Buying my first boat!!!

Not sure but I think some navigation units can track your movements if you start dragging anchor? It would be nice if that could be set up and an alarm go off. With the phone app you have to leave the app running so would likely need the phone to be plugged in and I think you have to set the phone to not go to sleep. I have only played around with it a couple of times cause we don't sleep on the hook. When we are anchored we are sitting up top where we can see what is going on.
Yeah, I don't think we'd try sleeping on the hook until we had a lot more experience and some good spot recommendations. Need to learn how to spend the night in a marina first! You'd think there would be some sort of alarm. Maybe i could train the dog to be an anchor watch dog:)
 
If an app is written correctly, it will register with the phone for position changes. When the phone detects a position change, it notifies the app (and any others which have registered for position changes) to wake up, the app then determines if it has moved far enough, and will either signal the user, or go back to sleep. I have an app like this, used by our sales reps. When they check-in to a customer, we ask iOS to notify us of position changes. The user just puts his phone locked, can use any other apps if needed, back in his pocket. When he leaves the customer, we record the time spent. This is more of a battery drain than going to sleep, but for an app where the phone is not moving, like DragQueen referenced above, the impact will be relatively low. 99% certain it works similarly on android.
 
Oh, pretty much every GPS I have used has this feature, anchor alarm, and you set it to warn you if your anchor drags or boat moves outside of a range, 20 ft, or whatever. Of course, still have not found it on my northstar 6000, will check manual.
 
Aww, pretty boat. I might be using fenders a lot so that would not work. Thanks for averting a very major disappointment.
I learned to tie it so it would keep the boat away from the fenders.
 
So Sarah - I'll give you my pet peeve when looking at boats and that is corrosion. Seeing corrosion on a boat indicates it wasn't well taken care of; especially corrosion in the engine room and bilge areas. Now a lot of corrosion can be masked by a good detailer but a close look at the bonding wiring is the best indicator. The bonding wiring is the heavier gauge green wires that connect all of the metal components of the boat together. Just my simple thumbs up / thumbs down measuring stick for a first look.
 
+1 on what ttmott says. I'm kinda anal on keeping things clean/neat/ well maintained, etc., constantly looking for signs of wear/tear , upcoming needed maintenance. I do all my own maintenance and repairs ( I turn wrenches for a living). When I do my pre-cruise check, if something does jump out at me I know whats going on and whats needed to be done. Just take your time , look things over really well and learn as much as possible.
 
Oh, pretty much every GPS I have used has this feature, anchor alarm, and you set it to warn you if your anchor drags or boat moves outside of a range, 20 ft, or whatever. Of course, still have not found it on my northstar 6000, will check manual.
I'm looking forward to learning about electronics. I kinda thought an anchor alarm should be there somewhere. Good to know!
 
So Sarah - I'll give you my pet peeve when looking at boats and that is corrosion. Seeing corrosion on a boat indicates it wasn't well taken care of; especially corrosion in the engine room and bilge areas. Now a lot of corrosion can be masked by a good detailer but a close look at the bonding wiring is the best indicator. The bonding wiring is the heavier gauge green wires that connect all of the metal components of the boat together. Just my simple thumbs up / thumbs down measuring stick for a first look.
That's a great, easy measuring stick for someone with no mechanical experience. I guess I have to prepare myself to see some toads before I find my prince. Thanks! Any other tips would be much appreciated!
 
+1 on what ttmott says. I'm kinda anal on keeping things clean/neat/ well maintained, etc., constantly looking for signs of wear/tear , upcoming needed maintenance. I do all my own maintenance and repairs ( I turn wrenches for a living). When I do my pre-cruise check, if something does jump out at me I know whats going on and whats needed to be done. Just take your time , look things over really well and learn as much as possible.
I plan on being meticulous as well. Down the road I'll be posting for advice on cleaning products for every part of the boat. Hey, I've read some folks advise you hire a surveyor as well as an engine mechanic. What's your opinion on that?
 
I plan on being meticulous as well. Down the road I'll be posting for advice on cleaning products for every part of the boat. Hey, I've read some folks advise you hire a surveyor as well as an engine mechanic. What's your opinion on that?

When we bought our 260DA, had a hull surveyor and a certified Mercruiser Tech to check over the engine and gen. He checked compression on both as well as going over the OD.

Bennett
 
I plan on being meticulous as well. Down the road I'll be posting for advice on cleaning products for every part of the boat. Hey, I've read some folks advise you hire a surveyor as well as an engine mechanic. What's your opinion on that?
There are two types of surveyors - Hull and Engine. The Hull surveyor goes over the hull, controls, plumbing, electrical systems, nav systems, lighting, and USCG compliance. The Engine surveyor goes over the engines and drive train. The size of boat you are considering is on the cusp of requiring surveys; your insurance company and finance company (if you plan to finance) may require the surveys. If I was in your position with this being your first boat both surveys are money well spent - in fact I would back up the engine survey with a mechanics evaluation and the performance of leak-down testing on the engines. Keep in mind the surveyors do not disassemble any part of the boat. My experience is the surveyors do miss plenty that you will find as time goes by but hopefully nothing major. If you are inclined read up on some blogs from David Pascoe, Steve D'Antonio, and many others; there is a lot of good info out there to learn from.
As an edit, the survey report establishes a condition baseline that helps you determine the value of the vessel and negotiate vessel repairs / corrections with the broker/owner.
 
When we bought our 260DA, had a hull surveyor and a certified Mercruiser Tech to check over the engine and gen. He checked compression on both as well as going over the OD.

Bennett
Oh great idea, a certified mercruiser tech. Hadn't thought of that. Good to know they can check both. Haven't read much about hull surveys. I want to do what's best so is that common or just extra insurance?
 
There are two types of surveyors - Hull and Engine. The Hull surveyor goes over the hull, controls, plumbing, electrical systems, nav systems, lighting, and USCG compliance. The Engine surveyor goes over the engines and drive train. The size of boat you are considering is on the cusp of requiring surveys; your insurance company and finance company (if you plan to finance) may require the surveys. If I was in your position with this being your first boat both surveys are money well spent - in fact I would back up the engine survey with a mechanics evaluation and the performance of leak-down testing on the engines. Keep in mind the surveyors do not disassemble any part of the boat. My experience is the surveyors do miss plenty that you will find as time goes by but hopefully nothing major. If you are inclined read up on some blogs from David Pascoe, Steve D'Antonio, and many others; there is a lot of good info out there to learn from.
As an edit, the survey report establishes a condition baseline that helps you determine the value of the vessel and negotiate vessel repairs / corrections with the broker/owner.
Ok, wow, so Id say a hull survey is VERY important. And getting an engine mechanic. That's very interesting about the survey providing a baseline for negotiations. Great info, thanks for taking the time to relay all that! I'll definitely follow up on those guys mentioned. This site has given me a tremendous amount of info to think about. It's great!
 
Here's another one. On a trailer just tow it home.

Capture2.PNG
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,950
Messages
1,422,862
Members
60,932
Latest member
juliediane
Back
Top