Every new boat requires an owner break-in period.
Experiences from this new owner just may help you with yours.
from The Fishing Wire

Dan Keating has owned several boats over the years and is an avid fisherman. When he decided to replace his aging center console with a new Yamaha-powered Contender® 32ST, he realized it would take some time to acclimate himself to his new fishing partner. Anyone purchasing a new boat might benefit from his experiences with the dealer and what he did on his own in the weeks after taking delivery.

Taking Delivery of Your New Boat

Dan purchased the boat from Mike Bucskowski, the sales manager at Hoffman’s West, a Contender® dealer in Brielle, N.J. Mike went through the boat’s features and benefits during the sales process so Dan had an appreciation of its finer points before closing the deal. The process of really learning the boat starts at the time of delivery when the salesperson goes over the boat in detail. It’s not just a courtesy; it’s the first step toward safe boating for the new owner.

“Dan is an experienced boater, so I had no concerns about his ability to run the boat,” said Bucskowski. “If he was a newcomer to boating, there would be additional assistance offered as part of the delivery process. We work with a professional captain who would spend time with the buyer teaching the basics of running the boat. They would also spend some time on the water together. It’s more involved than taking delivery of a new car, and we try to match it to the experience level of the purchaser.”

Dan and Mike spent a considerable amount of time together at delivery starting in Mike’s office where they discussed the warranties for the boat and Yamaha F300 engines. Mike explained the manufacturer’s prescribed maintenance schedule and the break-in period for the engines-simple things the owner should do during the first few hours of operation. He encouraged Dan to take the time to familiarize himself with the engine owner’s manual, which contains helpful advice that can ensure the engines will provide years of trouble-free service.

The job of familiarizing the owner with his new boat is very hands-on for the dealer. Dan’s Contender® was accompanied by basic paperwork, lists of the optional equipment and aftermarket products – things like the optional live well pumps, custom outrigger bases and, in Dan’s case, the bow thruster. The paperwork also included a layout sheet detailing the size and locations of the gas tanks (yes, you can even order optional fuel tanks) and the general deck configuration. With all of this covered, it was time to move outside to the boat.

Mike walked Dan through the entire boat from bow to stern, covering everything from the anchor locker to the boat’s electrical system and the location of the batteries, battery switches and breaker panels. At the stern, he spent extra time going through the bait well and bilge pumps, the location of thru-hull fittings, the valve systems for the live wells and saltwater pickups for the washdown system. He reviewed the external fuel filters and suggested maintenance intervals, then moved to the console. Here, they went over the switch panel and the Yamaha Command Link® engine monitoring system, electronic engine controls and the bow thruster. The last thing was a brief introduction to the navigational electronics.

Electronics On Boat

“Mike did a great job of introducing me to my new boat and making sure I understood the importance of proper break-in,” Keating told us. “Things have definitely changed since I bought my last boat, and there is certainly a lot to learn in the coming weeks.

“Becoming familiar with a new boat is a process that starts with learning the basic systems and then running it to get to know how the boat handles, which I call ‘due diligence’ so you can operate the vessel to its potential with confidence – and in a safe manner.”

Once the boat was berthed in its slip, Dan began a study period.

“I took the engine manuals down to the boat and started reading with everything right there in front of me,” he said. “There’s nothing like being able to look, touch and push the buttons while reviewing the manuals for the instructions to sink in quickly. Programming the Command Link was an interesting project because it is so versatile and offers so many customizable screen menus. I set it up the way I thought I would like it, but after running the boat a few times, I went back and reprogrammed the display a little differently.”

Another challenge was learning to use the new touch-screen sonar, radar and navigational system. The capabilities of modern marine electronics are expanding at the speed of light, and going from the equipment he had to the new system would require time with the manuals, practicing with the units and getting out on the water.

After a walk-through with the dealer and some study on your own, you’ll be ready to take the helm of your new rig.
The final challenge for Keating was getting an understanding of the handling characteristics of the new boat, which has a step hull as opposed to the traditional deep V of his previous boat. At slow speeds there is little difference in handling and during docking maneuvers, but it is critical to understand how any boat responds to the helm. How much power is enough when backing into a slip? How is the boat affected by cross currents at slow speed? How does it respond to steering input at various speeds? In the open ocean, how does it handle in different sea conditions?

