Rookie boaters nervous?

Just wondering if I'm alone on this. I bought my first boat last summer. Its a 96 that is really nice but has a few little issues with it. I'm just wondering if anyone else bought a used boat and were super nervous the first few times they took it out. I remember when I first opened the ski locker and saw water not knowing that was normal, I though I was sinking! The only gauges that seem to work are my temp and oil pressure, so I'm always worried about running out of gas, and I never know if my trim is in the right position. Last summer I got stuck out in the bay when my starter popped out of place and I had to get towed it, I bought a trolling motor right after that just to always have a backup plan. I want to get this boat 100% this spring and hope that will calm my nerves, cause I never feel like I can totally enjoy myself when I take it out.. anyone else like this? Is this normal or do I just not have what it takes to be a boat owner?

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

Been boating since I was 5. Operated boats since I was 14. Launched, retrieved, headed out insane inlets, been beaten to death by sun, waves, the salt... etc.

I'm 44... and every time I pull up to the ramp I get a few butterflies in my stomach, and I worry about everything the night before.

So, if you pay attention, and if you think (a good thing), you might always get a nervous feeling. For me, it disappears the moment the engine turns over and it only gets better as I pull away from the dock. I only feel nervous at sea if something is very close to going very wrong.

Checklists, routines and maintenance, along with safety measures: These are your friends. Half the fun (or more) is being on the boat, caring for it, checking things out, etc. It means finding issues and fixing them, so you can enjoy your time when you're out. But, newer or older, if it's in you to worry a little bit, that might be a good thing.

Happy Boating.

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!

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

Nervousness is a sign that you don't feel prepared. You should address all the electric and mechanical issues, and run through all the necessary maintenance and systems checks before taking it out again. I also recommend bringing a seasoned boating veteran with good mechanical skills (and a good selection of manuals, tools, and spare parts) along on your next trip. It's an 18 year old machine with a clearly unknown maintenance history. You'll have to be thorough in making sure it's safe to operate and reliable and be prepared to address issues as the occur, if you ever want to feel confident. Getting to that stage is fun and educational though.

To avoid feeling nervous, I carry a tremendous selection of manuals, tools, spare parts, fluids, and emergency repair materials, as well as mobile phones and a VHF radio on my boat. While on the water, I can repair canvas, replace and pre-fill my fuel filter (and store the clogged fuel filter full of gas), replace my impeller, replace common switches, fuses, solenoids, and any light bulb; replace the engine's belt, replace freeze plugs, replace spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor; top up any fluids, jury rig anything electrical, splice rope, tighten or replace fasteners, and call for help it can't be fixed.

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

A boater really needs to be a bit of a mechanic, electrician, Mr. fixit, etc....the more you know and learn about your boat, motor, trailer, boating, navigation, weather, etc., the safer and more secure you'll be. For now, stay closer in-shore, out of bad weather, do a float plan, carry a cell phone/radio, etc., until you "get your sea-legs".....be aware of where you are, distance to nearest dock/ramp/port/marina/help, if your boat quits, starts to sink, you have a medical emergency. You're gonna be fine! Good Luck!

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

Like other have said try to get all the systems you need working to calm your nerves. Alittle more info about the boat you have and the location you boat might help too. I see you are in North Jersey. You in the Raritan bay?

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

Most people buy used boats . . . many are not nervous., some are. The more you know about your boat, then better off you will be.

If you have never been boating before, then all this stuff can be overwhelming.

I remember my first outing in my power boat ( I owned a sailboat previously). It was a bit windy and the seas were about 4 feet. The crew was a bit nervous, I was fine as I had gone through everything mechanical in the boat, and so I did not worry.

I ran into a few situations in the first couple years of ownership where there was a mechanical failure out in the bay. Since I knew how most everything worked, I was able to fix it in a few minutes. Having some basic tools on board is a great thing.

Then there was the time I ran out of gas (like totally out). That Sea Tow membership came in handy. One thing that I learned is you never have trouble on a calm day . . . only when it is windy & wavey.

I also find that just about every outing, something breaks, or needs a little 'fixing'.

So, my advice is get to know your boat as much as you can and have some basic tools. Then you will have the confidence to enjoy boating.

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.

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

I have a certain level of nervousness most of the time. It varies, like if I have just tuned it up or changed the oil or put on bellows or it is the first run of the season (after a hard Winter) then I am nervous until the first hour or so of running. Keeping up on 20+ year old boats has that cause and effect. Once you get more used to the boat and how well it responds to your maintenance or changes/upgrades the level of nervousness will go down some. For me, at this point, I am more worried about other boats causing problems while I have tubes and people in the water, or running on lakes I am not familiar with and banging up the props.

Now, not to make you more nervous, but how much water is or was in the ski locker? None is best, residual runoff from skiers and swimmers is ok while you are out on the water, but constant water there should not be overlooked as it is not really "ok". Some boats have coolers that drain into the bilge or locker area, but once the boat has been drained (bow up with plug out on dry land) there should not be much water anywhere the next time you start out.

Good luck, and have fun!

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

Being a little nervous is just part of the deal, your new, learning your boat, learning boating, over time it will go away, having a boat with a few issues isn't the end of the world just be as prepared as you can, search the site I know there are several threads about tools and spare parts we always take with us on the water, just part of the deal.

