Boating Skills: What did you learn this year?

We transitioned mid-season from our twin engine I/O 280 to a V-Drive 370, so I spent a lot of time getting used to the v-drive boat as opposed to the sterndrives. Initial observations were that the V-Drives are far superior around the dock, but require a bit more patience and planning as the props move much more water, so any click into gear means more with the v-drive than it did with the sterndrive. In addition, the V-drive's rudders are slower to react than the the sterndrives when cruising. Much more of a "big cadillac" feel than the sporty nature of the sterndrives. I also learned, most importantly, that while I absolutely love the v-drive boat, that getting my big ass around the bilge is MUCH more difficult with the v-drive boat, even though it's significantly larger.
 
I know what you're talking about with the change from an I/O boat to a v-drive boat. It was a big diff when I went from a 20' I/O to the 330 Dancer with v-drives. Another big shift when I went from the 330 to the 550. Talk about a "big cadillac" ride.

Here are 2 videos I took of waves on the Columbia. These are larger than we normally have fun in, but this is not the first time I've been in this size.

Sorry about the thread drift.
 
I learned that overnighting with toddlers during a worldwide pandemic is virtually impossible. I also learned that boating with toddlers requires so much gear that it almost removes all the fun from it. But I learned the memories created can not be replicated anywhere on land.
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Sounds like Longboat Pass at Jewfish. One Memorial weekend, we saved a few people who lost their grip on their ladders up current. Other times, I couldn't catch the bottom with a 45 plow and ALL CHAIN. Soft, and fast. Wound up in the eddy off of Land's End so we could get a good bite in no current. Having said all that, it could have been South Lido too. Monster current there when Mother Natcha decides it's a 2 tide full moon NW front day. I have another funny full chain story at Sands Point cove, but we'll save that one for another day.
It was at Longboat pass on the Gulf side of the bridge. Those currents can be nasty. I was on a friends boat and he anchored off of the Jew Key sand bar. I told him he needed to get closer to the sandbar as the current was ripping. He didn't listen to me and one of his passengers couldn't make it to the boat. A second passenger jumped in to help her with no floatation device. Both of them were carried about 100 yards before they could latch onto another boat. A sea doo brought them back. I was cringing the whole time. He then acknowledged that I might have been right.
 
You got that right... first time I have ever had a pool in the cockpit:)
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We did this all the time with our kids! We kept a 3 foot round plastic kiddie pool on the boat. It fit in the hatch under the floor in our 270 AJ. I used to fill it with warm water from the stern shower. Kids loved it! Miss those days.
 

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