“While I had the irresistible urge to take the boat fishing, I left the rods home a few times and took it out just to get better acquainted with how it handled,” Keating said. “It had similarities and differences from my old ride and I had to get in tune with them. For example, the step hull handles rough water better at faster speeds, which is almost counter intuitive. When the sea gets choppier, instead of slowing down, speeding up a thousand RPM improves the ride. Every hull and engine combination requires a period of adjustment to learn what to expect from it.”

Keating has had the Contender® for a bit over two months now and is comfortable with the boat and in his ability to interface with it. He’s still learning something every time he leaves the dock and that will continue for some time to come, but that’s just one of the great things about buying a boat.

How to Make Sense of Charts and Markers on the Fly
from The Fishing Wire

Even small children know what street signs mean. Stop, one-way and the like come easily. But boating traffic aids are different. First of all, the words “map” and “sign” aren’t even part of the lingo when it comes to nautical navigation. Rather, “charts” and “markers” serve as your guides, and it takes some savvy to know how to interpret them without pause.

A compass helps find your way

As long as you are within sight of land and have a chart, you have everything you need to understand your location. In addition to the buoys and such (called navaids in nautical parlance), charts also show significant shoreside structures. All you need to do is look across the top of your compass and read what the bearing (direction to) is to the structure you see on shore. Find the structure on your chart, and draw a line from it on your chart that reflects the bearing you saw. That line represents one leg of your position. Do this with several bits of structure and then plot those bearings on the chart as well, using the compass rose, parallel rules and a pencil. Where all the lines intersect is the point at which you are located. Then look at your depth sounder to see that the water depth matches the depth under the spot where the lines intersect.

You can also use your depth sounder as a navigation tool. Pick a depth contour in the distance offshore that you want to transit (for example 50 feet). If the number goes up, steer toward shore. If it goes down, steer toward the deep. With this simplistic navigation process, even a novice can stay on course. You can readily navigate according to depth contours by simply selecting a depth that more-or-less parallels your course while avoiding obstructions.

So what about using navigation markers? On the Intracoastal Waterways, generally red marks are on the mainland side of the channel. And of course, coming in from sea, it’s always Red/Right/Returning(in the U.S.). Perhaps the easiest way to remember what a mark means is to keep a navaid sticker next to your helm. These helpful stickers can be purchased inexpensively through most marine supply stores. They also give you all the right-
of-way whistle signals.

Watch for channel markers

Don’t be afraid to alter your course and go right up to a marker to see what it is (at slow speed, of course). The absolute best proof of your exact position is to be right next to a marker with a number or letter. Make sure to always check that marker’s position against your chart as well.

Many may think that paper charts are not necessary due to the availability of electronic chart plotters with built-in GPS. But remember two crucial things:

If a device runs on electricity, it can suddenly stop working for numerous reasons no matter how inconvenient the situation. Electronic cartography still has not been deemed a legal means of navigation. If you ever get in an accident due to a navigational error and don’t have that “legal piece of paper” called a government-issued nautical chart, you could find yourself in a difficult situation

Many new boats don’t come equipped with navigation equipment. If you sea-trial a boat in areas where you have no local knowledge, it’s always a good idea to take along a handheld GPS. Alternatively, if you have a smartphone, make sure to download the award-winning Navionics + app. For fishing, try Navionics+ SonarCharts that provide incredible bathymetric charts within the normal chart plotter functions.

Have a nice day

Many states now require boaters to have a certificate proving that you have taken and passed a basic seamanship course. There are numerous such courses to be found online, some at a fee but many are offered free of charge. Boat-ed.com lists all the states that require boating safety certificates and provides links to each.

Finding boating safety courses in your chosen search engine will bring up pages worth of course opportunities. BoatUS® also offers an outstanding free course that can be tailored to various states where you might be boating.

Remember one other important fact: You may live in Virginia and have a certificate from there, but if you travel to Maryland, Delaware or North Carolina, you may need to get certificates from those places as well. Not all contiguous states enjoy boating safety course certification reciprocity. Check first to avoid potential fines.

Boats like these may check your boat.

Is your boat equipped and ready to pass one? It should be.

Coast Guard safety inspections can be performed any time you’re boating in an area supervised by the Coast Guard–have your boat ready for them.

