Things you Wished you'd Known before you went Cruising

[Amapola]

I wish I had known how much I would love it!

[goboatingnow]

that the things that breaks is always the most inaccessible


dave

[rw58ph]

Some other things we wished we knew. We like the live style.

Where is the owner’s manual? - Vehicles come with a glove compartment with the owners manual in it. Why don’t boat glove have a glove compartmetns with an owner manual?

All the screens - The pilot house had 10 screens and to our surprise NON of them got TV reception. How disappointing!

Thank God for bow thrusters - As it turns out the joy stick we kept fiddling with was for the bow thruster. We thought it was for Video games for those screens. Is that all it does!

Starting the engine more than just turning the key -The first time we tried to start the engine, nothing. For the hundredth time we asked a neighbor that was nice and patient to put up with us. Actaully his wife made him do it! He showed me where the battery switches and through hulls. I know the battery switch must be important as they are BIG AND RED! He turned the key and they started. We were so happy it was almost like Christmas!

Boats do not respond quickly - I was surprised how slow the response time was. It took several seconds for the boat to move, but they took a long time to stop. Where is the brake?

A steadying sail is not intended for sail - We found a sail in storage, 17 ft tall and 10 ft wide. After several tries making no head way, we figured sailing was not for us.

Know/understand the boat you buy – We did not know the brand name of the Eagle. They kept referring to it as a rough water boat. We thought they meant it could handle rough water. We did not realize until signing the band name was ROUGHWATER. Dah!

Before you buy a boat make sure you have moorage for it! - After signing/closing the broker ask where we were moving the boat to? We thought the boat could stay in the slip where it was. Nope, Nota, No way!!!!!

Might become a live a board with out knowing it - I notices we were being charged a LAB fee, so I asked was is LAB fee? I was informed that we been working and staying on the boat so often that they charged us a Live A Board fee.

Diesel engine do not run long with air in the lines - I change the oil and oil filter, so I figured I would change the Racor fuel filters. Nobody told me the air had to be bled out of the lines. Sounded messy! As it turns out IT IS messy.

Don’t forget where you have calked as a little bit of calking can cause a BIG mess - The cualking ended up in our hair, hands, arms, and of course what every we touch. We start out with shoulder length hair, we had to get our hair cut short to get the caulking out.

Mixing Epoxy with to much hardener becomes smoking HOT. - The first time I mixed epoxy it start smoking before I had it mixed. Scary stuff.

Dropping the anchor and the chain rattling out scares us. You do! No you do it! We don't anchor much!

If the boat looks like a trawler and you call it a trawler, they will put you on the commercial dock with the other trawlers. - This use to up set us, but there are advantages being on the comercial dock like cheaper rates, and they tend to leave us alone.


There are many other but more nieghbors, marina, anchoring and poeples reaction.

[rw58ph]

Winter is here so a few more came to mind for the PNW.

Know the tide timing and change – In the PNW the tide can change 16 ft from a – 3 ft to a + 13 ft. which effect can made the dock ramps very steep and slippery. All this week the low tide has been o to -3 ft, and the high +11 to + 13 ft. At – 3 ft the Eagle is softly aground and the ramp is steep. So the tide is an important factor to consider when boating. You might be grounded before you realzing it.

Watch/know the weather forecast and patterns for your area. – Be able to forecast the weather at least 24 hours with out weather services. For the PNW rain/clouds/storms/wind come from the south – Low pressure warmer air rising. Clean/sunny/dry days the winds comes from the north – High pressure- cold air falling. So watch the barometer as it riaes or falls. You do have one don't you?

Tie the boat tight against the dock and tighten the lines periodically. - Lines will stretch and easier to handle when wet. If the lines are stretched so there is no give then there is less chafing, less line creaking noise, and no sudden jerk when line is stretched to the max. Keep the boat tied tight up agsint the dock for easy of getting on/off. Once a year soak in fabric conditioneer to keep soft/managable.

Wear/keep a multi utilizes knife handy - On a boat you will be surprised how handy a knife can be. A knife that has partially serrated edge is preferred. I have knife place around the boat for quick access. When lining/roping thru locks/channels have a knife on/with you.

Keep the water tanks topped off – During the winter the water lines will freeze and/or the marina will shut off the water. The Seattle area is presently going thru a 10+ day below freezing down to 20 degrees, so the water is turned off. We try to less than 10 gallons per day.

[zeehag]

how many times i would be rebuiilding and or replacing engines in my formosa..rodlmffao...

what these guys are REALLY like in person....


i do not tie tight onto dock. i allow my boat to find its way without tugging or jerking, which are both bad. those mean damages and chafe. i do not suffer any chafe, so far...the local boaters have told me they have respect for my method as i do not suffer chafed lines. other boaters laugh at my boat being tied loosely, yet firmly away from dock.

