NAME 5 NEED TO KNOW PEARLS OF WISDOM- beginner help

[zzzybil]

first off love this FORUM !.....i've been reading for a few weeks now , trying to learn as much as possible .
There is soooo much good stuff !....

... i just don't see a noob BEGINNERS section !....... This is my 1st boat ever and don't know squat !
i need some basic - do's and don'ts - remember this and that - any how to info on operating the tiller outboard, power tilt etc etc ........

i bet i'm not the only noob who needs to learn everything i'm asking for some need to know pearls of wisdom ....... bonehead stuff , or whatever - thats the great part of being a woman - i can ask all the questions a guy might feel foolish askin.....

i searched craiglist a few weeks and found and old 20 ft riveted alum flat 5 ft wide ..pretty much wide ..bare bones -open with diamond plate alum floor & current registration - I LOVE IT - stable enuff to move around !

.. came with a raggetty rusty trailer without lights or papers

....its missing a gunwale ( idk the curved edge on top of across the bow edge)
there's a few sheet metal screws holding the deck to the front piece ..... i'm hoping i can find that piece or have a piece of flat aluminum welded on- I THINK IT'S SOUND.. as long as i dont crash headon into anything , it seems strong enuff ( if there's a link for that missing piece or advice ? )

cleaned it up and put it water for about an hour and NO apparent leaks ( of course not much weight either ).......kinda funny loading it into water and tying up off the side of the lauch area - no motor ....but i fig see if it floats before i bought the outboard - THAT WAS SIMPLE - watched enuff youtube to get everything ready before backing down ramp - boat floated off simple - and moved out the way . YES I HAVE A MOTOR NOW !

the trailer is a rusty mess and i'm prolly half way thru trying to get lights on for an inspection etc - to get a plate....
...i sorta thought it a lost cause but my nephew thinks its ok - brother says the aluminum wheels (13'') and tires look ok
of course they said wiring lights is easy - not that hard but every step i do it wrong 1st !

i got the lights in -just have to connect them to the harness .....the harness plug in truck was simple plug and play ! thank god !

i bought a brand new tohatsu 4 stroke , 20hp tiller with electric start and electric tilt - yeah yeah underpowered but I JUST WANNA FISH !..(new at that too ).... I DON'T CARE if its slow - i'm not going too too far anyways .....thats all i could afford new - the nx step doubled almost in price.

i got a mechanic that will get the motor on the boat for me......but after that sorta on my own.....i'm wanting to go learn without my nephew who will never let me follow the 'breakin' procedure......IS THAT UNREALISTIC ???......... OR CRAZY ? WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ???

i've gathered pretty much all the acoutraments ,anchor, life vests, etc......

kinda nervous about learning to operate the outboard - i assume fill up the gas and oil - connect to battery,GAS TANK ? ......after that ??? ( IS THERE A PARTICULAR ORDER OR SEQUENCE ) and find the start ? ...... tilt ?? etc

i don't have a trolling motor yet - pretty much broke now !

- i assume if we get the outboard started at the launch - it should be reliable - what can go wrong ?

yall must have a funny story or some words of wisdom.....

 

[T Man]

zzzybil » 9 minutes ago[/url]"]first off love this FORUM !.....i've been reading for a few weeks now , trying to learn as much as possible .
There is soooo much good stuff !....

... i just don't see a noob BEGINNERS section !....... This is my 1st boat ever and don't know squat !
i need some basic - do's and don'ts - remember this and that - any how to info on operating the tiller outboard, power tilt etc etc ........

i bet i'm not the only noob who needs to learn everything i'm asking for some need to know pearls of wisdom ....... bonehead stuff , or whatever - thats the great part of being a woman - i can ask all the questions a guy might feel foolish askin.....

i searched craiglist a few weeks and found and old 20 ft riveted alum flat 5 ft wide ..pretty much wide ..bare bones -open with diamond plate alum floor & current registration - I LOVE IT - stable enuff to move around !

