New Boat Owner

scubatrooper · Mar 1, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

Beezee28: Thank you on your congratulations. Finding this web site and reading what experienced boat owners have to say has been very helpful. I'm sure my wife and I will get something out of the boaters safety course. I look forward to getting out on the water when it warms up and using my new found boating knowledge! Love Texas! I have friends that live in the Dallas area and my wife's uncle has a ranch about 40 miles southwest of Houston where he raises buffalo. I spent time in Texas when I was active duty in the Air Force and always had a good time there wherever I was. Thanks again and I hope you have a great boating season as well. Regards, Steve

RatFish · Mar 1, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

Good Luck with your new boat scubatrooper! Sure glad I don't have to worry about low water conditions here in NJ.

scubatrooper · Mar 1, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

RatFish: Must be nice! Actually, the low water conditions in Nebraska is mostly way out west (about 400 miles west of Omaha). I'm pretty sure most of the water tables around here are at normal. If not, with the ice/snow melt happening soon it should be back to normal. One nice thing about living in Omaha is it's smack in the middle of the country. A few hours south there's big lakes in Missouri and Kansas, a few hours north we have South Dakota and southern Minnisota, east we the Missouri River and a few hours farther east lots of lakes in Iowa and the Mississippi River. So life is not that bad. I've been to New Jersy once. Eight weeks at Fort Dix for Air Base Ground Defense training. From what I saw it is a beautiful state and I'm sure there are many places to hit the water. Have fun! Regards, Steve

ziggy · Mar 1, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

agreed, were in the middle here and have good access to many areas. go to as many as ya can too. that's the fun of boating. i probably just have a bad attitude,

, but i think the resevouirs in the salt vally are still low. at least branched oak is (my favorit local lake). and right now the river is. don't see the lakes up river filling up to much right yet. when does the run off happen? our water tables are still low too i think. will say that i think there's hope. eastern ne is on the edge of the drought. water sure is preicous. bet the east coast would like to give some of there snow away. we'd take it. steve, lewis and clark has been great for me everytime i been there. no level problems in the past. 22mi. long, second largest lake in ne. probably largest now that big mac is near empty. the fremont lakes are pretty small steve. i think ya all go in the same direction for safety. i've only been to one there, don't know which either. do remember it had great sand beaches though.learned to water ski at fremont when i was a kid. i worked at unl too steve,

92-95. in the maint. dept. now i'm self employed or unemployed, depending on the day. boatin season is almost here. time for some fun.

scubatrooper · Mar 2, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

Ziggystardust: Im not sure when the runoff starts. I know the Army Corps of Engineers usually regulates the Missouri River levels. As the snow and ice melts up north and the water levels rise they open the damns a little at a time up stream to raise water levels slowly down stream and keep water up north in case of no rain. I dont know much about Lewis and Clark. Im going to have to do a little research on this place but from what you have said it sounds like a great place to spend a weekend. Do you know what city is closest to Lewis and Clark? Thanks. Ive heard the same thing about Freemont. Rather small and everyone drives in the same direction in a circle. That doesnt sound like much fun to me. Any other places you recommend in our area or other places within a few hours of the Omaha area is much appreciated. Have a great day. Regards, Steve

ziggy · Mar 2, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

steve, yankton, SD is closest. crofton ne (i think from memory)is a bit to the south of the lake. think that's the closest ne town. yankton is on the north edge of the lake, just east of the lake. very close. yep on the fremont lakes. not much fun going in circles. dangerous too i think. now that i'm 45 i can see why mom about had a tizzy letting me learn to waterski there at age 10 or so. yikes, lol. there are the rest of the salt vally lakes, but they are small by comparison to branched oak and the circle thing starts. branched oak, carter lake, the river, lewis and clark. guess milford lake down in ks. is about equdistant as yankton. 3.5 hours out maybe. i might try milford again. been there once, but wasn't as impressed as i am with lewis and clark.

hohmanr · Mar 3, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

Hey Scubatrooper....Just hazarding a guess but ya planning on Scuba diving on this fine dive plateform...?? Transitioning from shore diving to boat diving requires learning the do's and don'ts which are too many to list here. Unfortunately, most of which I learned via OJT..I'll start you off with the first one though...Always have someone in the boat while diving...Found myself & dive partner 5 miles from land and 1/2 mile from dragging anchor on drifting boat during a sudden storm off the RI coast...Dangerous lesson we were lucky to talk about...

