2017 season is Over

Well everyone that helped me make the leap to a bigger slipped boat and all my friends at Herls Harbor thank you.My season started with a trip form Maumee River to Catabwa Island with strong North Eastern winds a trip that normally takes an hour an half took 3 hours. One hell of a shake down cruise but our new to me 2000 310 Da. did great .The next trip was with my Herl's Harbor boating family to Middle Bass Island was a great trip every thing went smooth I even docked the boat stern in without any harm done.At this time I was feeling better good about my abilities.Once the weekend was over we all made are way back to west harbor entrance I was think that the weekend was a uneventful until I found the sand bar on the way in to West harbor.At this point I was thinking the worst put a voice on the radio from AFTICA said just back her out easy the way you came in it will be alright.With my ego bruised I took it back out on the lake and opened her up with no signs of vibrations so I got lucky.Another boat buddy told me on the radio on my way back out to the lake that those red and green things floating in the water are not Christmas trees we've laughed about that all summer. Maneuvering lesson with AFTICA helped take the worry out of docking.His shopping cart method to remember how to use the controls are always in the back of my mind.This first season in a slip has been great We ate to much drank to much but could never laugh enough.Our new to us 310 Da. is wrapped and winterized sitting on her trailer waiting for spring . Spring can't get here soon enough.By the way you were all right slip boat is great and I don't miss anything about trailering a boat.

Well Jason (AFTICA) gets a pat on the back and a cold beer for his instruction time and you get one for learning from what you were taught.

Congrats on a successful and fun summer. Just think how many more there are in your future.

"shopping cart method to remember how to use the controls"

Elaborate please?

Blkbird said:

"shopping cart method to remember how to use the controls"
Elaborate please?

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Picture yourself behind a HEAVY shopping cart in the grocery store with both hands on the cart's handle. Your right hand is the starboard prop and your left hand is the port prop.

To make your cart go to the right (starboard) you push with the left hand and pull back with the right hand. To make your cart go left (port) you push with your right hand and pull back with your left hand.

When driving a boat, just picture yourself pushing the shopping cart down the aisle. A turn to port will require you to use forward on your starboard engine and reverse on your port engine. Vice versa for a turn starboard, forward on the port engine, reverse on starboard engine.

Boats also mimic a shopping cart in the way that they move when a force is enacted upon them. Picture a cart standing still. To move just the nose of the cart to the right you can either push on the left side of the handle or pull back on the right side of the handle.

If you put just the starboard engine in reverse, the bow swings to the right, the stern pretty much stays put. If you put the starboard engine in forward gear, the stern swings out to starboard and the nose kind of stays put.

Gotcha!

Two things I remember are the boat will turn faster, at idle, with the port engine in reverse rather than the starboard in forward. And obviously vica versa. Guess because the transom is flat and resists the water more than the pointed bow.

And the most important rule when docking is "bump the throttles". In and out of gear, no long dramatic runs.

dvx216 said:

By the way you were all right slip boat is great and I don't miss anything about trailering a boat.

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Even after 3 years I still get a smile every time I walk out the gate of my marina.

Hey Ken,
Just so you know it's only 129 days until boating season!!!
Miss you guys and hope to see you both in a few weeks. My pleasure and it was a great season!