching and loading. I’m not sure how because I remember how bad it was at an Alberta ramp but these guys are bloody good. I launch at a little three lane ramp and you won’t find anyone who can’t get their boat on or off the trailer in under 2 minutes. The worst I might see is someone who leaves their headlights on while unloading their boat in the dark. Turn your headlights off so guys reversing toward you can see what they’re doing.

If I was going to leave a tip or two. Keep your motor trimmed up and reverse into the water slowly. It’s possible to force water up the exhaust and into a lower cylinder while reversing into the water. When you crank it over it’ll hydro lock.

Never accidentally shift from forward to reverse while trying to hit neutral if your travelling at much speed. The engine will stall when you do but with your boat moving forward the prop can spin your engine over in reverse causing the exhaust to vacuum water into the cylinders and hydro lock it.

Don’t approach the dock any faster then you want to hit it.

[OL_JR]

I think everything has been covered pretty good but would just second having another method of propulsion aside from the main motor. Whether that be a GOOD set of paddles or oars, an electric, a kicker whatever... and keep in mind an electric is only good if you have enough juice to make it home. Not gonna do much good if you make a long run and then troll all day with a battery system that can't get you home at the end. Pack a spare/spares if needed.

Know your boat/motor. I towed a fellow that was seemingly dead in the water one time. Brand new unit but the motor wouldn't turn over. Can't remember specifically what it was but it was something very simple (no noth the kill switch) that held the motor start circuit out. Motors are getting more advanced all the time and just like a new vehicle it pays to know.