ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

[kyboatgirl]

I am very new to boating, as in I own my first boat ever and have been on the water approximately 3 times. I have a few questions and need some expert opinions!<br /><br />1) I have a 1993 Sea Ray Cuddy Cabin.. mint condition (when i bought it). There are already cracks in the gelcoat. I noticed it last night, it happened yesterday because I went over the boat thoroughly when I washed it earlier in the day. I took it on the river and the conditions were VERY rough. I read a few posts that say it's normal, but these were all on boats from the 70's. Is this something I need to expect and keep my eye on now (even with a newer boat)? Or were the conditions just that bad and I need to be more careful when I hit other peoples wakes?<br /><br />2) Everytime I have taken the boat on the water, I learn a new lesson the hard way. The very first time out, I forgot to put the trim all the way up, so the aluminum under the prop wasn't happy after dragging up the boat ramp. I smoothed it out and painted it. It wasn't a lot of damage, and you can't even tell now that anything happened to it.. But I have noticed that the boat is VERY hard to steer at low speeds now. Did I cause that to happen by ruining essentially the "rudder" or is that just how boats are? <br /><br />Thanks a million!!

 

[tommays]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

my bad back allways tells me when to slow down most boats like that are really NOT built to pound through rough water <br /><br />i have to retighten and locktite the screws i find falling out after a really bad day <br /><br />sterndrive boats wonder around at low speeds and people tend to over steer makeing it worse<br /><br />you will usally end up makeing a S shaped corse at low speed<br /><br /><br /> http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=24;t=012018#000005 <br /><br />read about the ramp thing here it happens all the time <br /><br />tommays

 

[salty87]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

1. unless you really nailed something hard like another boat or a dock, those cracks are called spider cracks. they can caused by improper gel coat mix or application, accessories screwed in too tight (like railings, vents, or towers) and are mainly cosmetic. unless they are bigger and deeper than spider cracks in the gel coat, they aren't structural. i doubt it was from hitting wakes but there's no way to tell from here. they can be fixed but, depending on the affected area, it might not be cheap. got pics?? <br /><br />if you're sure they happened the last time you were out, i'd check into them a bit more. crossing wakes shouldn't make them appear. where on the boat are they?<br /><br />2. like tommays said, slow speed steering can be difficult. you have to kind of anticipate which side the boat is going to wander to and make a slight correction to the opposite side to cancel it out. you don't want to over-correct and zig zag all over though. it'll take time at the controls to get the hang of it. the prop is really the rudder since it points in the direction you want to go. it's most efficient at higher speeds.<br /><br />having fun yet?

 

[cuzner]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

sounds like you hit your skeg trailering your boat. As long as its straight, or even slightly bent you shouldn't notice and diference in steering, specialy at slow speed. stress cracks are normal in older boats, where are they showing up?<br /><br /><br /> Jim

 

[borourke]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

I owned the same boat last year 93 SeaRay Sundancer 230 LTD. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. I hope you didn't end up with it. I used it on a trade this past year in Cincinatti. I love Searays, but that was the worst boat to own. <br /><br />Hard to steer, when you were on plane the boat would lean to one side real bad almost making it feel like it was about to tip over. Spent many hours and lots of money trying to make the problems right only to hear a lot of people say that is why it was a LTD. Boat was to high for the 8ft beam and way underpowered. At least mine was with a 4.3L Merc. <br /><br />The one thing I did do that seemed to help with steering at low speed was to replace the zin plate on the out drive with a zinc tab that looked like a fin instead of a disc. This help with the wandering at low speed.

 

[roscoe]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

""and have been on the water approximately 3 times.""<br /><br />What? can't remember? 2 times, 3 times, 4 times? <br />Couldn't have been to bad or you would have remembered things like: <br />Forgetting the plug,<br />Getting towed in to shore,<br />Putting out the engine fire,<br />Swimming to shore with a tow rope wrapped around one arm,<br />Boat falling off trailer on the ramp,<br />Truck rolling into lake.<br /><br />So it sounds like you are doing ok with this new pasttime.<br />Take oncomming wakes as fast as you feel comfortable, the boat can take it.<br /><br />To fix the wandering steering at slow speed, go faster.

 

[Straightup]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

Good advice already given. I think the first mistake was taking on that much boat for your first boat. I would have thought that something under 20 feet would have been better, but you probably wanted the cuddy so you have to go big... <br /><br />Just do a lot of double checking. I've been boating for almost 40 years and when I take off for the lake I still stop a little ways away from home and double check everything again. <br /><br />Jeff

 

[milkyway]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

I got my first boat last year - 1999 23 ft. cuddy. When I bought the boat from a reputable dealer, there were no spider cracks whatsoever. But after shampooing and therefore removing the wax, the cracks at the starboard stern side <br />started to appear. I don't think the cracks have worsen. Must be old age. AFter I got my 2 boating lessons from a friend, I took my family on the next trip. Many things happened - ran on a shoal, bent the prop, busted pro's hub, got caught on a fishing line and the engine stopped and the boat slammed on a seawall, moved the boat up the ramp and forgot to raise the outdrive, the whole family was so scared they said they will never go boating with me again. Now they can't wait to go out again and get tanned. I have already busted 3 props since last season. My daughter lost an anchor while lowering it. She asked me if she was supposed to tie the end of the line to the boat. The anchor was new and I forgot to tie it. Last month, i was trying to anchor on a beach I did not do it right and the boat ran aground on the beach. Me and my daugher pushed this 5,000# boat away from the beach while my wife set the 2 anchors. I almost called for seatow assistance, felt and looked an idiot,and people were just watching usfrom afar. Went to the same place and, this time, we were successful and spent more time on the beach. Experiences... Boating looks simple to the inexperienced, but you can have great fun when you learn the all the ropes. It is these experiences that these same people on the forum are able to share with you. As long as you make it home in one piece, a day's boating is worth it.

