(Almost) New Boat Owner - A Little Overwhelmed

[SpaceCadet]

Hi All-

I've put a deposit on a boat (Nimble Kodiak 26 Motorsailer) and am about to schedule the survey, finalize financing, etc. I'm hoping it will get a positive result on the survey.

A little background on me: I'm a 53 y.o. guy who's been dreaming of having a boat since boyhood. In the 70's our neighbor was the importer of Marine Trader and Eagle trawlers for New England. I worked summers prepping the new boats before delivery. Our family had a boat - 31' Silverton Sedan and we did a fair amount of local cruising (Cape Cod & Islands).

Since then, I've been waiting for the time when I could have a boat without financial strain. I've done a lot of reading about coastal cruising and power passagemaking. Now that this is about to become a reality, the minutia is closer and I realize I haven't been behind the wheel of a powerboat in 31 years! I've done a little bit of sailing on my friend's 38' sailboat. But I'm not sure that's going to help. If I close on the boat, I'll have to have it shipped up from Georgia to Massachusetts. Then, well.... everything else has to happen. I'm a little anxious about it. In my experience in life is that it's not what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's when you don't know what you don't know that things can go very wrong very quickly.

Is there any advice for a newbie like me? Maybe a checklist of stuff to do, etc.? A book, article, etc.?


A little nervous,

Glen

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. Yup. Checklists, books, articles, TF, alcohol....Wait, what?

 

[BandB]

Slow down and let the game come to you. This is advice developed from watching rookie professional athletes. They get overwhelmed as the games so fast, but in reality it's them trying to move too fast. A point guard trying to go full speed up the court at all times rather than letting the play develop and finding the open man.

It seems to a new owner like there are so many things to be done. No, just one thing. Then a second. Then a third. You only do one at a time.

I'd suggest a list of all those things you think you need to accomplish and then one at a time you can work through them. Just don't let the list overwhelm you.

One thing I strongly recommend is some professional help or guidance or a very experienced owner of the same boat. Perhaps the selling broker will provide some but it appears you won't be using it where you're buying it. Having someone walk through all the boats systems with you and you making notes can save you an immense amount of time and stress. Then even better if you can have someone go out with you a couple of days or more. It's an expense that will pay for itself many times in just how it builds your knowledge and confidence.

Understand that every owner has been right where you are. We all lacked experience. I had 30 years of lake boating, largest a 30' runabout. Then it was ocean and 44' and 63' and a whole new world. First time you go out where you can't see land it hits you, but you realize you can tell exactly where you are. First time you hit rough seas or difficult docking conditions, it's challenging but soon it's commonplace.

We haven't been at it as long as many here but we've put in probably more miles than any others the last 6 years. It was wonderful the first day and has been better every day sense. Every time out too we learn more, we enhance our skills. We still have friends who have been professional captains for 40+ years and are still in awe of their knowledge and skills. However, we look at where we were and how far we've come, just as you'll do in a few years. In fact, then you'll just go through it all again as you move up in boat size along the way or take more adventurous and distant cruises.

You said shipping from Georgia to Mass. That's the fastest way, perhaps the cheapest. However, if there is any possible way that you can get two weeks off from work sometime or even one week, hiring a captain to deliver it and teach you along the way would be incredible.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr.BB. Kinda cold for a delivery trip north. Perhaps put off the lessons until the spring. LOTS to do in the down time.

 

[SpaceCadet]

Thanks BandB! That helps a lot. The idea of piloting her up from GA is appealing for the reasons you mention. I am a little afraid of doing "shakedown" cruise of 1000+ miles! But if I had an experienced captain with me, it could be OK. She's a very simple boat - by design, and why I chose her as my first. BTW, shipping her up is not so cheap. It can either be shipped up on the trailer that comes with the boat ($1983) or they'll put the whole works onto a flatbed and take it up that way ($2385). Not knowing what condition the trailer is in, I think the flatbed is the only safe solution. Not cheap! This is only the first quote, however.

Lots to think about. I appreciate the reminder to pace myself. One thing at a time. Sage advice!

Thanks again!

 

[BandB]

Thanks BandB! That helps a lot. The idea of piloting her up from GA is appealing for the reasons you mention. I am a little afraid of doing "shakedown" cruise of 1000+ miles! But if I had an experienced captain with me, it could be OK. She's a very simple boat - by design, and why I chose her as my first. BTW, shipping her up is not so cheap. It can either be shipped up on the trailer that comes with the boat ($1983) or they'll put the whole works onto a flatbed and take it up that way ($2385). Not knowing what condition the trailer is in, I think the flatbed is the only safe solution. Not cheap! This is only the first quote, however.

Lots to think about. I appreciate the reminder to pace myself. One thing at a time. Sage advice!

Thanks again!

You will have just had it surveyed and sea trialed and if needed captain could run it a day before you arrive. Even leave it in GA for the winter and perhaps you could escape and go there a weekend or two.

Interesting how little extra to load it all on a flatbed. I'd select that over an unknown trailer as well.

 

[Bacchus]

Welcome aboard TF and good luck w/ the balance of the purchase process.
If you can be present for the survey that would be a good start. Not all surveyors encourage it but IMHO the better ones will welcome potential owner presence. You will likely see many hidden places / systems on the boat that it could otherwise only be explored after some sort of a failure.
We got our start w/ cruisers by joining a local Sail & Power Squadron now becoming known as Americas Boating Club. Look them up and if there is a local chapter consider joining and taking a few courses. You will begin to learn what you don't know and which advanced course interest you and will be the most beneficial. In addition to good courses you will expand your network of knowledgeable boaters w/ similar interests.

