First Time on ICW.....crazy?

armentb

armentb

Member
Aug 20, 2015
47
Pawleys Island, SC
Boat Info
280 Sundancer 2014, Garmin
Engines
300 hp Mercruiser w/Bravo III
Forum friends, I took test ride on sundancer 280 today....first boat...zero experience. The broker let me drive it some for about 30min and it seemed doable. I have to get boat from wrightsville beach to pawleys island....6-7h by water i'm told. Can a newbie take maiden voyage down ICW....or is that crazy...and I should hire someone with some experience.

Was thinking maybe try it myself and find a marina half way to park overnight....Thoughts. And I mean I have zero boating experience.
 
Unless you know someone with sufficient experience hire a captain. What you'll learn will be worth far more than his fee.

Ensure you have insurance that covers towing just in case.

Id plan to do it in two days, 5 hours a day is a good pace.

Take everything you may need, spare belts, spare impellers, oil, drive lube, coolant, etc
 
Easy trip, I would be happy to take it down for you. PM if interested
 
You asked so I'll give you my opinion...

Thats freakin crazy.

There are 100 things that "could" go wrong. With zero experience some of these could cost you a small fortune. Some of them could put you on the 6 O'Clock news.
 
If by yourself, no way. If I was down there I would do it with you. No need to hire someone. There are any number of qualified people that will help you. Although you could do it in 2 days, it's no big deal to do it in a day. Just find the right person to help.
 
5-7 hours won't be a problem if you time it right. Leaving at 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning will be better than noon. We've done a similar length trip from Ipswich to Portland many times. Leaving early gives some cushion if there is a delay, and that will allow you to arrive in daylight.

Ok, the boat can do it. What about you? New boat, no experience in that size, no local knowledge of the waters. Not a good choice for a maiden voyage. Make sure your towing insurance is covered. Not because I think you might pack it in, but because with a new to you boat, unexpected mechanical failures should be expected.

Get a knowledgable buddy to help and go with you. Singled handing for 5-7 hours can be exhausting. Think about it. Can you go 7 hours without a p break?

Henry


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
I agree with everyone else, get a captain to go along. First, you'll learn so much. Make sur you bring someone along who's willing to teach. Second, even a 280 is a lot of boat to handle your first time out. Having an extra set of experienced hands will help.

You'll enjoy the ride so much more and won't be stressed over having to know everything.

If you haven't done it already take a USCG safe boating course! They're available locally and online.
 
hiring a Captain or talking a good buddy with boat experience to join you, would be wise. It's best to lay out a plan taking the day of the week, time of day, tide, gas/slip availability, meals, etc. Keep in mind there are plenty of surprises to make the trip exciting including plenty of Jet Ski traffic and at least one low bridge that I know of at Little River that you may need to request an opening of? That reminds me, it would be wise to read-up on VHF radio use if you aren't that familiar with using one.

Hope all goes well.
 
A trip like that sounds like a great opportunity for you to shake down the boat, and get comfortable with it if you do it right.
If you do it wrong, it could be a disaster, and ruin the whole boating experience for you.
There are a couple of ways to go here:
Choice #1-Take a safe boating coarse before getting on the boat, then hire someone to take you out for a few hours to show you how to handle the boat and expose you to real time boating situations before you set off on your own. Make sure to join Boat US or Sea Tow before taking off.
Choice #2- Take a safe boating course before getting on the boat, then bring along a buddy with real boating experience to guide you all along the way. Make sure to join Boat US or Sea Tow before taking off.
I like choice two because you'd have an experienced boater aboard for the whole trip.
Or, you could blend choice 1 and 2 by hiring someone to teach you, and then bring along an experienced boater for the trip.
Whatever you do, taking a safe boating course before you get aboard, and joining Boat US or Sea Tow so that you'll have access to assistance in the event of a mechanical failure or grounding along the way is essential.
I've seen boat owners on both ends of the spectrum.
On one side you have the guys that are competent and confident. They get the most use and enjoyment out of their boats.
On the other end you have the guys who are not confident in their skill level, and their boat spends way to much time tied to the dock for all the wrong reasons.
Usually the more confident and skilled boaters took their time and got off to the right start.
 
Last edited:
Due to all of the good and sane advice i have gotten here I am NOT going to go this first trip alone. I have taken the boater safety class and spent about 45 min on water with someone. I'll hire or find someone to go the trip with me and treat it as real world classroom....and once I am in my home dock I think i may still hire someone for a few hours until I'm more confident. Everyone's feedback was most helpful.
 
armentb said:
Due to all of the good and sane advice i have gotten here I am NOT going to go this first trip alone. I have taken the boater safety class and spent about 45 min on water with someone. I'll hire or find someone to go the trip with me and treat it as real world classroom....and once I am in my home dock I think i may still hire someone for a few hours until I'm more confident. Everyone's feedback was most helpful.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a smart plan...best of luck!
 
Sounds like a great plan. Again bahabreisus and I are available if you want anyone to go with you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Man this sounds like the start of an awesome boating adventure especially for your first run. Good luck and I look forward to some details about how it goes.
 
Good decision. Having someone with you that knows what they are doing is priceless. Welcome to CSR.
Ok, now not to steal this thread but...what if you do have boating experience and you want to go the ICW. Where would I find good info and what do I really need to know. I know the charts are first on the list but what are the things that we who have never been down there need to know.
thanks,
 
Spend the money and hire a captain. 2 reasons:

1) When something goes wrong (it will) you have professional experience at your side. He/she is there as a hired professional teacher, not a buddy. His/her success depends on referrals. If you do well and are confident at the end of the experience, you both win.

2) If anything happens to your boat while a friend is at the helm, your friendship will never be the same.
 
Good call. I've been boating with outboard fishing boats for 15 years and having recently upgraded to a 300 sundancer I am shocked at how steep the learning curve has been. But I know from experience that if I take my time, learn, and practice, I'll be where I need to be in no time. Do what you can to avoid early bad experiences, that is usually what causes people to not use their boats.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,259
Messages
1,429,472
Members
61,135
Latest member
Gregger
Back
Top