Can your "First Officer" handle the boat?

wadebmadden

wadebmadden

New Member
Jul 5, 2007
85
Kansas
I always try to make everyone on the boat aware of where all the safety equipment is on the boat, I use the intercom (on a 23' boat) and make a "good morning folks, thanks for joining us, here are some guidelines to make this as good of a day as possible" safety brief. I feel its a semi funny way to let people know where things are and some of the rules I apply.

But what about handling the boat? I have a string of nephews that I plan to start teaching how to operate the boat. Any one who will be on the boat for more than one day, I will start pointing out, run the blower, especially after fueling, heres where you turn on the GPS and how you use it to get back to the marina, channel 16 lets you talk to the marina, etc.

I want the usual crew to be comfortable enough with the boat to get it safely back to the dock in the event I am the one that gets hurt. However, there really isnt anyone that is on the boat frequently enough to merit a safety course. I dont want to get the kids hopes up in the event Im not around much that summer.


Any suggestions of things to teach them? Or good ways to get the kids familiar with the boat?


Thanks
 
Well, in my family i am technically the "first officer, but my knowledge is on par with the captains. I think the key to having a good first officer is not the teacher its the person, I was motivated to be a competent co-captain so i spend time in places like this, reading and trying to learn as much as i can about seamanship. In your case, unless you have someone frequently boating with you I think teaching them will be hard, because of the time in between lessons and time away from boats in general. Good luck :thumbsup:
 
I have seen momma handle up to a 50' Viking MY (those tubs are about the equivalent to a normal 60' boat). Even more impressive is her skill on sizable sailboats which require more than a little stick work. Her, her sister, and their friend cruised from Cape Cod to Grenada and back on a sailboat when they were in their mid 20's. Quite the nautical lady, I would feel comfortable with her at the helm anytime.
 
My wife can't even drive our minivan without hitting stuff :grin:, but I've made sure that she can get us to shore or call for help in case of emergency.

Of course, the side of the boat would never be the same, but at least I know she can get us home. Very important to have a backup plan.
 
Great thread!

My first officer is coming along, but she gets very frustrated when the boat doesn't behave like a car and instantly react to a control input. Both she and my daughter (13) know where all the safety stuff is, the blower routine and what to do to assist me when we're pulling into the slip. A very willing and competent crew, but not up to piloting just yet.

As an aside, I'm considering retaking the USCG Auxiliary couse with my daughter this winter. It would be my 3rd time but hey, we're never too old for a refresher and more importantly, it's something to do together with my teenager. Those "somethings" are getting few and far between, I'm afraid.....

Cheers,

Bill
 
Well.....................yes and no.

My wife knows all the basics but she probably couldn't get the boat into our dock. And she wouldn't have the strength to lift the plow anchor if she had too. But in an emergency she could cut the rope for the anchor and I am sure she could handle the boat well enough to get us home.
 
My first officer would be my son... yes, he's 9, but here's a picture of him driving the boat while I try to unjam the windlass [photo credit: Gary on "Four Suns"]
877799185_b145562fab_o.jpg

In addition, he knows how to use the radio, the radar and the chartplotter (including creating and navigating to waypoints and routes). Seriously, between him and the Admiral (who is no slouch in her own right) they could get the boat back to harbor. In the slip? That may be another issue...
 
Interesting Thread... We have had this discussion many times with dock mates and friends inboard. My wife can handle the boat from the point of leaving the dock to getting her close on the way back in. She will not try to back her into the slip but in the event of an emergency, who cares? She is capable of bringing her "bow in" or coming up to the gas dock or a "T" head dock if I can't handle the boat for any reason. She is also well versed on radio protocol and procedures so if I am incapacitated for any reason, she can call for help or make arrangements for assistance as she nears our marina (or any other for that matter).
 
Well.....I am almost embarrassed to admit this but my first officer drives the boat better than I do!! I know how to drive it, dock it, and such, but I may not be very fast, and it might take me a couple trys. (hence the reason I purchased a boat that came with previous dock battle scars) And my boat is only 20'!!! My gf taught water skiing at Camp Champions for four summers and drove 17'-24' boats everyday for 3 months. Needless to say when the lake is busy I just let her dock and trailer it!!

Graham
 
I'm with wx5svr. My Admiral backs the boat into the slip MUCH better than I do.

She is comfy with, and knowledgeable about, all facets of running our boat. Sure, we have divisions of labor, but all in all it's pretty equitable.

We've both taken the Power Squadron course.

We have taught our regular guests the rudiments of boat handling so they can get the boat ashore.

I don't teach guests much in terms of radio procedures other than how to turn it on and about CH 16. My experience with emergencies and radio telephones (in the Army) is that the crucial issue is to get the message out. Confusing guests with procedures they won't remember will complicate things in my opinion and will add to their nervousness when all they really need to do is get on the horn and yell HELP, making sure the message gets out.
 
I handle the trailering, she handles unloading the boat, picking me up at the dock and loading back on the trailer. We've done that since our first day of boating. While she always lets me slip it I'm sure she could handle it fine for the most part. We have been over what to do if I somethign happens to me.. who to call, where to head to, etc. I'm very confident with her at the helm.
 
My Admiral just tried a month ago at the Columbia bringing the boat to the trailer. There were no docks at the ramp so I jumped overboard and went to get the truck. She reluctantly agreed to try. I said just go really slow and you'll be fine. After some praise and comments/marraige proposals from the fellas at the ramp she thought she was big time now. I was happy we're getting to a point where she can do it. We'll work on trailer work when we get the next boat. :cool:
 
I'm with Larry&Leisa, my wife spends all of our launching and loading time on the boat at the helm.

She really puts to shame many other trailer boaters out there. We are on and off the ramp in seconds. The key is preparation, beforehand.

We have to fight who gets to drive. We also have a Jet Ski that we almost always bring out with us, so one of us is always captaining one or the other. She is very safe and proactive at the helm, always avoiding potential problems before they become an issue.

I wouldn't have it any other way. I know that my 4 kids can get back to safety if either one of us get harmed in any way.
 
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