Hello from Stafford, VA

k-nutz

Member
Jul 8, 2014
173
Stafford, VA
Boat Info
2000 SunDancer 240
2013 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Denali 6.6 Duramax
Engines
5.7 MERC w/BRAVO III
Just purchased a 2000 SeaRay Sundancer 240 with MERC 5.7 and BRAVO III. New to boating so this is all new to me. I know I will have lots of questions and will be reading alot of the how to's as I get accustomed to my new toy.

Right now I have a slip at the EZ Cruz Marina in Woodbridge, VA. so it's right on the Potomac. Took it out a few times just to familiarize myself with the overall boat and how it handles. I have seen a bunch of boats anchored in some areas off the river but I do not have my confidence up enough to venture into those areas. If anyone goes out on the Potomac and has some pointers feel free to let me know...
 
Congratulations and welcome to CSR!
 
Welcome aboard. This board is full of good people who are a great resource.
 
Hi & welcome.....

Congrats on your new boat. Since you say you are new to boating, make sure you have all the required safety gear aboard. Also, a good VHF radio wouldn't hurt.

I suggest you take a boating course. Your local marina might have some info or at the very least, take the online course.

http://www.boat-ed.com/virginia/?gclid=CIO3iYqKtr8CFc9j7Aod6lkAHg

Also, see if there is an experienced boater that will go out with you for a few trips.

Good luck.
 
Just purchased a 2000 SeaRay Sundancer 240 with MERC 5.7 and BRAVO III. New to boating so this is all new to me. I know I will have lots of questions and will be reading alot of the how to's as I get accustomed to my new toy.

Right now I have a slip at the EZ Cruz Marina in Woodbridge, VA. so it's right on the Potomac. Took it out a few times just to familiarize myself with the overall boat and how it handles. I have seen a bunch of boats anchored in some areas off the river but I do not have my confidence up enough to venture into those areas. If anyone goes out on the Potomac and has some pointers feel free to let me know...

Welcome to the group. I'm on the Potomac, docked up in DC.

As Boat Guy mentioned, take a safety course. Also, make sure you have all of the required safety gear. A Vessel Safety Check is a good idea and they will be happy to answer boating related questions. It's free and offered by the USCG Auxiliary.

If you plan to boat north of the Wilson Bridge you must have a boater safety license. DC Controls the water north, Maryland controls most of the river South. Even if your boat's registered in VA, you must obey MD/DC safety laws when in their waters.

My first boat was a 240 DA with a Bravo III. There are many other knowledgeable folks on here as well.
If you have questions about the Potomac I'll help where I can.

My other tip.. docking practice. Do it over and over and over and over again. It will make you more comfortable with your boat. Driving in open water isn't difficult. Close quarters takes practice.
 
Welcome to the group. I'm on the Potomac, docked up in DC.

As Boat Guy mentioned, take a safety course. Also, make sure you have all of the required safety gear. A Vessel Safety Check is a good idea and they will be happy to answer boating related questions. It's free and offered by the USCG Auxiliary.

If you plan to boat north of the Wilson Bridge you must have a boater safety license. DC Controls the water north, Maryland controls most of the river South. Even if your boat's registered in VA, you must obey MD/DC safety laws when in their waters.

My first boat was a 240 DA with a Bravo III. There are many other knowledgeable folks on here as well.
If you have questions about the Potomac I'll help where I can.

My other tip.. docking practice. Do it over and over and over and over again. It will make you more comfortable with your boat. Driving in open water isn't difficult. Close quarters takes practice.

Thanks. I have my safety course card from when I had taken the safety course years ago so I could be a designated driver but I am gonna take it with a local captain at a marina by my house to get hands on training. You are absolutely right about close quarters being way different. I nearly had 15 heart attacks my first time leaving the slip. And backing back into the slip had me freaking out. Easier than I expected though. I've been out on her about 4 times now but I keep in mind that I have a lot to learn. The boat came with all the safety gear but a trip to the uscg probably would be a good idea.
 
Also I bought a handheld VHF radio. Do you think that will do the trick or should I be looking at a hard wired system and big antenna. I'm pretty electrically inclined so wiring up DC circuits is a breeze.
 
Hi, I also boat the upper tidal Potomac. Having a separate antenna and a higher power radio would be better but not necessary for the area your in. If you went out on the bay where you need to transmit distances greater than a mile or two it would be more important. If its in your budget, do it. I would also get a multi function display for the option of GPS navigation, maps, sonar, radar, etc. They generally start around $500 for a basic unit such as a lowrance or garmin. Its money well spent if you don't already have one.

