www.iFourWinns.com

My wife and I purchased a 2007 278 Vista at the Washington DC boat show. We had talked about buying a boat for the past two years. The 278 was a little larger boat than we had planned to buy, but we fell in love with it at the show... so we did it!!

That was the easy part. Now we need advice for first time boaters. We would love to hear from all of you veterans out there. Maybe I should ask the question this way: What are top three things you know now, that you wish you had know when you first bought a boat?

First, congrats on the new boat.
Second, Its never too big. As soon as it hits the water it seems to shrink. When we purchased our 248 last year we thought it was perfect. We intended on trailering, but soon found slipping was the way to go for us. Had we known that we would have bought an older larger boat. Next I wish we had ac installed. We have a carry on, but that takes up to much space. As far as everything else goes, Make sure you take your safe boating class if you havent already, dont drink and drive and if you are slipping as well practice, practice, practice. And dont worry about the first scratch either. Its bound to happen. And last but not least, HAVE FUN.

First off, congratulations!

I'm no vetran but having bought our first boat last year, the thing that hit us the most was initially equiping the boat. We were pretty accurate with our estimates for marina (assuming your not trailering), insurance, gas and winter storage but adding all the extra goodies really added up fast, especially with a boat that wasn't pre-equipped.

If you have a West Marine in your area, they offer a 10% discount on everything you buy to equip a new boat. Having said that, they are a little pricer than some places, but it is a one stop location. I think you only need to show them your invoice, and the 10% is good for every purcahse for a month after that. The 10% off even applies to "on sale" items.

Plan on attending a power boating course. In Canada these are offered through the Canadian Power Squadron, and I'm sure there is a US equivilent down there. These will teach you all about safety, mandatory equipment and the rules of the road. This is very important for every boater, but even more so for those with Cruisers.

Another good place to start is Chapman's either the power boat handling book, or seamanship book. Either of these are a great resource for learning the fundamentals of manouvering, navigation, safety and ettiquette(sp). Of course nothing beats practical experience, but reading either of these will give you a base to put in to practice when you get to the fun part.

Hopfully you'll find some of these ideas usefull, and I'm sure the others will have a ton of great advice that I too can't wait to see.

Once again congratulations you're gonna have a great summer!

Thanks for the tips! We are taking a Coast Guard Saftey Class this month. We do have a West Marine close by so we will take advantage of the 10% discount.

Hope to hear from some others!!

Ditto the other's comments. One thing I try to stress in the classes I teach for the Power Squadron I belong to is about docking.

1: John's Golden rule - Never ever approach the dock any faster than you are willing to hit it. Remember in docking, neutral is your friend! Dump in and out of gear.

2: Don't worry about what others thing about your docking skill. If you get docked without the boat getting damageed, the dock getting damages or anyone getting hurt you did a good job. Also, anyone who ever tells you they have never fubarred a docking attemp is a liar, P.S. don't buy a bridge form him!

3: Have everything at the ready and let everyone know what they need to do and what to expect. Had a friend aboard who was helping me out. Asked if he should get the "back" line. I expected he knew what he was doing. I'm backing in to a spot that the current is really bad. Doing it perfectly. The dockmaster is there waiting for the stern line. He yell, "throw me the line" Rick does, the dockmaster catches it, then asks him what the hell is he supposed to do with this. Rick threw him the line...both ends! Don't ASSume anything!

Lastly, take your time, and enjoy...Congrats on the new boat.

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Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"

Thanks, jvalich.

I have to admit. I am a little nervous about the docking aspect of this. I plan to take it real slow!!

Yeah, docking can be fun, especially in wind (which is NOT a cruiser's friend), and guaranteed the spot is always smaller than what you want and there is always an audience. Ignore the audience and don't worry about taking as many approaches as you need. One of the worst things to do is to try and "save" a docking gone wrong and find yourself in more trouble. Practice, Practice, Practice.

Javalich, LOL your #1 golden rule is now forever etched into my brain. My wife and I had a good laugh, so true so funny.

Dave, check out Chapman' practical boat handling. It will help with the docking. After reading this I really "got it. http://www.amazon.com/Chapman-Practical-Boat-Handling-Situation/dp/1588163857

Congrats, we bought a 348 from Riverside at last year's show in Baltimore. Where are you planning on keeping it and where do you live?

