I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

[JMUDukes]

I have been around boats all my life, but I am very green when it comes to being the person "in charge" (as I recently bought my first boat).

Does anyone have any advice for getting underway and packing it up at the end of the day in terms of who should do what tasks? I hope to develop some sort of checklist for us so that when we go out and come back, my wife know "her jobs" and I know "my jobs". I also don't want to be one of these idiots that gets made fun of on this messageboard and annoys other boaters.

Suggestions? Thoughts?

 

[tomdinwv]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

No matter how you divide up the jobs always double check everything yourself. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Thad]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

Everyone in my family has a "job" on our boat. Right down to our 3 yr old stowing the shoes.

But tomdinwv said it best, you can assign tasks, but always double check yourself. After all, it's your pocket the "oops, I forgot" come out of.

 

[Bart Sr.]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

Check out this thread:

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=334695

 

[jakebrake]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

the greatest bit of advice i can give....."DON'T FORGETR THE BOAT PLUG". otherwise, everything posted prior is spot on.

 

[mphy98]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

Come on now, we all need a good laugh now and then. I have made a fool of myself a few times. Fresh meat is always welcome.

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

Guys.

Don't help him. We need more stories for the board.



Seriously, until you are comfortable launching, I would do everything myself. If I launch with someone I usually don't go with, they sit and watch me do all the work. My wife, my brother and two of my buddy's are trusted to help, but I still do the plug and all the straps as they are safety items to me.

 

[Numlaar]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

I generally split up all the tasks by whose best at what...

I usually get the boat sanitized from the salt water, flush the engine, wash down the trailer, run the gas out of the outboard, make sure the batteries are off, and do a general check over of all the mechanical stuff.. (all the safety stuff too, plug, straps, etc.)

The mrs is in charge of cleaning the boat itself inside and out... getting rid of the trash for the day, unpacking the cooler, offloading the towels, wet swimsuits etc.

And my wee one, (5 years old), is the errand boy, basically we make him do all the running back and forth between the boat and the garage hehe

This works well because I have piece of mind knowing all the important items are tended to, yet I dont have to do the actual scrub down when we all work together it goes a lot faster

 

[This_lil_fishy]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

I do everything myself, and double check ANYTHING that I ask someone else to do. This completely eliminates any arguments. If something goes wrong it is totally my fault. My wife will hold the ropes to the boat when launching only, but she is tiny (see sig) so I've decided to stop doing that as well, as the last launch day was very windy, and the boat damn near had her in the drink as the wind caught it. Fortunately I was watching her and saw trouble comming and managed to jump out of the truck and grab her just in time. She's 90 pounds and 5' tall...no match for a 3500 pound boat in a 15mph cross wind.

Ian

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

Never yell at your wife or kids for trying to help. I always see guys that are having somewhat of a hard time blaming everything on the wife or kids, I laugh to myself and make a mental note to never fall into that catagory.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

Welcome Aboard..

Don't worry about posting any and all questions you have..I was "fodder" once...but now most call me "mudder"
lol

 

[Boss Hawg]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

Never yell at your wife or kids for trying to help. I always see guys that are having somewhat of a hard time blaming everything on the wife or kids, I laugh to myself and make a mental note to never fall into that catagory.

+1 :redface:

 

[JoLin]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

Never yell at your wife or kids for trying to help. I always see guys that are having somewhat of a hard time blaming everything on the wife or kids, I laugh to myself and make a mental note to never fall into that catagory.

+2

My wife is a great first mate, and we're complimented constantly by people on how well we work together. We work well together because we communicate. I take great pains to explain what I plan to do before I do it, and I LISTEN to her when she has a different idea. She may not be as boat savvy as I am, but she's just as smart.

I've bneen married long enough to know that most women process information differently than men do, and in setting up the boat I try to anticipate areas of possible confusion. For example, when I tell her we'll (I use the word 'we' a lot, too) need to let out 50' of anchor rode, there's no question of 'how much' that is. My anchor lines are marked with colored zip ties- 2 yellows at 20 feet, a blue at 50, a blue and 2 yellows at 70, red at 100, etc. She 'got' the color scheme immediately.

Dock lines? I carry 2 25'ers and 4 15'ers aboard. The 25's are white triple strand, the 15's are gold and white double braided. Whether I call for 3-strand, double braid, white, gold... she knows what we need. Helps me, too-I can grab the right ones from the locker by feel alone.