There are often hazards in the river, especially after heavy rain. If your not familiar with the area I would get a map from boat us or west marine. It will help identify danger or restricted areas. That will be easier than trying to read a little screen on your smart phone.

Congratulations on the new boat.
 
Welcome aboard.
 
As Blaster said a good set of charts is a must. We have a Raymarine C95, but we always carry paper charts as well. It's surprising how shallow parts of the Potomac are and how many obstructions are in the river.

In addition to safety gear keep some basic tools onboard. If you have an issue out on the water it's helpful to be able to make a quick fix and limp back home. Also keep spare fluids. On our 240 there was a small rubber piece in the cap of the gear lube reservoir. It fell out one day and gear lube went everywhere. Some duct tape and extra gear lube allowed us to get to the marina!

Enjoy the boat!
 
Just purchased a 2000 SeaRay Sundancer 240 with MERC 5.7 and BRAVO III. New to boating so this is all new to me. I know I will have lots of questions and will be reading alot of the how to's as I get accustomed to my new toy.

Right now I have a slip at the EZ Cruz Marina in Woodbridge, VA. so it's right on the Potomac. Took it out a few times just to familiarize myself with the overall boat and how it handles. I have seen a bunch of boats anchored in some areas off the river but I do not have my confidence up enough to venture into those areas. If anyone goes out on the Potomac and has some pointers feel free to let me know...

Welcome to CSR and the Potomac! Blaster and Ryan have given you some great advise so far.

The areas that you have probably seen a lot of boats nearby are as follows. When you come out of Neabsco Creek into the Potomac and turn right you'll pass Leesylvania State Park. Just past that, there are usually a lot of boats anchored at Tim's Rivershore restaurant on the weekends. If you anchor there, they will pick you up in their water taxi and take you to their dock. Directly across from Tim's on the Maryland side of the river is Mattawoman Creek. You'll usually see boats anchored near the entrance, or farther back in the creek. A lot of people anchor overnight there.

If you turn left out of Neabsco and head toward the Occoquan River, you'll notice boats on your right as you turn into the Occoquan. That's called Belmont Bay and it borders on Mason Neck State Park. There are both a lot of day boaters and overnighters here, and it's a big party area.

Hope that helps.

Mike
 
Welcome to CSR and the Potomac! Blaster and Ryan have given you some great advise so far.

The areas that you have probably seen a lot of boats nearby are as follows. When you come out of Neabsco Creek into the Potomac and turn right you'll pass Leesylvania State Park. Just past that, there are usually a lot of boats anchored at Tim's Rivershore restaurant on the weekends. If you anchor there, they will pick you up in their water taxi and take you to their dock. Directly across from Tim's on the Maryland side of the river is Mattawoman Creek. You'll usually see boats anchored near the entrance, or farther back in the creek. A lot of people anchor overnight there.

If you turn left out of Neabsco and head toward the Occoquan River, you'll notice boats on your right as you turn into the Occoquan. That's called Belmont Bay and it borders on Mason Neck State Park. There are both a lot of day boaters and overnighters here, and it's a big party area.

Hope that helps.

Mike

Thanks for the pointers. That will definitely help knowing what all the spots are. I would have pulled into those areas to meet some folks but I'm still trying to get used to knowing my boat and the depth of those areas is what had me worried. I just recently figured out that my depth readings are clearly from the bottom of the hull and not adjusted to the waterline. Readings of 3ft had me a little paranoid til I jumped in and saw how deep it really was...

if if you ever see a boat with a big baby of a Rottweiler out there it's probably me :)

--Mike
 
As Blaster said a good set of charts is a must. We have a Raymarine C95, but we always carry paper charts as well. It's surprising how shallow parts of the Potomac are and how many obstructions are in the river.

In addition to safety gear keep some basic tools onboard. If you have an issue out on the water it's helpful to be able to make a quick fix and limp back home. Also keep spare fluids. On our 240 there was a small rubber piece in the cap of the gear lube reservoir. It fell out one day and gear lube went everywhere. Some duct tape and extra gear lube allowed us to get to the marina!

Enjoy the boat!


Good point on the tools and fluids. I had already put together a small toolkit but didn't think about fluids. I have been using my handheld garmin with the bluecharts maps but I can already tell I need to upgrade that.

i went ahead and insured through boat us and got their tow package too since I don't wanna get stranded with my wife and two kids and a rottie lol.
 
If you ever venture down to colonial beach, let me know. Would love to hook up and show you the area.

Mike

We'll be down in Colonial Beach first weekend in August. Hoping for decent weather.
 

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