Your first trip on the "new to you boat" was a big/long one

I’ve got a long thread on here about my trip from Charleston to NY last year. It was a 6 day, 981 mile trip. Might be worth a read. Lots of pics.
http://www.clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/bringing-the-boat-home.103435/

Had been on the boat a total of 3 hours before bringing it back - just the survey time. The Back Cove 37 operated very similarly to my prior Back Cove 34 so it was an easy transition.

I drove down in a rented van with my son and father in law, meeting Capt Rusty for the trip up. I packed a bunch of stuff in the rental: food, spare filters, belts, PFDs, etc. Happily needed no spares on the way.
 
FootballFan said:
LOL. Actually - given the fact that you were only able to use 1 engine (I think it was a clogged fuel filter) your handling of the boat that day in close quarters, on 1 engine, with the wind blowing showed quite a bit of skill.
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I have lost track of how many one engine docking adventures I've head with gassers. I hear there are none with diesels...
 
My story goes back about 15 years. BOT the boat in Holland MI and needed to take it to Winthrop Harbor, IL (IL/Wisconsin state line). Didn't have the guts to take a new boat across the lake, so decided I would take the long route around. Went up to Holland the night before with my cousin with plans to stay on the boat. It's early April and it's freaking cold -- so we find a crappy Motel 6 or something. We are up and out early the next morning. Fill up and make our way to the big lake. The weather isn't too good and we are looking at 2-3 footers. Turn south and start making way. The further south we go, the bigger the waves. Probably ended up in 4-6, with an 8 in there to test our brains. Finally forced it at St. Joe/Benton Harbor. No clue where to go so we work up and down the river till we find a place to stop for a few days. It's about 1:00 pm on a Saturday and wouldn't you know it, all the car rentals are closed. No way to get back up to Holland to grab the car. End up renting a U-haul mini-truck and take that to Holland to pick up the car and then come back to Benton Harbor and return the truck.

A few days later, I come back with a buddy from work. He at least had a portable GPS (Did I mention not a lot of GPS back in those days). It's a cold, but clear day and the water is smooth. We head out about 10:00 am towards Michigan City to stop for fuel. We stop, get fuel and then make way for our trip "across" the lake. All my buddy can say is "there's a lot of water out there." LOL. We see the Chicago skyline and turn north. Call wife to pick us up, marina to get my slip number and roll in about 5:00. All in all, except for a few rogue waves the first day, an uneventful trip.

Prior to the trip, I bot everything I thought I would need. Life jackets, hand held VHF, fenders, line, tool set, some emergency repair things, etc. Most of that stuff hasn't left its storage place, knock on wood.
 
Our delivery trip for our 44DA started the day with us catching a ferry from CT to LI, hopping on the boat at 10AM, topping off fuel and running from Lindenhurst to Montauk with less then 1/2 mile visibilty from the time we were within a mile of Fire Island Inlet. The next day we left in 100 yard visibility from Montauk to just past Block Island where we finally had a clearing and nice calm run into Buzzards Bay and home to the summer dock.

This was the first time for me running a power boat over 30' other than the sea trial. I had plenty of time in larger sailboats though and had the same electronics on my last boat so understood them well.

I wish I had time to do my 58DB or even part of it but couldn't. My first day out with that that was truly just a quick day run as it was blowing like mad. I also suffered the same fun with the single lever controls as @ranger58sb those bosch controls are super easy to move - and not always in a good way!
 
mrsrobinson said:
I have lost track of how many one engine docking adventures I've head with gassers. I hear there are none with diesels...
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Well fewer anyway. Diesels usually run or don't period. If they start then you can at least idle. But they are no different than anything else, they break and depending on what breaks is if you can stay running or not. They are usually much more robust and tougher then gas engines. Their system are designed to run longer and harder.

Given this is a new to you boat and not a new boat and you were/are trying to get the after-coolers done, you definitely need to run the boat at cruise for ~30 minutes or so to evaluate the state of the engines. Yes I know there was a sea trial, but YOU still need to run them. I would clean the sea strainers and even run fresh water through the threw hull to clear that out, remember your boat has been in the water all winter and not ran.

As far as long trips with a new boat, I have done many. But have always had shake down time prior to a long run. And I always carry tools with me, including extra 12ga wire and wire tools for just such an occasion. Make sure you have BoatUS or Sea Tow and don't worry about it, you will be fine. Just enjoy your new boat and the cruise. Bring a bottle of your favorite and have a nice cool drink after your first day and half way home. Enjoy the ride!
 
