Maiden Voyage

F

ferret30

New member
Today was the maiden voyage of the 22 Cruser 'TBD' (we don't have a name yet, but maybe Grasshopper). My brother and dad worked on the boat a little this morning and early afternoon, getting the trailer bunks adjusted, treating the old old gas in one of the tanks and diluting it with new.

We launched from Magnuson (5pm) since it's a nice big ramp with 4 positions. Getting it in the water was easy, though the ramp is shallow enough my truck's exhaust almost had to go in the water. We spent some time playing around with electronics getting the radar and GPS to work. Nothing fancy, but it was interesting to see the floating bridges and nearby land showing up. We cruised around a bit, went under 520 down by Medina, across and back under the bridge to the ship canal and all the way into Lake Union, then back out to Lake Washington.

The sun was close to setting so we went back to the launch. There was a broken down boat being towed in by the police, so we had to wait for that, and for some guy who just decided to leave his boat hogging one of the loading ramp docks for a while. Finally we got tied up to the dock and my dad went to go get the truck. He backed it in, but about 4' from the dock so it wasn't simple to guide it in. My brother decided all of a sudden to leap to the dock from the boat, and when he did the boat headed the opposite direction towards the other boat that was loading. I managed to avoid hitting it, partly because the people on the boat noticed and helped stop the boat, but this was my first ever loading and I was a tad stressed since I was the only one on the boat now with nobody holding on to it. I wasn't lined up with the trailer so I backed it up, squeezing by the other boat again. My brother spaced out and didn't notice the back end of the boat coming towards the dock. By the time I got his attention he wasn't close enough and the boat hit the dock (have a little scrape in the rub rail and mark on the gelcoat but nothing serious). Finally he's got the ropes again, my dad's waiting by the truck, and we start moving toward the trailer again. At the last second my brother shoves the boat away from the dock thinking it will help line it up with the trailer, but he pushed a bit too hard and I went back towards the other dock again.

I realized I was kind of on my own, and just went for it and got the boat on the trailer. I'm sure it was fun for the other boaters to watch! My next task (besides boat cleanup projects) is to find some sort of boat simulator that will let me practice moving around slips, marinas, launches, etc. I'll need the practice if I ever want to go to a CBGT with our boat, and avoid the dock rash!
 
The best simulator is to go back back to the launch during the week and simply practice unloading and loading... You don't have to put the boat all the way onto the bunks, just enough that you know you got it then back off, make a circle and come up for another one..
Also work on coming to the dock smoothly to where you have brought the boat to a full stop and you can step out and hook a line to the dock by yourself...
Go out on the water where there is a buoy and practice bringing it along side to a smooth stop... Practice backing up, practice backing to the buoy and stopping within 6 inches of it... Etc, etc, and more etc's...

Notice that you were the one who finally stuffed the boat onto the bunks, not the guy on the dock nor the air head holding a slack line and then pushing you off line... You got the boat on the trailer by your efforts... Go launch and retrieve alone until it seems simple (about 20 times will get you close to that)

When you take driver's training they don't start by having you take a 30 mile drive to the next city... They start by having you learn to back up, to park, how to turn a corner and merge into traffic, etc... Same with your boat... You don't learn by going for a nice cruise and then hoping like heck you can get it back on the trailer... You learn by working on boat handling, launching and retrieving, docking, etc... Then when you can do that all by yourself it is time to take the family for an afternoon cruise...

GL
denny-o
 
Don't let relatives help with launch or retreival. Especially Dads and brothers, they will not only give advice and recommendations they will generally ignore what you have in mind and initiate their own "better" plan. More seriously, I find that the more "help" that I get the more likely I am to get out of my routine and screw something up. If someone really wants to help try to assign them a very specific job. Once you launch and retreive by yourself you will see how easy it really is and in the future you will likely prefer it to having "help".

More importantly congratulations on your new boat and on getting it in the water and using it.

Jim
 
ferret30
Congrats on the new boat and on using it. Nothing beats practice, and it comes with time. Hang in there, and keep using the boat.

Old pilots say there should be a good landing for every take-off. Well, boating is the same way, there should be a good retrieval for every launch. BUT, we have all bounced a time or two. Fortunately is it is usually the pride that gets hurt worst. :sad

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

Friends_Cal_09_10_Oct.thumb.jpg
 
JDS":2xenf12q said:
Don't let relatives help with launch or retreival. Especially Dads and brothers, they will not only give advice and recommendations they will generally ignore what you have in mind and initiate their own "better" plan. More seriously, I find that the more "help" that I get the more likely I am to get out of my routine and screw something up. If someone really wants to help try to assign them a very specific job. Once you launch and retreive by yourself you will see how easy it really is and in the future you will likely prefer it to having "help".
Jim
Click to expand...

I totally agree with Jim....very sage advice! I would however expand his advice to not just single out relatives but include "others". Help sometimes is beneficial but as Jim states, "assign them a very specific job" and be sure they understand that. Additionally, I don't allow anyone to jump from the boat to the dock or visa versa. Eventually, "someone" will end up in the drink and in a worst case scenario pinned between the boat and the dock. (Years ago this happened to one of the C-Dory owners in California and as I remember his story, his wife ended up with fractured ribs secondary to being crushed between their boat and the dock).
Given time and practice as others have stated, you'll be an "old hand" at this. My preperation work before launching and later securing the boat on the trailer is done myself with very little or no assistance by others, that way I'm certain to have all the necessary tasks completed and done correctly. (If I miss or screw up something, it is no one's fault but
mine.... :roll:) I actually prefer that would be helpers go out and count the mussels on the dock while I'm doing those tasks, then I'm not distracted by conversation.

You certainly chose a beautiful day to be out on your C-Dory! Congratulations on your maiden voyage! :thup
 
Yes it takes time and practice. This is our first year with the tomcat and we are just now getting to the point that we know the launch and retrieve routines with respect to the lines, fenders, etc. Penny and I work well as a team now but when someone new comes along with me it's never as smooth.
 
Oh ya,went for a swim in lake berressa the first time out. My lovely bride,sitting on the bow, was suppose to jump to the dock with the bow line. Nooo! She was too busy sitting & lookin good up there so I had To do the jumping, pushing the boat back out in the process then on my return jump, I was swimming. Plenty of people around...Horrors. Vern/C-dog
 
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