.. came with a raggetty rusty trailer without lights or papers

....its missing a gunwale ( idk the curved edge on top of across the bow edge)
there's a few sheet metal screws holding the deck to the front piece ..... i'm hoping i can find that piece or have a piece of flat aluminum welded on- I THINK IT'S SOUND.. as long as i dont crash headon into anything , it seems strong enuff ( if there's a link for that missing piece or advice ? )

cleaned it up and put it water for about an hour and NO apparent leaks ( of course not much weight either ).......kinda funny loading it into water and tying up off the side of the lauch area - no motor ....but i fig see if it floats before i bought the outboard - THAT WAS SIMPLE - watched enuff youtube to get everything ready before backing down ramp - boat floated off simple - and moved out the way . YES I HAVE A MOTOR NOW !

the trailer is a rusty mess and i'm prolly half way thru trying to get lights on for an inspection etc - to get a plate....
...i sorta thought it a lost cause but my nephew thinks its ok - brother says the aluminum wheels (13'') and tires look ok
of course they said wiring lights is easy - not that hard but every step i do it wrong 1st !

i got the lights in -just have to connect them to the harness .....the harness plug in truck was simple plug and play ! thank god !

i bought a brand new tohatsu 4 stroke , 20hp tiller with electric start and electric tilt - yeah yeah underpowered but I JUST WANNA FISH !..(new at that too ).... I DON'T CARE if its slow - i'm not going too too far anyways .....thats all i could afford new - the nx step doubled almost in price.

i got a mechanic that will get the motor on the boat for me......but after that sorta on my own.....i'm wanting to go learn without my nephew who will never let me follow the 'breakin' procedure......IS THAT UNREALISTIC ???......... OR CRAZY ? WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ???

i've gathered pretty much all the acoutraments ,anchor, life vests, etc......

kinda nervous about learning to operate the outboard - i assume fill up the gas and oil - connect to battery,GAS TANK ? ......after that ??? ( IS THERE A PARTICULAR ORDER OR SEQUENCE ) and find the start ? ...... tilt ?? etc

i don't have a trolling motor yet - pretty much broke now !

- i assume if we get the outboard started at the launch - it should be reliable - what can go wrong ?

yall must have a funny story or some words of wisdom.....

If possible have a buddy boat out with you. If not, bring a friend with you.

ALWAYS wear your lifejacket!!!! Accidents can happen to anyone at any time.
Never try to learn something new on the water by yourself.
Stay out of the throttle until you are comfortable running the boat at low speeds. Things happen quickly on plane.
If your motor has one, always wear the kill lanyard.


An underpowered motor isn't necessarily a bad thing. It is much safer to learn how to drive a boat without the temptation to drop the hammer and fly. My first boat was a 17' bass boat with a 175 on it. A lot of fun and stupid quick, but dangerous as hell to learn to drive on.

 

[overboard]

One little bit of advice. DO NOT use the clamp on seats, unless they are secured and can't move.

 

[bgeddes]

Ask the mechanic that is mounting the motor on your boat to give you some basics on your new motor. Starting, both cold and warm, trimming (so the boat rides nicely across the water), and basic maintenance, shear pins and the like. Ask about flushing the motor if you are going to operate in salt water. Ask him or her about break in as well.

The trailer can be rewired for next to nothing. A $20 bill will buy a wiring kit for the trailer and with the folks here, no problem.

The mechanical stuff is easy to fix, but no forum in the world can provide common sense and good decision making skills. Go slow, if you are wondering if the boat is going to fast, it is. Every time you get the boat in the water, wear a life preserver (PFD), at least until you get some on water experience. Any time you are in the boat alone, wear a life preserver, period, no exception to this rule, ever.

Based on the questions in your post, you'll be fine. The best news for you, most boaters are darn friendly folks. We were all new at one point, and out on the water, all we have is each other....

 

[nomowork]

Please make sure your "mechanic" checks the lower unit for the proper oil. Run the motor in a tub of water before taking it out to get used to the feel of the throttle. Some throttles are really touchy, some are adjustable, some are tight, etc.

Safety, safety, safety, safety, safety..............................................

Have fun and don't forget, B.O.A.T., welcome!

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Don't forget the plug.

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

If she won't start....check the kill switch first. ;-)

 

[jethro]

1. Practice launching and retrieving your boat on a weeknight at a less than popular launch. Don't launch at 6:30am on a Saturday morning at a popular launch until you are extremely comfortable and proficient.

2. Always have a plan. I don't care if it's a bluebird, sunny day... what would you do if it started thunder and lightning right now, right next to you? Where would you go? What would you do? Constantly be thinking about your whereabouts and escape routes.