If you’re crossing a large expanse of water, make sure you have a dinghy or raft. Early spring/late fall trips tend to have lots of floatsam and very cold water. If you go in, you won’t last very long. A functional portable radio is also very wise. Generally you can dead recon very easily where we boat in the Great Lakes, so fancy electronics are not always necessary but nice. Also, an accurate assessment of on board fuel and the boat’s consumption rate are critical. And plans and backup plans for fuel stops. A good float plan with ETAs is also critical if you’re overdue. Could save your life. Basically, know the common sense, critical items you will need and plan in redundancy for those things.
 
Things I always recommend on a "new to you" boat is carrying some spare impellers and fuel filters, even if you've been told they were replaced "recently". You'll save a LOT of time trying to track down those when you could just be replacing them and being back on your way. And, it's not like they expire shortly.. if you don't use them you'll have good spares for a while.
 
Mine will be sort of big. Port Clinton in Erie up to the north end of Lake St Clair. No dinghy... Only about an hour or so of "out of sight of land". Then it's against the current in the Detroit River and then along the west side of Lake St Clair. I can't remember what that trip takes time-wise. It's been over 30 years since I did it. I think 5ish hours?
 
mrsrobinson said:
I am curious to hear from others who did this: bought a boat and took a big/first trip to get her home. What did you learn? What would you change? Were you prepared? Etc.

Thanks
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We bought our 360 DA in Bridgeport CT and our 400 DB in Alexandria Bay NY. Home port if Buffalo NY.
On the A Bay trip we learned that the Published bridge heights on the Erie Canal Corp website are not accurate. They have since been updated to show normal and high water.
Both trips were uneventful and we wouldn’t change a thing.
As far as preparedness, I’m usually over prepared, but that’s just my MO.
 
Jus Cruisin said:
Mine will be sort of big. Port Clinton in Erie up to the north end of Lake St Clair. No dinghy... Only about an hour or so of "out of sight of land". Then it's against the current in the Detroit River and then along the west side of Lake St Clair. I can't remember what that trip takes time-wise. It's been over 30 years since I did it. I think 5ish hours?
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5 hours should be about right. Last time running from Cedar Point to Anchor Bay (Bouvier Bridge Marina), it was about 5 hours running time at about 22knts.
Enjoy the ride back to your home port.
 
No dinghy, yet. I plan to hug the Bay shores and it's my best guess I can see land east and west the entire Bay part of the trip.
 
mrsrobinson said:
No dinghy, yet. I plan to hug the Bay shores and it's my best guess I can see land east and west the entire Bay part of the trip.
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You’d be amazed at how cold the water is and how short you can stay in it before hypothermia. I’m kind of a cowboy in life, but when we crossed Lake Michigan on Halloween my wife insisted on bringing the dinghy and I agreed. Nobody’s out there with you early/late in the season and the lake is merciless. On the bright side, hypothermia isn’t the worst way to go and I’m told it’s quite peaceful. You just fall asleep…
 
my3sons said:
We bought our 360 DA in Bridgeport CT and our 400 DB in Alexandria Bay NY. Home port if Buffalo NY.
On the A Bay trip we learned that the Published bridge heights on the Erie Canal Corp website are not accurate. They have since been updated to show normal and high water.
Both trips were uneventful and we wouldn’t change a thing.
As far as preparedness, I’m usually over prepared, but that’s just my MO.
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Oh yeah, forgot to mention on the 360 trip, I learned the early spring fog on Long Island Sound can be a bear!
 
Until you choke because your dick is up in your throat.
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Our first trip was a short one (~6 miles) from the marina that recommissioned her to a YC just up the Columbia to spend the weekend at an Aquapalooza party. Word had spread that "a guy with a new boat" was coming in so let's go watch his first stern-to docking. It went off slow n easy without a hitch, followed by lots of congratulations and adult beverages.

Then we took off for a ~235 mile trip upriver, through 4 locks to our home port. I was pooped so my Admiral drove for 2+ hours after we cleared the first lock while I napped on a seat aft of the helm. That trip took 3 days and we had a blast.
 
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Jus Cruisin said:
Mine will be sort of big. Port Clinton in Erie up to the north end of Lake St Clair. No dinghy... Only about an hour or so of "out of sight of land". Then it's against the current in the Detroit River and then along the west side of Lake St Clair. I can't remember what that trip takes time-wise. It's been over 30 years since I did it. I think 5ish hours?
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That’s not big…. Used to do belle Maer to PIB every weekend….very easy run with lots to see
 
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