 

[kyboatgirl]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

Thanks for all the advice, tips, and stories to make me feel better! So far everytime we take the boat out, we tear it up! we knew the work involved, but we didn't think the boat was going to be so gentle! <br /><br />Brian O - I did not end up with your boat.. thank goodness.. <br /><br />The spider cracks are on the port side under the windsheild. not too far down. right at eye level when sitting on the trailer..<br /><br />Well, the boat is definitely fun (when I don't break anything!!!), and while I am experiencing buyers remorse, I think it will be a fun toy for many years to come!!

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

If the skegg is damaged, a Stainless steel skeg guard will repair it, if at least 3" remain to mount to. Also will prevent further damage.

 

[DJ]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

http://www.skegguard.com/

 

[salty87]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

hang in there, kyboatgirl.<br /><br />boats require care, especially older ones. while you're on your learning curve, there's also going to be a curve getting the boat in shape. depending on how it was used and stored, things will need replacing. so, while it may seem that you're tearing things up each outing it's more likely that you're just discovering those things that need to be replaced. the marine environment is tough on everything.<br /><br />and don't forget, since this is all new to you it's likely to cause some anxiety. must of that will fade with time and some of it will stay to help keep you safe.<br /><br /><br />even experienced boaters will have their nervous moments.

 

[Constancia]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

"Anxiety"... yeah, that's it. Thank-god my first boat was so forgiving; a 23' aluminum Bayrunner. No serious mishaps, but you learn how tough it is to put a boat back up on the trailer on an unprotected, beat up, short, steep launch ramp in Mexico with a stiff breeze and 4 four foot seas! <br /><br />And that same anxiety again pulling into a marina and trying to dock in your slip with 45 mph winds whipping across the harbor in the late afternoon. The Bayrunner was so light and drafted so shallow it was like flying a kite on windy days; you really had to know how to handle it.<br /><br />Even aluminum cracks. The custom T-top caused stress cracks on the center console from towing and from rough seas. Welded them back up. Twice. <br /><br />First trip out on the new boat and I managed to set it up on a big flat rock in the harbor that I had been over many, many times in the old boat. A little MarineTex and gelcoat, good as new.<br /><br />It's all part of the boating adventure. That which doesn't sink you only makes you stronger -- and more prepared for your next outing!

 

[txswinner]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

ky, A sure way to avoid all these problems is to keep it in a building with atmosphere control. But more fun to go like hell and use it up.

 

[reka12]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

Right on Txswinner! Kinda like that teacher that left $2.4M to his alma-mater. He left a lot at the end but he also ate expired groceries, wore second hand clothes, ticked off his friends by his cheapness. Great story he saved so much, but looking back, was it worth it? If you don't have tears in your eyes, your going too slow!

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

Oh man you've had it easy so far!<br /><br />Let's see first time I put the formula in the water it slammed into reverse from the dock and died (bad shift cables) and the interrupt switches were so badly out of adjustment the boat wouldn't start and I had to be towed back. <br /><br />Next time out was more fun but I hit a sand bar, tore off one of my skegs completely to the gear case and badly damaged one of my SS Cleaver props.<br /><br />Then, the next time out, we were flying around, threw the belt, lost the water pump, blew the head gasket and even got hydrolock when the manifolds (nasty things they were) finally failed.<br /><br />So I got so POd I did this:<br /><br />

<br /><br />Now note I left the gimbals on. Well, after I totally rebuilt and repowered her, one of those gimbals had a hole that finally opened under the water pickup tube. During the shakedown cruise we noticed the cuddy was filling with water. Oh, and because that much water came in, lot's of junk from the rebuild managed to clog the bilge pump! Good thing I had a backup ready to go or who knows, she may be sitting at the bottom of Boston harbor.<br /><br />So cheer up, you've had it easy <br /><br />Now she looks like this and I have a great time out there:<br />

 

[bounder4465]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

Hi KY,<br />I will be in the louisville,ky area next week on vaction, and will be happy to look at your boat and discuss boating. Although I have owned and repaired boats for 30 years, I will only advise you on my observations of your boat and try to answer any questions you have. Email me at bounder4465@yahoo.com and we will try to hook up next week.

 

[kyboatgirl]

Re: ok boys - can you help me fix my mistakes?!

You all are very sweet to help me out, so thanks again! While I really appreciate the offer to look at the boat, I think it's fine from reading all these posts! haha better off than I thought, actually! But if this is any indication of how the boating community is, I am very glad to become a part of it! Thanks a million! good stories..