Rookie boaters nervous?

[UncleWillie]

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

The fact that you are nervous means that you are AWARE OF THE DANGER!

I think it is a good thing that you are nevous, too many people buy boats and aren't, they think they know everything and normally end up in trouble because of it.

+1 and +1 = +2 ???

If going off shore farther than you could ever hope to swim back doesn't scare you, You really do not appreciate the danger.

Slightly off topic but comparable .... I have a lot of aviation experience behind me ....

Losing an engine on a boat is a nuisance ... I have blown an oil cooler in flight ... fortunately aircraft engines are designed with 6 quarts of oil where only 4 is needed.
Lots of smoke, Big mess, on the plane ... and me!!!

I still remember the day I crossed lake Erie in February, 20 miles off shore, looking down at broken ice, not a boat in sight, and thinking, "This would be a very bad time to lose and engine!"

It gives you pause.

 

[DuckHunterJon]

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

Smoke said it best. I'd rather be on board with a slightly nervous captain over a completely clueless one anyday. That said, time and experience (and some maintenance on the vessle) will make it easier.

 

[BRICH1260]

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

I think it`s completely normal to be a little nervious your first few times. I know I was and still am under certain conditions. I still get nervious when trying to load my boat on the trailer against swift current or strong cross wind.I think it is good to be a little weary and cautious. The more you do it, the calmer you will become. You do need to do everything possible to make sure you boat in in good condition. Use the off season to correct/fix/repair the things your boat needs now. You will feel much more at ease when it`s time to launch again.

 

[hog88]

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

One piece of advice that I learned 20 years ago with my first boat. NEVER NEVER trust your gas gauge!! Fill it up, run it fill it up and figure your usage per hour. Stay near help while you learn your boat, they are like women, no two are the same and all have a few quirks...

 

[gtochris]

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

The fact that you are nervous means that you are AWARE OF THE DANGER!

I was going to say something similar, this is better then the common care-free attitude that results in crashes/ accidents.

My boat is a 97, I ran through a grocery list of fixes/ repairs before I could enjoy her, but then again, everything I own
needs to be in proper working condition.

You likely need some new bellows as water should never be standing in the ski locker and a minimum- in the engine compartment.

Keep reading/ learning and go boating with established boaters, it helps build confidence.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

If you have LARGE wave making boats pushing 3' to almost 5' waves at you . You can fill the boat in a hurry if anchored in rocks. I know I have almost done that while fishing.
Cars are dangerous. But they do not fill up with Hypothermia water. Usually.

Rich

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

Good advice here--coming from half a century of boating, mostly in old ones in salt water!

Philster said it well, that even the experienced boaters are nervous about this or that, but it can be overcome with confidence in your equipment, or confidence in your skills to fix it.

Robert makes a great point to stay aware of your surroundings, which means weather, tides, other boaters as well as your equipment. Are all your lines in? Loose items secure? Look back every now and then so you have landmarks to get home--even after dark.

You can't beat experience. Just spend lots of time with the boat. This may make you feel better: those who buy old boats that need work, and do the work, know their boat better, and are better boaters, than the guy who buys one brand new with no problems. Because the bottom line is, "if you have a boat, you have a problem."

You mention your guages. Never rely on any of your gauges and gadgets. Alarms and sensors might work; a guage might be accurate, a GPS might help find the way, but all of them will crap out on you. While you should carry a cell phone, it is the most fragile least reliable thing on the boat, so proceed as if you dropped it overboard at the ramp. Which you will. So if you disregard those things in the first place, you will have a better day, than worrying if you are overheating and the guage is broken. Likewise, some alarms, etc. are over-sensitive and you have to discern that--just like the smoke detector that goes off when the roast is done, doesn't send you to call 911 and evacuate the house.

However, lack of confidence takes all the fun out of boating (which what most of us want out of it). So first, gain confidence. Any experienced boater will tell you, that once you loose confidence in a boat, you won't want to use it (worse is when your family looses confidence). This is why I suggest new boaters not buy the cheapest rig; it is worth it to pay for reliability and you can only get reliability by paying for it.

Tough thing about boats is that the tiniest thing can be fatal and the seemingly biggest thing harmless. A pinhole can sink a boat; a leaf on a drain hole can hold back 30 gallons of water.

Finally, take risks. Learn what your boat, and you, can do. Find the edge of the envelope. Don't be afraid to push it. Get through a hairy ordeal and you will be stronger for it.

I think your response is great!

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

I agree. A bit of nerves are a good thing. It's like performing live. Even if you're an old pro you still get a few butterflies before the curtain goes up. However, once it's up experience and ability take over. I'm more worried about all the cavalier guys who don't seem the least bit worried at the boat ramp, or zooming around out of the water without a care in the world. They're the one that's going to hurt themselves and others. Checklists are your friend. No shame in using them at all. I also try to do everything the same way in the same order when I hit the water. I always try load, unload go through the same start up procedures everytime I hit the water. That way it's sort of like muscle memory when I get there. Even if my brain forgets what comes next, my body will remember. All that being said, take your time, have fun and come home in one piece.


Really only two things you need to know before hitting the water:


"The sea will reveal all of your mistakes."
-sailor's proverb

"Be prepared."
-boy scout motto

 

[shout]

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

Eric....WELCOME....I am a long time veteran...bought my first boat a year ago last week! Everything you are feeling is what i went through. How I approached my first season as an owner was to read EVERYTHING I COULD online regarding boating...including many many threads on this forum. There are soooo many great sites that touch on almost anything and everything you could encounter and many many people willing to share their experiences. Make sure you take a boater safety course...there are several online as well, I am sure, in your area. Use these forums as a sounding board and learning tool...they will prove to be invaluable....but most of all...be patient....be a little OCD about double checking everything before pulling out for a cruise....BUT HAVE FUN and STAY SAFE!

I Second the preparation comment, we've had a boat for 4 years, bought it in the fall and read everything I could find over the winter, I still made some mistakes, but nothing too bad. Best advice I ever got about docking "don't move any faster than you want to hit something", and " don't be afraid to back out and try again"... I don't get nervous anymore, but that's just due to experience. Have fun!

--Shout

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

I Second the preparation comment, we've had a boat for 4 years, bought it in the fall and read everything I could find over the winter, I still made some mistakes, but nothing too bad. Best advice I ever got about docking "don't move any faster than you want to hit something", and " don't be afraid to back out and try again"... I don't get nervous anymore, but that's just due to experience. Have fun!

--Shout

Great comment about docking . . .

It reminds me of how often I see people approaching the dock as if they are pulling their car into the garage . . . much faster than they would "want to hit something". At the last seconds, they think to 'jam on the brakes', only to realize that boats don't have brakes.

Anyway . . . knowledge and preparation two keys to remedying the nerves.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

Nervous or apprehension.

I'll feel a little nervious or cautious the first few times out in a new to me boat because I am unsure of how it will behave or what it's querks are. Apprehensive when I go to new waters that I am unfamiliar with because I fish a lot of shallow water and one never knows what lies beneath. Rocks, stumps, junk. Big water reservoirs with lots of islands and bays and no GPS!

 

[Searayb]

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

One why to alleviate the nerves is to make sure the boat is in ship shape. Fix those gauges and anything else that?s broken. Understand how your boat works and operates, Iboats Forum is a great place to learn so take a look at the forums for your engine and boat. Bring an experienced boater out with the first few times you launch, someone who knows the water. During your first few launches try and go out during the week when there?s not as many boats out. Experience is the best teacher, get out and enjoy the water.