It was a hot Saturday afternoon in July, and the river was busy with boats returning from the ocean waiting to pass through a narrow railroad bridge a quarter mile from the inlet. There were recreational boats of all sizes-large sportfish and cruiser types, personal watercraft and outboards of very description. While waiting to make the passage, a familiar orange vessel appeared off our starboard side with its blue revolving light shining brightly. It was a Coast Guard RIB, short for rigid inflatable boat, and a guardsman was standing on the bow motioning to our boat.

“Good afternoon, Captain,” he said. “We would like to conduct a safety inspection of your vessel. May we board, please?”

Coast Guard inspections of this type are mandatory so the question was a courtesy. A boater can either be pleasant or confrontational, but there is never a good reason for not complying. This is especially true when you think about the difficult job these hard-working men and women undertake, and that they put their lives on the line when called on to make hazardous rescues at sea.

So my appropriate response was a pleasant greeting and a simple welcome aboard. The coxswain, the guardsman at the helm of the RIB, brought the boat alongside and two others, wearing dark blue uniforms and bright orange PFDs, stepped aboard. The boarding officer announced his intention: to identify the vessel, the owner and the operator, check the paperwork and conduct an inspection to be sure it had all the safety equipment required by Federal Regulation for that classification of recreational vessel.

“You may continue through the bridge,” the officer said, “and proceed to your destination while we conduct the inspection so we don’t slow your progress.”

A “ditch bag” you’ll take with you if you ever have to abandon ship is always a good idea. Including an EPIRB, VHF and handheld GPS is a good idea if you boat on large bodies of water.

He told us that the crew in the RIB would follow along and pick them up when the inspection was finished. He then asked for our vessel registration, which is mandatory, and the operator’s driver’s license, social security number and date of birth, which is voluntary. Since we were in a state that requires a vessel operator to have a safe boating course certification, that certificate was also provided with the other documents. The documents were passed from the boarding officer to the other guardsman, who entered the data into a hand-held electronic touch-pad device with a built-in printer.

The next step was a check of the mandatory safety equipment on board. Since we were wearing inflatable PFDs at the time, they were checked to assure both were Coast Guard-approved and properly armed. An approved PFD is required for every person on board a recreational vessel, so we keep a valise stowed in the console with four additional Type III units. A throwable floatation device is also required, which can consist of an approved life ring or a flotation cushion. That was also checked to be sure it was in good condition.

During the inspection, an interesting discussion with the boarding officer ensued about the whole procedure. He explained that it was the Coast Guard’s policy to do safety inspections as a method of outreach to the boating public to impress upon them the importance of carrying the necessary safety equipment in case of an emergency.

Next, he asked to see and test our audible signaling device, a horn, which can be an electric horn mounted on the vessel or a hand-held device powered by a compressed air canister. Then he requested we show him the boat’s emergency flares to make sure we had them aboard and that they were not expired. All flares have expiration dates stamped on them and should be properly disposed of and replaced when that date is exceeded. The flares are kept in a “ditch bag” stowed in the console and when we took it out, the boarding officer was duly impressed. He asked if he could look inside and was surprised to see a PLB (personal locator beacon), a waterproof hand-held VHF radio, additional signaling devices and flares.

Inflatable PFD’s are cool and comfortable, but be sure the CO2 cartridge is fully-charged and functional.

When the inspection was complete, the boarding officer gave the vessel a once over, complimented us on the fact that our safety equipment went above and beyond regulations, noted the vessel was well maintained and organized, and thanked us for our cooperation. The guardsman recording the results of the inspection asked our captain to sign the touch-pad on his device, and it printed out a boarding report indicating that the vessel had no violations or warnings. If the inspection had uncovered any flagrant violations, a summons that can include civil penalties would have been issued. If the violations were minor in the judgment of the boarding officer, a warning can be issued and a follow-up inspection could be required to make sure it was satisfied. It’s important to keep any completed boarding reports aboard your vessel. These reports can be shown to Coast Guard officials in the future and can help you avoid a repeat inspection within a specified time period.

The entire experience lasted about 15 minutes, and at all times the boarding officer was courteous, friendly, knowledgeable and professional, willing to answer any questions and provide additional information on the procedure and the equipment requirements.

The question is, “Are you ready to pass a Coast Guard Safety Inspection?” If you would like to find out more about recreational vessel safety regulations, go to the Coast Guard Boating Safety Resource Center at
www.uscgboating.org.

You can even find a local provider that will conduct a comprehensive safety survey of your vessel to make sure it is in top operating condition and equipped with all the necessary equipment.