3. Take a boater safety class. I grew up sailing offshore sailboats. From the time I was 2 years old, I was on a sailboat in the ocean- that was 40 years ago. I've sailed from the North Shore of MA to Bermuda and back. I've chartered a 48' bluewater boat in the virgin islands. My father owns a 38' Graves which I spend a lot of time on. I still learned stuff when I took a boaters ED class recently.

4. No wake means no wake. I have seen people get written up in no wake zones that thought they were making no wake. Headway speed can be slower than you think.

5. Maintain that trailer. Grease the hubs. Take the wheels off at least once a year weather it needs it or not. A broken down trailer with a boat on it is almost worse than the tow vehicle breaking down.

 

[Kismet]

Maintain that trailer. Grease the hubs. Take the wheels off at least once a year weather it needs it or not. A broken down trailer with a boat on it is almost worse than the tow vehicle breaking down.


Just had this truth VIVIDLY reinforced this afternoon. A corollary to it is Trust what you've been told, then check everything ANYWAY!

Today was a seized bearing in trailer wheel as I took the (thank you gawd) 65lb canoe over to the lake. So little weight on back that I had no wobble, no shimmy, no nothing...as the wheel froze and locked the tire in place to act as a skid, rather than a wheel for over a mile.

Will see if axel is shot.

The seller this summer vowed he had just replaced bearings and repacked them. DUMB me did not do what I know I should do.

I'm very lucky it was a light load and didn't flip the whole rig.

As Rosanne Rosannadanna once said: "It's always something." Or, as the lyric in House of the Rising Sun goes: "Mothers, tell your children, not to do as I have done." #-o

Have fun, be safe.

 

[zzzybil]

thanks guys - yes i think new hubs should be nx -------if the rusty trailer is any indication !
THE HUBS are PROLLY DISASTER waitin to happen !
and there is some SCARY LOOKIN STUFF commin out the back of the hub - saw that when tryin to run wires !

kepp'm commin ! YES I TOOK ONLINE boat course - learned alot !

also if yall have repurposed anything or have out the box ideas for fabbin a grab rail at front ??.......its a big step for me to get up or down the bow platform.....really need something there to grab gettin in /out steppin up and down - i don't mind lookin ghetto if its SAFE .... i might be able to get something nice welded later but ?????? for now ????

thanks for the advice
pam

 

[Kismet]

We're about at the stage where we need pictures of boat and areas of specific concern.


There are guys here who could fabricate something for NASA out of their home shops.

I am not one of them.

 

[ggoldy]

lckstckn2smknbrls » 20 Sep 2013, 07:36[/url]"]Don't forget the plug.

Doesn't everyone do this once? My time was last Monday night. Now, the pressure's off. Whew! Glad I have a little jon boat. Drug it back up on the beach, drained it, and put the plug in. At least I had it with me, right?

 

[zzzybil]

Kismet » 20 Sep 2013, 21:24[/url]"]We're about at the stage where we need pictures of boat and areas of specific concern.


There are guys here who could fabricate something for NASA out of their home shops.

I am not one of them.

uploaded a pic ?? i just don't see where it went yet ?

 

[zzzybil]

1st picture
albums/userpics/22801/minnow.jpg

just worked 12 hr shift- tired - have to fig how to post pic - sorry

 

[kfa4303]

Hi zzz. Very smart to ask questions before a problem arises. Here are my Top 5:

1.) Check the weather
2.) Tell someone where you're going and when to expect you back.
3.) Only two things on your boat have a singular purpose while on board. Your lifejacket and your fire extinguisher. Make sure you actually use the jacket and be sure that the extinguisher is always accessible. Everything else on the boat can/should have multiple uses.
4.) Learn to fix and maintain things yourself. It's WAY cheaper and it feels good to know you can keep your boat ship shape.
5.) Don't forget the plug.

 

[PSG-1]

+1 to always wearing a PFD on board a small boat, especially alone.

Let me add to that, ALWAYS wear your kill switch when operating tiller-handle outboards. If you fall overboard, your PFD will keep you afloat, but the tiller may lock to one side, then the boat starts running doughnuts around you. VERY dangerous situation!!

IF this happens, and you are on the inside of the circle, you may be able to safely grab the gunwale of the boat, and try to scramble on board. But if you are on the outside of the swing, DO NOT attempt it, because if you don't make it on board and slip back off, you're going into the prop.

But if you wear your kill switch, the engine will immediately stop if you should fall overboard, preventing a potentially deadly incident.

