Jackleg wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 1:51 pm
The shortest version? Don't be a prat.
Slightly longer. Use a bit of common sense. Power gives way to sail, vessels restricted by draft/manoeuveability have priority over all. Follow QHM speed limits, channel markers etc.
Life jackets, VHF radio, insurance etc aren't strictly necessarily, but I'd highly recommend them.
Most of all, if you're not familiar with boating, I'd recommend going on a RYA powerboat course . I'd offer my services (with a forum discocunt), but I'm the other end of the country from you.
This. Bit late to the punch here, but most of the tales of 'idiots who got themselves in trouble' that I heard from the old man and the harbour 'floating shed contingent' were people who hadn't done a basic course on safety (for yachts it was RYA Yachtmaster, there's something
specific to powerboats too ). These tales covered people in £500 powered dinghies to quarter million quid motor yachts - a lack of common sense knows no financial bounds. And you can't be sensible and have common sense if you don't know the lay of the land...er...sea, as it were. So I'd strongly recommend looking into these. Go out with more experienced sailors in the interim, let them guide you.
Get a decent radio and learn how to use it and when it's appropriate to use it, a good marine GPS if you're likely to be off the coast (no idea where you are these days or where you'll be storing the boat..), get insurance (it's dirt cheap - the old mans 28ft motor yacht was £130/PA for me and my bro), and then get pally with the local harbour staff - if you show an interest in doing things sensibly, they
will help out with any questions or problems, I'm sure.
What pisses people off the most is some yahoo showing up in their new toy and smacking into someone else because they didn't know right of way on the sea, or who had to get the coastguard called out because they didn't know how to marineproof their fancy new radio and it shorted out their electrics.
It's definitely quite a fun time at a weekend though - I was never really much for maintaining boats, but going out every so often with the old man and his grizzled old chums at a weekend for a few beers and a laugh was always entertaining.
Oh, and top bollocks for a sight unseen purchase - do get it looked over as best you can before getting it wet though...
Edit: As an expansion of the above,
never take someone's word that something's been done "properly" on a used boat. My old man found that out the hard way when he realised that the previous owned of his 28ft yacht used self tappers everywhere, even in places where water ingress was likely, and spent near a year with the boat dry docked fixing it so it was actually waterproof....same goes for electrics, seawater cooling, etc.