Another recent resource being expanded almost daily is Americas Boating Channel which is a series of videos covering a wide range of boating topics. By coincidence when I opened the ABC website to copy the URL I find that We and our Mainship "Bacchus" are the featured new video this week. We volunteered to help w/ the production of the "Cold Water Survival" video and the product has now been released to the public.
You will find a wealth of info & helpful boaters here on TF. Get comfortable with searching for topics of interest, do some reading of previous posts and start a new thread with follow-up questions you have.
If you haven't found it yet - there is a "Motorsailer" section in the Builders Section of the Forum. It's a smaller and specialized section of TF but it may prove helpful.

Good luck and be sure to post a few photos after you close the deal.

 

[SpaceCadet]

I'm going to see if the current owner will keep it in his shed for me until Spring. That would keep me from having to get it wrapped quickly and store it, etc.

We'll see how it goes.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard.

 

[SpaceCadet]

Thanks Bacchus/Don-

I'm planning on being down there for the survey. It's a small boat and the current owner will be the pilot for the sea trial. So I guess the three of us will become good friends on the cruise!

 

[Lou_tribal]

Welcome aboard, do not worry you will soon be A LOT overwhelmed

L

 

[South of Heaven]

Congrats on the new rig. I'm in Boston Harbor but I regularly take my boat down to Buzzards Bay almost once a month during the season.

BTW, those shipping costs seem like a steal. I would run with them and don't look back. Make sure you verify their insurance carrier and get a copy of their policy. I would also have them sign a work order which verifies the job, their equipment, route etc.

As to the learning curve: I would start digging into this site and asking lots of questions. Buy a Chapmans book as well. I would also recommend taking a USCG aux learning course over the winter. There are several classes in Mass. but they fill up quick......Sign up soon. I would also go to the Boston Boat Show in February. Lots of good info, vendors and smaller boats on display.

Good luck!

 

[SpaceCadet]

[/QUOTE]

BTW, those shipping costs seem like a steal. I would run with them and don't look back. Make sure you verify their insurance carrier and get a copy of their policy. I would also have them sign a work order which verifies the job, their equipment, route etc.

As to the learning curve: I would start digging into this site and asking lots of questions. Buy a Chapmans book as well. I would also recommend taking a USCG aux learning course over the winter. There are several classes in Mass. but they fill up quick......Sign up soon. I would also go to the Boston Boat Show in February. Lots of good info, vendors and smaller boats on display.

Good luck![/QUOTE]

Hey- very nice Camano!

That's a great suggestion to sign up for the course. I took Power Squadron back in 1977. Yikes!It's good to know about the shipping costs too. I'll get the policy info, etc.

Thanks!

Glen

 

[SpaceCadet]

Hi All-

After reviewing the costs of travel, shipping, and trucking a $20k boat from GA, I opted out of the sale. I could have even swallowed the expenses (which made the boat not as great a deal as I had hoped) but for the problems of moving a boat in January to New England where I was not really ready for the boat storage. It was an impulse decision that I made to put the offer in and I should have thought it out more fully. However, I learned a tremendous amount about potentially shipping a boat if I find one in the future. We'll see.

I'm really enjoying the forums and appreciate everything everyone did to help!

Glen

 

[Seevee]

Glen,

Not a bad choice, and the logistics would have sure slowed a lot of us down. Now you can take your time, find something locally and perhaps make a deal on it shortly before the boating season gets back in the spring. A lot of good deals happen in the winter.

Good luck.

Hi All-

After reviewing the costs of travel, shipping, and trucking a $20k boat from GA, I opted out of the sale. I could have even swallowed the expenses (which made the boat not as great a deal as I had hoped) but for the problems of moving a boat in January to New England where I was not really ready for the boat storage. It was an impulse decision that I made to put the offer in and I should have thought it out more fully. However, I learned a tremendous amount about potentially shipping a boat if I find one in the future. We'll see.

I'm really enjoying the forums and appreciate everything everyone did to help!

Glen

 

[kokopelliTim]

Glen!
Wow you have learned much and still dreaming! Keep dreaming, learning, planning, seeking and growing.

You are not the only one who found a boat, fell in love, made the plans and then the logistics got in the way!
Happens to most of us eventually.

But you are learning the process and learning boats.

AND you have fallen in with a great bunch of folk here at TF to laugh with!

Tim

 

[Destinees]

I'd need a little more information about that particular boat and year of manufacturer. However if you decide to purchase, don't ship; hire a captain and travel with him learning about and experiencing your boat first-hand. Let him teach instead of him having you pay for including an extra crewman.

 

[tbtapper]

I looked into transport of a trawler and came to similar conclusions as you. Ended up purchasing in Florida and having a capitan as others have said deliver it to Hilton Head with me as a learning passenger.
Was still pretty pricey but “invaluable” for the gained knowledge. By the time we got to HH I knew the boat inside out, had repaired a split cooling hose which was the only issue on the whole trip. Boat ran 24/7 and got amazing fuel mileage.
Great experience worth every penny.