Just bought a boat

cpa · May 24, 2019

I have always gone into a deep depression this time of year when I put the sleds up because I hate the heat so I've never had any summer hobby's. I'm more blessed financially then I deserve to be so I decided they best way to make family memories year round was to buy a boat which made the wife and kids super excited. I've never owned a boat or even spent much time on them but found a killer deal on a 2018 Moomba Max and jumped in with both feet. My kids had fun finding wake boards, wake surf boards and tubes so we are all geared up. Any advice from seasoned boaters for a complete newbie to this strange world of swimsuits instead of Klim monosuits? My kids and wife are super excited so hopefully the heat doesnt kill me.

I'm sure my biggest concern is quite common in this world.....my wife cant back a trailer to save her life and doesnt want to drive the boat either:face-icon-small-con what to do what to do???

TruckeePoo · May 24, 2019

Biggest tip, don't fight with your wife at the boat launch! When we launch our boat, I usually back it all the way in then jump in the boat...she hops in the drivers seat of our truck and pulls out the boat trailer and parks it. Works pretty seamless. Also, have her spend as much time driving the boat as possible, she'll grow to like it

Most of all, have fun! Our girls spent their first days on our boat in a car seat as infants...have made a ton of memories over the past several years. Enjoy and have fun! Congrats as well!

cpa said:
I have always gone into a deep depression this time of year when I put the sleds up because I hate the heat so I've never had any summer hobby's. I'm more blessed financially then I deserve to be so I decided they best way to make family memories year round was to buy a boat which made the wife and kids super excited. I've never owned a boat or even spent much time on them but found a killer deal on a 2018 Moomba Max and jumped in with both feet. My kids had fun finding wake boards, wake surf boards and tubes so we are all geared up. Any advice from seasoned boaters for a complete newbie to this strange world of swimsuits instead of Klim monosuits? My kids and wife are super excited so hopefully the heat doesnt kill me.

I'm sure my biggest concern is quite common in this world.....my wife cant back a trailer to save her life and doesnt want to drive the boat either:face-icon-small-con what to do what to do???

kanedog · May 24, 2019

However you slice it, it's a team thing. She will have either back the truck down or drive the boat.
Go to the boat launch when no one is there and practice your routine. Each person should have their own job.
The first time you get frustrated and yell at her, she will forever associate boating with getting in trouble and hate it. Dont yell and have fun together!

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christopher · May 24, 2019

Team Effort is all well and good, BUT..

As a guy that manufactured performance boats and was litterally in the water every single day launching and retrieving boats in Lake Havasu AZ I am here to tell ya you CAN do it SOLO.

If your lovely wife is NOT a trailer person.

Just prep the boat for launch and YOU back it down into the water.
You get aboard and motor it to the dock.

And all your wife has to do is drive STRAIGHT AHEAD up the ramp and into a PULL THROUGH parking space at the launch site.

The more you can do to lower her stress level at the launch, the happier your day will be. :face-icon-small-hap

If on the other hand you have one of those all too rare AWESOME wifes who are comfortable and skilled at backing a trailer down an incline and into the water, well, your life will be simple and filled with joy!!!!

But there is nothing funnier than watching people who are STRESSED OUT in the middle of the summer in the heat trying and FAILING to launch or recover a boat on a crazy busy day. That right there is some prime entertainment.

kanedog · May 24, 2019

That's so funny. I lived in Havasu for a while. Best place to learn about boating. It's like a trial by fire and you get good fast. Where did you work and for how long?

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christopher · May 24, 2019

kanedog said:
That's so funny. I lived in Havasu for a while. Best place to learn about boating. It's like a trial by fire and you get good fast. Where did you work and for how long?

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I ran Desert Thunder Marine
My Step Father was "Cheetah Bob"

Lived there till I moved up here to Idaho Falls in Jan of 2007

And yes, you did NOT want to screw up on launching or recovering a boat on a major holiday weekend.
But if you had the time and a cold beer, it was hard to beat just sitting at the launch and WATCHING the tourists try to get their boats into or out of the water.
They would get SO FREAKING ANGRY and FRUSTRATED and not being able to back the trailer down the ramp into the water smoothly..

Good Times..

christopher · May 24, 2019

Submitted for your viewing pleasure

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christopher · May 24, 2019

bholmlate · May 24, 2019

that is why at a local lake we used to camp at the beach right near the boat ramp. It was great fun in the morning eating breakfast watching the idiots try to launch their boats. and during dinner you get a repeat performance of people trying to load them at the end of the day. You need a license to drive a car. You don't need anything to buy a boat and that become really apparent if you stand near a boat launch for any amount of time.