[rw58ph]

Take preventive action to reduce the risk of falling in the water, and plan/prepare if person does fall in the water. A lot a people drown next to their boat which is tied to a dock.

In the warmer summer months I do not tie the boat tight against the dock as the winds are not as strong, its not as cold, and we are not wearing heavy winter clothing. Also if we happen to fall in the water in the summer the changes are high we will survive. However, in the winter the change are a lot lower.

I installed emergency boarding ladders on the dock at the bow and stern of the boat, with lines and bumpers to assist a being able to craw/climb out of the water. My wife fell in twice during the cold months and lucky to be a live. First time a neighbor heard her calling for help and the second time I went out looking for her as she call from the parking lot. I fell in once sort of prepared, but I was surprising how fast the cold water can sap your strength.

[zeehag]

how does one fall into water so much from a dock?? i never could learn that art... i know some who do fall in a lot, but they are not unimpaired....i hope yáll overcome that problem, as it is difficult at best to travel when falling overboard.

[goat]

Originally Posted by zeehag

how does one fall into water so much from a dock?? i never could learn that art... i know some who do fall in a lot, but they are not unimpaired....i hope yáll overcome that problem, as it is difficult at best to travel when falling overboard.

Slimy wooden docks with a thin layer of ice and a coating of rain water. Add a couple bags of groceries and voila.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by goat

Slimy wooden docks with a thin layer of ice and a coating of rain water. Add a couple bags of groceries and voila.

does not sound like fun.....

[janice142]

A friend went in the drink between his dink and the sailboat. He still does not know how it happened. One of those blink your eye and splash. I've been fortunate, however I do have a ladder accessible from the water just in case. The fellow who went in had a great boarding ladder -- stored in his port cockpit locker "because he hadn't left yet"

It's now accessible from the water, and proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks. (said while laughing)

[zeehag]

i had some friends go into water, but there was a lot of alcohol involved and some died. one would have been badly injured had i not drug her out the way of the 15ton ketch bearing down on her drunken self.....
..etoh and water dont mix except in the glass that will send you over the side.

[rw58ph]

We bought to big of a boat? We bought the Eagle so when our children move out, we could sell the house, and live on the boat. However, we did not think about buying to big of a boat, so they could move on the boat WITH US.

The second year we move aboard, right after we sold the house, our youngest daughter call to inform us she was driving home with a 7 year old, one year old and PG. My wife bought the Eagle as it big, stable and safe enough for her grandchildren. On second thought, maybe we did not buy a BIG enough boat? Grandchildren are a whole lot better than children at least you can give them back.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by rw58ph

Grandchildren are a whole lot better than children at least you can give them back.

I don't have any grandchildren, but I have been making revenge plans if I ever do.

[Irish rambler]

rw58ph. You are not alone with the problem, (it happens to many landlubbers too).
I may sound brutal and uncaring but the following method is the only one that works. STOP feeding them, STOP washing their clothes. DO NOT GIVE ANY MONEY. GET them out and into their own accommodation, however small.
Give freely of advice on how they can rebuild their life.
The problem with the younger generation is that we older 'wrinklies' had to work very hard to obtain our rewards and have made many sacrifices along the way, as a result we gave freely to our children to have an easier life.
The children haven't grasped the work and reward ethic and expect the 'freebies' to continue even though they are now adult.
If you look at the animal kingdom the parents wean their young to look after themselves as soon as they are able and push them away to start a new life.
If you're a cynic you could liken children to politicians, if you're nice to them and give freely they stick to you like **** to a blanket !

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Irish rambler

rw58ph. You are not alone with the problem, (it happens to many landlubbers too).
I may sound brutal and uncaring but the following method is the only one that works. STOP feeding them, STOP washing their clothes. DO NOT GIVE ANY MONEY. GET them out and into their own accommodation, however small.
Give freely of advice on how they can rebuild their life.
The problem with the younger generation is that we older 'wrinklies' had to work very hard to obtain our rewards and have made many sacrifices along the way, as a result we gave freely to our children to have an easier life.
The children haven't grasped the work and reward ethic and expect the 'freebies' to continue even though they are now adult.
If you look at the animal kingdom the parents wean their young to look after themselves as soon as they are able and push them away to start a new life.
If you're a cynic you could liken children to politicians, if you're nice to them and give freely they stick to you like **** to a blanket !

as I said to my daughter " 24 and out the door"

dave