The one area I wouldn't compromise on was in some terminology like port, starboard, bow, stern, etc. Took awhile, but there's never any question of what is where- doesn't matter which way you're facing- port is always port. I never have to say, "no, babe, your 'other right' "

Above all, show respect. We bought this boat together, and it should be fun for both of us- not just 'Captain Bligh'.

 

[wajajaja02]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

Me and the wife, start at the bow, Im on the port and she on the starboard, and do the things that come up as we go astern, undoing covers, straps, and last put in the plug, then i walk around her side and get in to back up to the ramp. on retrieval its the reverse. checking over each step as we go.

 

[jdlough]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

OK, this may not help much, since it's more of "who's in charge while out on the water".

Well, sorry. On the water, it's YOU.

We all drive in an environment in which the passengers can have the illusion of safe fun. Meanwhile, we scan the horizons for bad things. When I have passengers looking for fun times on my boat, I am at the wheel, STANDING UP, searching the horizon for jet skis, sand bars, logs, whatever...

I have never felt anything that made me feel more responsible than standing up behind the wheel of a moving boat.

That being said, anything that anyone else, at any age, can do to make the pilot's life easier is more than welcome. Before we go, get the rope/lines/extra PFDs stowed off the deck, assign your seat, SIT IN IT, if there's a SERIOUS question for the DRIVER (while driving) ask it LOUDLY. NO MUMBLING TO THE DRIVER!!!!

If you don't have your towel, fly-swatter, CD, sunscreen, whatever, well, it's too late. Don't bother the driver.

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

My wife and I found out its alot easier to have her walk the dogs, help me unload truck and put on the boat and hold or figure 8 the line while I do and check everything else, plug, launch,warm her up,etc.. And if some thing goes wrong its on me, if something needs to be fixed while on the water she does good turning key on and off, but the resposablaty of maintaining and fixing are up to me and double checking MYSELF that way only I am to blame, I love my wife and she means well, but damn she does great getting all our stuff ready, food, cigs, drink,etc..boats my deal

 

[pmat1]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

the greatest bit of advice i can give....."DON'T FORGETR THE BOAT PLUG". otherwise, everything posted prior is spot on.

There is a sign at my boat ramp that says "is the plug in?"

 

[rjlipscomb]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

I have been around boats all my life, but I am very green when it comes to being the person "in charge" (as I recently bought my first boat).

Does anyone have any advice for getting underway and packing it up at the end of the day in terms of who should do what tasks? I hope to develop some sort of checklist for us so that when we go out and come back, my wife know "her jobs" and I know "my jobs". I also don't want to be one of these idiots that gets made fun of on this messageboard and annoys other boaters.

Suggestions? Thoughts?

If you want one, I can send my list to you. It's too large a file to attach here. Just PM me.

Always remember, you're in charge (responsible)... Failure to communicate is your fault... When all else fails, your wife is always right.

 

[tmh]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

OK, the #1 thing is to do all your loading, unloading, tie downs, cover off/on, arguing with wife, plug in, check this and that BEFORE you get to the launch and after you've pulled out from the launch on retrieval. Yeah, all the other stuff is important, but it's on YOUR time, not the others trying to use the same ramp!

Do your first few launches on weekday early afternoons when the ramp is not busy. Have automatic reminders for things like the plug and putting drive up, etc.

btw, it's amazing how deep into the street a skeg can go when backing down the driveway with the drive mostly down. I ....er.....read about that somewhere.....

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: I don't want to be fodder for this forum...

I do everything myself- once the wife (sometimes blonde) decided to "help". Used to store boat away from house close to lake, lived 15 miles away.
I had unhooked trailer lights, safety chains and hitch and was unloading stuff from the boat. We hopped in the truck to leave , start to pull away and BAM! the trailer jumps forward.
we both jump out to see what happend.. she had re-hooked the safety chains to the truck! i asked her why she did it and she said" well, thats where they go right?"

now she just sits & looks pretty.

several years ago Robbie Kinevel was jumping his motorcycle from 1 high rise bldg to another. Most of the show was a build up of him riding and jumping on the bike. when the big moment came I called her in to watch it. She said " I didn't know he was going to use a motorcycle, I thought he was going to run and jump."
sorry not boat related.