Jaynelson · May 24, 2019

Boats are fun, I miss using mine lol....maybe when the kids are a bit older. Get a bimini top to keep the wife and kids happy when it's hot out.

If there's calm water and a dock adjacent to your boat ramp, it's pretty easy to throw a long rope on the front, shove boat off by hand, pull it to the dock with the rope and have your wife hold it while you park the truck if need be. You can do the same thing in reverse if you're not confident driving it on the trailer the first couple times. Won't work great with no dock or if it's busy.

kcj1317 · May 25, 2019

I'm at the launch just about daily as my business is a Burger Boat on Bear Lake. I will advice this as to not get the scorn of seasoned boaters. Do all your boat pep BEFORE pulling in the ramp area. This means rear ties off, canvas off etc. Drop the boat and go. Conversely when loading up once your bow line is secured do the rest after pulling up and out of the launch. This will save you from lots of evil glares lol. Have fun and congrats, nice looking boat.

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christopher · May 25, 2019

kcj1317 said:
I'm at the launch just about daily as my business is a Burger Boat on Bear Lake. I will advice this as to not get the scorn of seasoned boaters. Do all your boat pep BEFORE pulling in the ramp area. This means rear ties off, canvas off etc. Drop the boat and go. Conversely when loading up once your bow line is secured do the rest after pulling up and out of the launch. This will save you from lots of evil glares lol. Have fun and congrats, nice looking boat.

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ABSOLUTE TRUTH!

christopher · May 25, 2019

bholmlate said:
during dinner you get a repeat performance of people trying to load them at the end of the day. . .

Long HOT day on the lake with lots of BEER
Oh ya, the end of the day show can be a real doozie!!

05900 · May 25, 2019

Screw up at the launch, parking, campground and ya might have gotten shot. Got tired of the city being at the lake..moved away from there.

Mafesto · May 25, 2019

kcj1317 said:
I'm at the launch just about daily as my business is a Burger Boat on Bear Lake. I will advice this as to not get the scorn of seasoned boaters. Do all your boat pep BEFORE pulling in the ramp area. This means rear ties off, canvas off etc. Drop the boat and go. Conversely when loading up once your bow line is secured do the rest after pulling up and out of the launch. This will save you from lots of evil glares lol. Have fun and congrats, nice looking boat.

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Great advice, but I would like to add one thing....
NEVER let the boat free until it is running.
Had a call today from a customer in the middle of the lake with a dead battery. Inexcusable.

kcj1317 · May 25, 2019

Mafesto said:
Great advice, but I would like to add one thing....

NEVER let the boat free until it is running.

Had a call today from a customer in the middle of the lake with a dead battery. Inexcusable.

Yeah, being operational is definitely a plus once unattached lol

The stuff I see is both amusing and maddening. The people who can't back up can be amusing. The people who loiter in the launch with no regard for others is maddening. I've seen people sit and tie off the stern part of jetskis, huh, or remove all their canvas with peope waiting, what, while in the launch. You would think common sense would kick in at some point but nope.

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Jaynelson · May 25, 2019

Mafesto said:
Great advice, but I would like to add one thing....
NEVER let the boat free until it is running.
Had a call today from a customer in the middle of the lake with a dead battery. Inexcusable.

Learned that one early....maybe 17 y/o. Quick game of rock, paper, scissors to decide which of the fellas had to gear down and swim the line out to the Lund we kicked off with a dead battery. In November.

Also, when you are beached and have a bunch of people laying on the back swilling all day... have a peek and make sure the waves aren’t slowly flooding the engine bay. If you forget to look, the stereo will eventually cut out once the amps (and lots of other stuff) are underwater. Or so I’ve heard.

Aerosled · May 26, 2019

Make sure your paddle is in your boat, just in case.

Lake Powell · May 28, 2019

Always walk around the boat before the trailer touches the water. BILGE PLUG is a must check. Trailer tie-downs off. Trailer lights unplugged from truck. Patients is a must. Have a great time.

Teth-Air · May 28, 2019

Lake Powell said:
Always walk around the boat before the trailer touches the water. BILGE PLUG is a must check. Trailer tie-downs off. Trailer lights unplugged from truck. Patients is a must. Have a great time.

Why unplug the lights? Just thinking this through, there is insufficient conductivity in the water to load the electrical system and the water would not hurt anything else other than thermal shock to the bulb?? I expect that is the reason?

Just bought a boat

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