The single BEST THING you can do it take a US Power Squadron basic boating course with both you and your wife. Take it together. That way you're both up to speed on the same stuff. My wife and I did and it's been great. She's a lot more confident in how to handle the boat as well as trusting how I end up being the one stuck running it all the time... (like it's such horrible suffering being at the helm of a nice new boat all summer long...)

Then get together with someone that's had experience docking and handling that size and configuration of a boat. There's a real difference between how a single I/O handles compared to, say, twin inboards. It really helped having our friend Jim from BOE Marine come out one afternoon and practice repeated docking attempts. Back and forth 7-8 times each time adding a bit of 'what if' sort of complications. It really helped. Especially learning a few 'tricks' for dealing with when you start getting pushed out of your desired position.

What helped more was learning the 348 really handles better going about 5-6 knots down the fairway of the marina instead of crawling along at 3-4. Wind on the high freeboard (the hull above the water) along with current really pushes the boat around when going "too slow". And once you get the hang of it, pulling the engines into reverse stops it pretty darn quick. It's 'easier' to go a little faster and pull it to a halt than to creep along slowly and get pushed crooked. Go figure.

I researched the whole purchased pretty thoroughly beforehand so there really wasn't much to add to the boat. AC, genset, icemaker, etc, were all there.

But the one thing we didn't have, and have since added, was satellite marine weather. We got caught by a thunderstorm on July 4th and it was, shall we say, unpleasant. But since adding the Sirius weather setup ($700 + $30/mo) we've avoided four other possible experiences. By bugging out a bit earlier, sitting a while longer or dodging between the pockets of rain. It's expensive but the piece of mind has been absolutely invaluable.

Congratulation on your new boat. There is not much more I can say. That has not been said already. But one think with docking. If you make a mistake. It is not a bad thing to stop. Go back out if you have to and try again. Just take it slow around the docks. Also we need picture of your new boat.

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348 Vista ( Last Call )
Raystown PA

Ditto!. Rarely do I dock on my first attempt if there is any appreciable wind or current. I like to "get close" and see what I can expect from the wind and current. Once I know, I make my attempt. Many times you will find that you can easily use the current of wind to your advantage.

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Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"

wkearney99 thanks for the good advice! We live in Alexandria, Va. We plan to keep our boat the James Creek Mariana on the Potomac.

How as your experience with Riverside been?

Dave

Riverside's done a great job. Just recognize that boat's aren't automobiles and prepare for the difference when it comes to service. Parts sometimes take longer to arrive than you'd like. Service does work better if you plan ahead and leave it for them to work on it. With boats you generally can't just drop it off in the morning and expect it to be ready that afternoon. Taking this into consideration, the folks at Riverside have always met their schedule. But then I've only had it in twice, and that was for regular maintenance. Do you plan on trailering it? Otherwise it's a loooooong haul down around the Potomac back up to Baltimore!

Since you're in NoVa, check with the local Power Squadron for their class schedule: http://www.usps.org/localusps/nva/ Rick Baker does a great job. There are two tracks just about to start (the 14th and 19th of this month) so get signed up ASAP. It really was worth the time to take it together with my wife.

Hopefully some of you guys make it to the upper bay this summer. I'd love to check out some of the big boy vistas!

Enjoy your new boat! It certainly has nice lines. I think FW has really got a nice line of new product.

As stated above, one of the most important things to remember is to take it slow while docking and practice, practice, practice. You will find that more people are willing to lend a hand as you approach the dock.

Hopefully you will enjoy it much was we enjoy ours. Weather is finally improving here in Michigan and plan to launch in mid-April.

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Lime Cutter
'06 378 Vista
Lake St Clair, MI
Mac Ray Harbor

What to get this is a topical subject. My wife and I just had our new 278 Vista delivered. We are excited and also new to boating a vessel this size. We are just finishing the power squadron course which is great and a real eye opener for us newbies. We are meeting lots of great people. So now goes the chore of buying fenders, dock lines, ( BBQ for sure), and whatever else. My question is how much extra line should a person get. Poly, nylon or what ever. We will be doing lots of cruising this summer in British Columbia both on the big water and a large inland lake..any suggestions on rope combinations..

Randy and Angela.. Harrison Lake

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Randy B