Teaching the wife to drive the boat...

[TBarCYa]

I'm looking for suggestions on setting up a training course to teach my wife to drive the boat. The plan right now is to get some fenders and anchors and put out a few bouys for her to maneuver around to get a feel for how steering and propulsion affect the hull. It's a single I/O so it shouldn't be too hard for her to get the hang of it.

I'm thinking I'd have her pull up along side as if they were a dock, maybe have her spin the boat between them and even practice as if backing into the slip but am looking for other possible maneuvers as well.

Thanks.

 

[Scott Danforth]

start with the boaters safety course. its free

then out in open water, have her drive

then put some bouys out

then after about 20+ hours, maybe get near a dock

 

[GA_Boater]

You don't have much faith in the Admiral, do ya?

Did you do all this stuff when you started boating? As Nike says - Just do it.

A boating safety course is a good idea to teach her all the things you may not know. Take it with her as a refresher for you.

 

[TBarCYa]

She's already signed up for the online boating safety course but that doesn't teach how to handle the boat, she needs to be on the water for that. She has plenty of time at the wheel while cruising and she even backs in when we're anchoring at the island since she's had a couple neck surgeries and can't handle the anchors.

*I* have plenty of faith in her but she doesn't so it's more of a confidence booster for her than anything. I taught myself decades ago in a much smaller boat and she doesn't have the luxury of learning that way.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I practiced with buoys/fenders when I was starting out, mostly to get used to how the boat handled at slow speeds when docking, etc. I found it useful and it probably saved me from a few dock scuffs or dinged-up props (although I still had my share of those!).

I also found the boater safety course helpful, as it did address things like docking. slow speed maneuvering, prop walking, etc.

I found one book in particular to help: Powerboat Handling Illustrated by Bob Sweet. It helped me understand why the boat handled as it did, and gave me lots of things to practice that I never would have thought of myself (like reversing the wheel away from the dock and giving the throttle a short burst in reverse to pull in the back end to the dock). I know not everyone finds books to be useful for picking up those kinds of skills, but I really found it helpful.

I've tried to get the Admiral to learn to handle the boat around the docks, but it makes her too nervous and she won't do it.

 

[TBarCYa]

I've tried to get the Admiral to learn to handle the boat around the docks, but it makes her too nervous and she won't do it.

And that's exactly my problem. She's so worried about doing it wrong that she doesn't want to try.

 

[wahlejim]

Do you know anyone with a swim raft? That is how I taught my wife to dock our boat. I attached 2 dollar store swimming noodles to the edge and let her pull up along side pretending its a dock. It is a very forgiving structure if it does get hit. If she missed, just circle back around and try again. She still won't drive when its windy out, but it was a great starting point.

 

[jkust]

We spend our summers at our lake house and still can't get my wife to want to learn to drive the boat. I cant' imagine what it would take to get her proficient at getting on and off the boatlift and the idea of docking is just so far afield.

 

[TBarCYa]

My wife wants to learn and knows that she needs to in case something happens to me or if she ever wants to take the boat out without me. It's going to be too windy this weekend but hopefully I'll get a chance to get her behind the wheel for a bit.

 

[harringtondav]

My 26 yr old daughter wants me to teach her to use our boat. She wants to invite her friends to our river place (when I'm not there) and take them out. Driving up and down the Miss. won't be a problem. She knows how to stay between the cans and nuns, and knows the safe, deep sloughs.

But getting onto, and off the river will take some work. I built a marine rail lift that will help, but using it takes some finesse and a specific process. Most important is sliding back into the thing with cross current w/o hammering it and derailing the carriage. I've got hold downs to keep the wheels from lifting, but it doesn't take much to bend them.

 

[Scott Danforth]

She's already signed up for the online boating safety course but that doesn't teach how to handle the boat, she needs to be on the water for that. She has plenty of time at the wheel while cruising and she even backs in when we're anchoring at the island since she's had a couple neck surgeries and can't handle the anchors.