Welcome to the Site!!

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

Maclin said:

I have a certain level of nervousness most of the time. It varies, like if I have just tuned it up or changed the oil or put on bellows or it is the first run of the season (after a hard Winter) then I am nervous until the first hour or so of running. Keeping up on 20+ year old boats has that cause and effect. Once you get more used to the boat and how well it responds to your maintenance or changes/upgrades the level of nervousness will go down some. For me, at this point, I am more worried about other boats causing problems while I have tubes and people in the water, or running on lakes I am not familiar with and banging up the props.

Now, not to make you more nervous, but how much water is or was in the ski locker? None is best, residual runoff from skiers and swimmers is ok while you are out on the water, but constant water there should not be overlooked as it is not really "ok". Some boats have coolers that drain into the bilge or locker area, but once the boat has been drained (bow up with plug out on dry land) there should not be much water anywhere the next time you start out.

Good luck, and have fun!

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The water in the ski locker was maybe 1" deep, half way up. I'd say 1 gallon tops. Sometimes I'll have water sometimes I wont at all.

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

Whoever said its a 16 year old boat with an unknown history has it spot on.. I'm not bad with mechanics, but there are some things you just can't be prepared for and that makes me nervous. I have an ongoing list on my phone, everytime I think of something I want to check/replace/fix I put it in the list.. This spring I plan on taking care of all the little things that bother me.

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

I hope I do not cause myself bad luck after saying this.

Bought a brand new 2002 Chaparral with 5.0 L V8. Crappy new boat dealer for 2 years. Switched to Northern Marine. 0....repeat 0 problems of boat or engine. 230 hours & 8 years.

Luck is so DAMMED important. My cars have been just as reliable.........Luck is dammed important in everything about life.

Get a DAMM good mechanic to write up a list of problems AFTER HE DRIVES THE BOAT. Have him do them in a priorities grouping of any problems. FIX anything that stops you from restarting HOT or COLD.

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

Heres my current to do list:
trolling motor mount.. Nav lights.. mph fix.. rpm fix.. gas gauge fix.. trim gauge fix.. bilge blower check.. bilge pump float upgrade.. hydraulic trim fix (doesnt' always go down first try).. run boat and have someone check for water leak.. Also my father is a mechanic of like 30 years, I want to get him on the boat and just go for miles while he looks and listens for any potential problems.

the boat is a 96 wellcraft excel i/o mercruiser 4.3

If you have any other recommendations I'd love to hear them.

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

I am a first time boater with a 96 bayliner and I can wait for the weather to change just to get the feeling of going out there by myslef since I have been going out on all my friends boats in the past. You will be okay and just keep the boat in good running condition and your baby will keep you safe on the water.

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

ericp501 said:

Heres my current to do list:
trolling motor mount.. Nav lights.. mph fix.. rpm fix.. gas gauge fix.. trim gauge fix.. bilge blower check.. bilge pump float upgrade.. hydraulic trim fix (doesnt' always go down first try).. run boat and have someone check for water leak.. Also my father is a mechanic of like 30 years, I want to get him on the boat and just go for miles while he looks and listens for any potential problems.

the boat is a 96 wellcraft excel i/o mercruiser 4.3

If you have any other recommendations I'd love to hear them.

Click to expand...

Whoah ... if I'm reading your list right, reverse the order. Make sure it floats properly first (no water inside the boat ... keep it mostly outside), and that the engine runs properly (and reliably). After that, start somewhere like the bilge float and carry on...

Welcome aboard Eric. Good name too ... if you'd trade that "c" in for a "k" ... and yeah, I still get a bit (respectfully) nervous when I go out.

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

Check the ski locker again. The Wellcrafts of that era are notorious for allowing rain and sea water to enter the hull via the deck joint, which is hidden by the rub rail. This is a common, well documented issue. The water wicks its way into various compartments, like ski lockers. It'll happen after a heavy downpour: Wow, suddenly there is water in the ski locker, or some storage compartment. The boat can become heavy, waterlogged and rotting from this type of problem.

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

The fact that you are nervous means that you are AWARE OF THE DANGER! being new and not being at least a little nervous is a recipe for disaster. I've trained people to operate all sorts of equipment and vehicles and I'll take a nervous trainee over an over confident cowboy ANY day! Now that said, while nervous is ok, TIMID can be really bad. You do need to be confident enough to not freeze up but it's fine to worry a little.

Be careful, be safe, and have FUN!

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

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.

I was pretty freaked the first time I took my boat out just because I had never run a bigger boat, only small tinnies, this was well before I found this site, towed launched and ran it without any idea what I was doing but you will get over it after your first couple trips, now I can't wait to get on the water and get the wind going to the beautiful sound of a good running outboard, inboard in your case.

Get fixxed what ever needs fixxed before you take it out again, take your time and you will get it.

Re: Rookie boaters nervous?

The BEST & CHEAPEST piece of safety equipment ???

A fantastic marina owner & his lifetime mechanics.

I am at a place like that. Support the GOOD places & not the poop joints that charge you for nothing or a crummy job. ALSO Always ask to speak to the OWNER if you feel it was a not perfect job done. how he handles the problem determines if you stay or go to another place. Give the owner a chance to get rid of a bad mechanic OR salesman.

Rich