scubatrooper · Mar 3, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

Ziggy: Thanks for the update on Lewis & Clark. I found their web site and it looks like a great area to camp and boat. I even called to ask about boat registration and/or fees and the guy said they don't charge any fees if the boat is properly registered in your home state. Unlike Kansas which charges a healthy fee to get your boat in the water. South Dakota here I come! If you're heading up that way some weekend let me know. If I can get some vacation time maybe my wife and I can get up there at the same time and we can have some fun on the lake. Have a good one. Regards, Steve

scubatrooper · Mar 3, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

Sea Hag: Yes, the screen name says it all. I do love to scuba dive although I hadn't thought about doing it from our new boat. Problem is I don't have any friends in the Omaha area the dives. If I did I would think about trying it from our boat. That's some good advice about leaving someone on the boat. If not for anything other than to just keep an eye on your property or help you get out of the water and in the boat. I probably wouldn't have thought about all that until after I was 50 feet down! I remember doing some drift diving down in West Palm Beach and coming up pretty far from the boat. But they at least come pick you up (that's why we pay these cattle boat operators the big bucks!) Happy and safe boating and/or diving. Regards, Steve

scubatrooper · Mar 10, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

Hi everyone! Good news. I finished the Nebraska safe boating course last night with a 100% on the final exam (I guess actually paying attention in class and reading the book really helped!). The dealer was kind enough to pay the low $10 fee for the class and is now holding my 187LS Bow Rider until there is no chance of a hard freeze and/or snow. I'm looking forward to starting my boating career on a safe note and having lots of fun. I just wish warmer weather would get here faster. Steve

ziggy · Mar 10, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

i'm ready for some warmer weather too steve. i't will be here soon. got out last year on 25 march. so it's a coming. cool that ya passed with 100%. feels good don't it. i did that too in my powersquadron boat smart class. i got a chapman's piolioting hard bound book for my 100%. it's a real winner for a boat book. i'd be up for the yankton thing. weigand marina is the main marina on the ne. side i think. very nice. pay showers, real running water. nice ramps too. also been to the first site to the west. can't remember it's name. very nice as well, but no running water. i'm up for anywhere as long as i got my toy and it's by the water. will let ya know if i'm heading that way. my boat hasn't even seen that lake yet. have only had a jetski on it. though i did run a 17.5' bayliner on it, in high surf. wow, i'd never felt a boat flex lenghtwise,, yikes. i didn't run too long on the lake that day. the jetski loves that stuff though. hope to get my trisonic out there anyways. got a few things to do to it prior to bein on the water this year. not much though. minor tuneup, batt. cables, new fuel line and a manifold replacement, then i'll be set. gonna have them things done asap, as soon as the weather breaks(backyard boat mech. wannabe ya know),

. be talking to ya i hope..... jim ps, branched oak is pretty low. went and saw for my self. read that the river is at 9' now. flood stage is 29' at omaha. lewis and clark is down .1' at gavins point. elev. 1206.1'. not sure what the usuall for elev. is at lewis and clark. yet.

smthsaln · Mar 24, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

Steve, congratulations on your first boat purchase! I'm driving down to S. Florida Saturday morning to bring back my first boat, a 99 Wellcraft Martinique 2600, can't wait! I'm quite familiar with the Omaha area, I was stationed at Offutt AFB from 1989 until I retired in 94, still make it back every year for the College World Series. Wishing you nothing but the best with your boat! Bill H.

scubatrooper · Mar 24, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

Bill: Congrats on your new boat as well! I hope you have a safe drive there and a safe tow back. Maybe we ran into each other long ago at Offutt AFB. I was active duty there from June 1988 to September 1992 back in the glory days of SAC. I was assigned to the 55th Security Police Squadron and worked primarily on Delta Flight (swings/mids) as a law enforcement specialist. I had a back office job working pass and ID for a few months before I seperated active duty and went in the USAF Reserves as an IMA Reservist (I'm still in the Reserves serving with the 55 Security Forces Squadron at Offutt). Again, congratulations on the new boat and have a fun summer! Regards, Steve

smthsaln · Mar 24, 2005

Re: New Boat Owner

Steve, I was with the 513th Engineering & Test Sq, worked in a non-descript building in downtown Old Bellevue, I didn't think I'd like the area but I did, other than the weather! But it's hard to beat the Tampa area, the boating season down here is like 11 mos. of the year!

New Boat Owner

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