*I* have plenty of faith in her but she doesn't so it's more of a confidence booster for her than anything. I taught myself decades ago in a much smaller boat and she doesn't have the luxury of learning that way.

plenty of crab pots in the ICW around us to steer clear of for obstacles

you could have her come into some of the docks such as at Pier 22, or the kingfish boat ramp on AMI. do it on a weekday when traffic isnt nuts. the docks wont move if you hit them, and most have a good bumper on them. I would avoid a few of the ramps up river because of skinny water. if you find yourself in skinny water, you may be hitting our friends at General Propeller for prop work :facepalm:

plenty of derelict boats in boga ciega that you can get close to to hone skills for coming up on a dock.

another thing that may help, try to beach onto beercan in long-boat pass when the tide is coming in. that would get a good feel of how the boat would handle current. great teacher for crabbing into something in a current or wind.

 

[TBarCYa]

you could have her come into some of the docks such as at Pier 22, or the kingfish boat ramp on AMI. do it on a weekday when traffic isnt nuts. the docks wont move if you hit them, and most have a good bumper on them. I would avoid a few of the ramps up river because of skinny water. if you find yourself in skinny water, you may be hitting our friends at General Propeller for prop work :facepalm:

Fortunately, our marina has a really nice floating dock that we'll probably use once she gets a feel for it. I just need something to practice getting in close without worrying about causing damage. Maybe I'll tie the kayaks together nose to tail with one anchor. That way she can bump into them all day without hurting anything and she can feel and hear when she's gotten too close.

 

[Scott Danforth]

thats why I recommended the derelict boats... however the water is skinny in a few of the bays.

 

[TBarCYa]

Hmm.... I never thought of using a derelict boat for practice... It would be much easier than loading and unloading the kayaks.

 

[four winns 214]

In almost 40 years of marriage, one thing I've learned is never try to teach your spouse how to do anything. Get a friend to teach her. Saves some hurt feelings.

 

[gm280]

I read some but not all of the comments. So maybe this has been all covered before IDK.

But I think your wife isn't stupid or has any mental issues and therefore she will get the hang of it just as quick as you did, or maybe even faster! A boater's safety course is the only good idea I read above, from the few comments I read.

When I took my first bass boat out, I knew to go slow and feel how it handles. I never owned such a boat before and I didn't drive over any other boat or a dock either. Go figure...

I 'm thinking most people do the same. So just go out and allow her to drive the boat in some open water and see how she does. If you have tilt and trim, allow her to see how the boat reacts when using those options as well. And when coming into a dock, let her go very slow and use neutral and reverse to control the boat. We all didn't have a "teacher" when we all learned. It is pretty intuitive.

I think she is competent enough to figure it out...just like we all did! JMHO

 

[TBarCYa]

She can definitely do it. The only question is whether she's going to feel comfortable doing it or not and the only way she's going to feel comfortable is with practice. So I'm not going to take her out and have her put it against the dock the first time out which is why I'm looking for ideas 4 how to teach her to do it.

it took me 27 years of being a boater to get to the point that I'm at now where I can put this boat in as slip with a foot and a half leftover I not hit my neighbor's boat. I don't have 27 years for her to pick it up if something happens to me while we're out.

 

[dingbat]

My wife didn’t have a choice.

We rented a cottage on a lake for a week. On the way in left me and the boat at the ramp on the far side of the lake while she drove the kids and the trailer to the house.

As we’re getting ready to leave, she mentioned taking the boat back to the ramp herself. Ok.....threw the kids in the truck and took off. Didn’t leave her anytime to second guess...lol

Mind you, she had never even operated the boat, let alone back out of the slip and run 20 minutes down lake.

She did ok, until she put the boat in gear then got out to untie the lines. Had to make a running leap from dock to boat as it was heading out without here.

Other than a couple of scrapes and bruises, she did pretty well all things considered.

To this day, she wants nothing to do with running the boat. Strictly passenger material

 

[TBarCYa]

In almost 40 years of marriage, one thing I've learned is never try to teach your spouse how to do anything. Get a friend to teach her. Saves some hurt feelings.

That's probably the best advice I've gotten.

 

[Scott Danforth]

may be a stupid thought. take her for an afternoon of bumper boats.

http://www.celebrationstation.com/public/clearwater/attractions/index.cfm