New guy here, just bought first boat!

[mydirtytruck]

Hey guys! I recently decided to sell my 2005 GSXR 1000 and get a boat. I wanted something small enough for a lake, but big enough to take offshore a mile or two. I looked for a few months, and ended up with a 1993 Searay 17' bowrider. The boat looks great on the inside and runs great. The outside has some scratches and nicks, and could probably use a wax, but for an 18 year old boat, i figured its not bad, and much better than others i looked at for the same price. The boat has never been in the saltwater, it was last registered in PA and was used in the northern lakes.

What advice and tips would you guys have for a new guy such as myself? I live in central Fl, and in the summer i plan on going out into Tampa Bay and off the coast a bit. Are these generally good boats? Any known problems with these i shoud look out for? Any help, suggestions or advice would be appreciated!!

 

[IslandManMitch]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

Welcome to Iboats. I would not take a "bow rider" into the Gulf of Mexico, not even on a calm day. I have seen calm days quickly turn rough with the wind. One wave over/into the bow and you are in trouble.

 

[oops!]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

Hi welcome to iboats.

the first and best thing you can do is take a good safe boating course....some of our FLA people might be able to give you some info on where.

the other thing is after taking your boat out of sea water....make sure that you use muffs and flush the salt water out of your engine...you have to do this EVERY TIME as soon as the boat comes out of the water....at that time, give the hull a quick rinse with fresh water before the salt water drys.

the sea rays are generally a great boat for a beginner.....im a little concerned about you going too far off shore.....

the ocean has no forgiveness for the un prepared....

 

[90stingray]

What motor and sterndrive does your boat have?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[southkogs]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

Welcome aboard!

Lotsa' good advice around here ... to echo Oops: a good boating course is a must.

Piloting can be interesting enough on calm water in light traffic let alone getting all mixed up in BIG water with a bunch of boats around. Time and experience are your friends. A few years ago I had the chance to get some time in on the Pacific and the transition even from being on the Great Lakes was pretty surprising.

Have fun with it!

 

[richvr6]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

I am in the same boat like yourself. I just purchased my first boat which is a 96 Bayliner Capri 1700 LS and I love the bowrider and I will suggest to stay away from that salt water. The sea rays all similar to the bayliner and I can't wait for this cold weather to change to put her to the test and enjoy fishing and crabbing.

 

[mydirtytruck]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

Welcome to Iboats. I would not take a "bow rider" into the Gulf of Mexico, not even on a calm day. I have seen calm days quickly turn rough with the wind. One wave over/into the bow and you are in trouble.

Im not planning on going far out, but ive been told that on a calm day, i should be ok to go up to around 5 miles....which is too much for me! I just want to get out and go some salt water fishing, but nothing too crazy.

 

[mydirtytruck]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

What motor and sterndrive does your boat have?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

I have the 3.0 litre Mericruiser 4cyl....i think its rated at 135 hp.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

IMHO... ten feet into the big water is too far for that boat.... even on a calm day, that is a lake boat and not an ocean boat.... of course there are folks who cross the ocean in grain trucks with 55 gal drums strapped to them and a prop on the driveshaft sooo....

Otherwise, sea ray makes a pretty decent boat

 

[MPII]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

Welcome and congrats on the new boat! I would go along with the others and would suggest a good coast guard course. I would be extremely nervous taking that boat on the ocean, especially 5 miles........that's a decent trip on the water.

 

[series60]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

I regularly boat between Long Beach, CA and Catalina Island in my 21' CC I/O. I have been 15 miles out at the Horseshoe and have seen 14' aluminum boats out there on calm mornings. At the drop of a hat Mother Nature can rear her ugly head and send 6-10 foot swells rolling by with 20k winds. Not the place to be in anything with an open bow! I would seriously consider a boat with a closed bow for the ocean use. Anytime you boat in the ocean you are rolling the dice. I often wish I had a third eye and ear to do nothing but watch and listen to the weather and sea state! This is not discouraging rhetoric but first hand experience. I love ocean fishing and when I go I will have spent days considering the pending weather and sea state. I will be 68 this year and really want to be here for my first "69". I regularly review the USCG requirements and my equipment. I have Sea-Tow and always leave a float plan with 2 or 3 folks.

With that said, just consider your usage of a boat and try to get as big of boat as your are comfortable with.

So if you want to go ocean fishing in a 17' open bow please put my name at the top of your will! .

Anal - yeh maybe but I really don't care for water coming over the bow in my USS Minnow!

 

[Reel Kahuna]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

Im not planning on going far out, but ive been told that on a calm day, i should be ok to go up to around 5 miles....which is too much for me! I just want to get out and go some salt water fishing, but nothing too crazy.

Sounds like you've made up your mind and looking for reassurance :facepalm: .

 

[mydirtytruck]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

No, im new at this and dont want to be "that guy" calling for help because i didnt have the right boat for the job. I just wanted to be able to do some salt water fishing, but since i live in Lakeland, there are plenty of lakes around here to drop down into.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

too late to suggest another hull type, so you have to do this: in safe conditions (warm weather, other boats around, no family aboard; buddy boat preferably) go out and practice taking big wakes and choppy water; learn how to work the throttle to keep the bow from submarining. Try some windy conditons close to home. You can't learn the tricks for dealing with water that will swamp you from reading about it on the computer; you need to get out in it.

Double your bilge pumps and know how they work.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

Seeing how we all know you are going to try the offshore thing, be prepared.

Add a second bilge pump, and a backup/kicker motor is not a bad idea.
Consider that a bow cover has more uses than just keeping the rain out when in the driveway.
It is far from ideal, but it is much better than nothing at all.

When the going gets bad, the object is NOT to get to shore as fast at possible, the object is to stay afloat indefinetly.

As other have mentioned, a boating couse is not only a good idea, if you didn't already know, it is the law for many in Florida and most other states.

Who Needs a Florida Boating Safety Education I.D. Card?
Any person who was born on or after January 1, 1988, operating a vessel powered by a motor of 10 horsepower or greater (including PWCs) must have a Florida Boating Safety Education ID Card.

And it is even FREE at https://elearning.boatus.org/

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

too late to suggest another hull type, so you have to do this: in safe conditions (warm weather, other boats around, no family aboard; buddy boat preferably) go out and practice taking big wakes and choppy water; learn how to work the throttle to keep the bow from submarining. Try some windy conditons close to home. You can't learn the tricks for dealing with water that will swamp you from reading about it on the computer; you need to get out in it.

Double your bilge pumps and know how they work.

And be prepared to lose a few boats in the process.... You don't get the luxury of making a mistake and simply being embarrassed.... make a mistake and you will need someone else to save your life.

Wanna use your bowrider to fish in the big water? Best bet is find a friend with an ocean going fishing boat and take him bass fishing inland in your boat. Then go hunt some yellow fin in his CC deep V

I actually have a couple friends in lakeland and kissimee.... plenty of friendly folks down there that would love just such an arrangement.

 

[dave11]

Re: New guy here, just bought first boat!

If you go out into the Gulf, get a PLB - Personal Locator Beacon to go with your ditch bag. I take my little boat out into the Gulf all the time. I ran from St Petersburg to Clearwater yesterday. Just be cognizant of your and your boat's capability. Always keep an eye out for changing weather.