Always check your fuel level before leaving the ramp or dock. Get a GPS, and average out your boat's MPG, then, you will know your max cruising range, and can carry extra fuel for longer trips.

Remember to check your drain plug before launching! We've all forgotten this at least once, and some of us still do from time to time!

When crossing boat wakes or waves, do not hit them parallel, and don't hit them head-on. Cross at a slight angle, to prevent being swamped in the trough.

Get an owner's manual for your motor, and read it thoroughly. You'll find that a lot of things, like changing spark plugs, or fuel filters, are a pretty simple matter that you can do yourself, instead of taking it to the shop and waiting, then paying an arm and a leg.

 

[zzzybil]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/40439153@N07/9873325204/in/photostream/

ok there she is ! might help to see it

 

[PSG-1]

Looks like someone already went through the trouble and expense to install a diamondplate floor. Nice! =D>

That boat looks pretty stable, and pretty stout, there's definitely enough ribs to reinforce the hull.

 

[PSG-1]

ggoldy » 20 Sep 2013, 21:57[/url]"]

lckstckn2smknbrls » 20 Sep 2013, 07:36[/url]"]Don't forget the plug.

Doesn't everyone do this once? My time was last Monday night. Now, the pressure's off. Whew! Glad I have a little jon boat. Drug it back up on the beach, drained it, and put the plug in. At least I had it with me, right?

My last time was 2 days ago! Came in from oystering, and was sitting at the ramp, waiting for the other harvester to come in. He came blasting through the flats, and when he made the last turn out of the flats to go toward the ramp, he came into the corner a little too hot. Also, having a 55 hp engine on a boat rated for a 25 doesn't help! Neither does having about 800 lbs of oysters in the boat. When he hit the turn, he slid too wide, and went right up onto an oyster bed on the side of the channel. I could see him trying to figure out how to extricate himself from this predicament.

So, I launched my boat back in the water, forgetting that I had removed the plug when I hauled out a few minutes before. Made my way to him, and hooked a tow line on his bow, slid him around, then drug him off the oyster bed.

When I got back to the ramp and went to put my boat on the trailer, I was like "where did all this water come from?" Bilge pump was running, but of course, I'd had the boat parked in my backyard for a week, so, the bilge was full of cedar tree needles, which stopped up the pump and kept it from pumping the water out of the boat. See, this is why it's important to keep the bilge area clean on a boat!! And it reinforces the statement about how a potential rescuer can often become a victim themselves. Fortunately, no harm was done to either boat, and we got a good laugh.

Anyhow, all of this took place right about the time the restaurant was opening, so, there were plenty of people who got to see the live entertainment with dinner, I'm sure they also got a good laugh at our expense :LOL2:

 

[zzzybil]

yes think i lucked up with the super flooring , has a brace for transom that bolts down into that plate with serious bracket too & connects at transome just haven't put it back yet since i pulled up the floor and pressure washed the bottom....

i'm going to put it back - i suppose any extra strength to the transome is a GOOD THING !
- i think it had a 80 hp 0r 115 ?? there was a big outboard on the floor in guys warehouse that i bought it from.

i do think it's a pretty stout boat and it was stable / felt SAFE walking around when i had it in the water ...... so far anyone's 1st comment was toooooo big for me ......it was hard to find one that big & wide in my peanut budget.....i love its BIG&WIDE !

yes bolting in / locking the outboard is a concern - ???

trailer lights major PIA - for me anyways so far - i thought i liked they will go in receeded holes into / under fenders - not be stepped on ? .....that was easier route than figuring a whole new attachment method...... i thought it was going to be quicker too - reasonable to go with what already worked ?? hahaha....

i'm not sure yet what i can drill into and bolt to as far as those braces ,to make a strong grab rail ?
-what to use etc
whether screw into tops or sides ? if doing that will weaken them...( well yes i am capable of making holes -just giving it some thought 1st )...

yes there are are lot of them and they all look good ......i just want to read up and get some info before i learn the ''right'' way - by doing it wrong 1st - BEFORE i go drilling holes

definitely going to check into the ''threaded pipe and t's etc " that sounds like my budget for now...
my budget is hahaha find something i have and make it work !.........

focus is on safety and learning - i appreciate whatever yall have to say - its a whole new experience and i have a healthy respect for being on the WATER is a new ball game !! responsible for me and whoever i bring ! any comment advice or warnings -> ideas very WELCOME !
thanks for having me
pam