Thread: Boat setup - onboard necessities

Originally Posted by nzspearo

1. First aid kit (may have been mentioned but didn’t see it)
2. Coastguard membership.
3. If your vhf has inbuilt gps, configure the screen to show your position (lat/long). If your vhf doesn’t have inbuilt gps, configure your chartplotter/mfd to always show position (lat/long) in a side bar/data bar/ data overlay on chart (depends on brand). This is useful if the shit hits the fan and you’re calling for help - you can provide your location without having to learn where to find the lat/long when shit is going sideways.


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On that note, making sure your GPS outputs your position format in marine speak (Deg, Min.decimal) as shown on marine charts rather than what people who have experience of land maps and NZGD do which is use the land-based system that shows a numerical reference. Makes it easier and quicker for the peoples trying to find you if you are all speaking the same language...

A couple of useful suggestions. Ran with the standard options of a GME GX750B VHF and Garmin Echomap 95sv GPS/Chartplotter. Both look pretty intuitive to use but some time on the lake will get us started on their use.

Enrolling in both, the Day Skippers and VHF online courses. My wife and I will sit in on each other’s so will get a double dose of lessons which should get us up to speed a bit quicker and reinforce what’s learnt.

A Coastguard membership is a good idea.

Kept an eye out on the weather forecasts last week and things looked promising so took the wee girl out on her maiden voyage on Lake Roxburgh. Aside from the over-abundance of driftwood at the ramp and on the lake, it couldn’t have been a better day. Handled like a dream but my docking skill needs some work Happy with the first shakedown cruise and my wife was buzzing the whole day. Got her share of wheel time and she aced getting the boat hooked up and winched onto the trailer.

Looking great!

Docking. The best 3 bits of advice I've been given, and live by. Slow is good, slower is better. Get a stern line (short) on first.

On mine, I prefer to approach a Finger on the port side (looking forward from the helm on the starboard side, the jetty/finger is on my left/port side), and snag a cleat with a line on the boats port aft/arse quarter. Then just turn the wheel anti clockwise, and drop in gear but no more throttle.
Doesn't matter what the wind does(I'm also a HT) you'll be parked up tight asap.

The hardest thing is getting the rope hand (could be a relative, mate, child, or last time on boat person....) to flick the rope around the cleat, and not try to use the bow rope.....

Originally Posted by Beaker

Looking great!

Docking. The best 3 bits of advice I've been given, and live by. Slow is good, slower is better. Get a stern line (short) on first.

On mine, I prefer to approach a Finger on the port side (looking forward from the helm on the starboard side, the jetty/finger is on my left/port side), and snag a cleat with a line on the boats port aft/arse quarter. Then just turn the wheel anti clockwise, and drop in gear but no more throttle.
Doesn't matter what the wind does(I'm also a HT) you'll be parked up tight asap.

The hardest thing is getting the rope hand (could be a relative, mate, child, or last time on boat person....) to flick the rope around the cleat, and not try to use the bow rope.....

If you set up a loop on your stern cleat all you need to do is hook it over the corresponding hook or cleat on the jetty and stick it in idle ahead. Your advice is quite right - if you're going to crash, crash slow...

Originally Posted by Beaker

Looking great!

Docking. The best 3 bits of advice I've been given, and live by. Slow is good, slower is better. Get a stern line (short) on first.

On mine, I prefer to approach a Finger on the port side (looking forward from the helm on the starboard side, the jetty/finger is on my left/port side), and snag a cleat with a line on the boats port aft/arse quarter. Then just turn the wheel anti clockwise, and drop in gear but no more throttle.
Doesn't matter what the wind does(I'm also a HT) you'll be parked up tight asap.

The hardest thing is getting the rope hand (could be a relative, mate, child, or last time on boat person....) to flick the rope around the cleat, and not try to use the bow rope.....

100% agree with this - get my wife to use the port aft rope to basically secure the boat to the jetty stopping forward movement. She is 5’ not very much and can to this safely from in the cockpit. If the wind pushes the bow away from the jetty i can put engine in gear apply a bit of power and bring bow round as we held at the back and then easily tie up the bow.

Have a family member who for the life of me i cannot get to understand this simple concept- every time we come in to the jetty he grabs the bow rope climbs up on the gunnel to try to tie up and hes no help at all - silly prick will bloody hurt himself one day completely unnecessarily.
I’ve tried to teach him to moor the boat and ohh dear simple things like drive up to the bouy into the wind ahh nope he gets the boat hook on the bouy but the wind is up his arse pushing the boat forward while he hangs on to the boat hook for dear life trying to halt forward progress and then works out he got the bow rope on the other side to where he is and therefore he is stuffed and gotta try and unhook and try again.
Its funny how some people just can’t do practical simple stuff- in his job he literally produces works of art so so good and very technical- but tie up the boat or whip the sides of a fish - nada not gonna happen.

Best advice I got was put it in to neutral some distance from the boat ramp and coast in. Distance depends on wind speed and direction, but you get better at judging it over time. If you fall short, you can always put it in to gear briefly to get over the line. A boat hook is very useful.

Looks like a great spot
Just be thankful you don't have current to deal with. Coming into the ramp at Foxton, sometimes you need to be pointing up river and do a 90 degree turn at the last minute as you get into the last little bit by the ramp. Only managed to make myself look like a twat a couple of times but a wharf full of people make sure you have an audience which is always nice.

Hey @ Sidetrack, I have a boating/fishing checklist. It may/may not be useful to you, but happy to share via PM if you're interested.

Biggest issue I was having with docking is getting used to the control. It’s bigger and clunkier than the smaller units I’ve dealt with in the past but that should get sorted with time and practice I’m assuming. This boat carries a lot more windage as well so just need to get on top of it. It’s certainly a pleasure to beach and as you’ll have said, Slowly,Slowly!!
Thanks for the great feedback.

Originally Posted by Sidetrack

Biggest issue I was having with docking is getting used to the control. It’s bigger and clunkier than the smaller units I’ve dealt with in the past but that should get sorted with time and practice I’m assuming. This boat carries a lot more windage as well so just need to get on top of it. It’s certainly a pleasure to beach and as you’ll have said, Slowly,Slowly!!
Thanks for the great feedback.

Windage is a factor of planning ahead, it's fairly easy to sort that out if it's wind against tide as the tide will push more than the wind all things being equal. Not so easy when the wind and the tide are pushing in the same direction, but worse can be wind at 90deg to tide as that can cause the boat to turn in the wind which stuffs you up for what the current is doing. The easiest way around I've found while you are getting used to the behaviour of the boat is just set yourself up further away than you think you'll need - it's surprising how many times that you are still feeling rushed even though you've doubled your travel distance.

It's a matter of time as you say with the controls too, although if they are stiff or grabby that is not helpful.

Yes please, that would be much appreciated. Have started putting a spreadsheet together with permanent onboard and a separate packing list depending on the type of trip so will be very helpful.

Essential kit back in the day included a .375 H&H, but that was in case we had a hippo encounter!

Couldn’t agree more. Just seems natural to tie off the stern cleat first than buggering around leaping off the boat to grab a bow line and yes, my wife is a short model as well and manages it quite easily.